by Ann Kjellberg, editor The big boys of publishing think they know what readers want, but the avid readers of romance have for generations been turning the mighty ship of their genre their own way.
Thank you, Ann! I loved this deep dive into romance publishing, which rarely gets its due in the lit community. I'm excited to see read part 2! Have you read Sarah Brouillette's recent Post45 article on "Wattpad's Fictions of Care"? Her research looks at how young women are reading and writing YA on the platform in ways that seem like an evolution of the romance segment you describe in your piece.
Also, a small but important (to me anyway :)) distinction: LGTBQ+ YA books aren't being "banned by school libraries." They are being banned *in* school libraries (often technically by school districts but really by conservative groups and new legislation). Libraries and librarians--another feminized and underpaid/unappreciated profession--have largely been vocal advocates for access to diverse YA and romance reads and many other critically under-valued genres they believe their communities want/need to read. I like to think of librarians as a foil to the big boys of publishing--they're the anti-lit snobs!
Thank you, Ann! I loved this deep dive into romance publishing, which rarely gets its due in the lit community. I'm excited to see read part 2! Have you read Sarah Brouillette's recent Post45 article on "Wattpad's Fictions of Care"? Her research looks at how young women are reading and writing YA on the platform in ways that seem like an evolution of the romance segment you describe in your piece.
Also, a small but important (to me anyway :)) distinction: LGTBQ+ YA books aren't being "banned by school libraries." They are being banned *in* school libraries (often technically by school districts but really by conservative groups and new legislation). Libraries and librarians--another feminized and underpaid/unappreciated profession--have largely been vocal advocates for access to diverse YA and romance reads and many other critically under-valued genres they believe their communities want/need to read. I like to think of librarians as a foil to the big boys of publishing--they're the anti-lit snobs!