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by SB Sarah | by SB Sarah | August 18, 2011 | Thursday at 4:23 am | 7 Comments

From the A to the H to the REF, these internet links are funky fresh. (This is why I am not a rapper.)

This past week was the RWA conference - that’s Romance Writers of Australia, obviously. Philippa Borland, who is awesome, blogged many of the sessions at her site. What I found particularly interesting was the different responses from Australian branches of big six publishing houses in the editor’s panel, and in how the Australian discussion of ebooks by necessity had to focus on the fact that most ebooks aren’t for sale there. If you’re curious about the conference, it’s fascinating reading. Good on you, Ms. Borland!

Hold up, is this positive coverage of romance in the press? Why, yes, yes it is!

The Salt Lake Tribune has an article about Mormon romance readers challenging the previously-published ideas that romance is bad for relationships:

LDS leaders have condemned romance novels as “soft porn,” and literary critics long have railed against these fictional yarns as “dope for dupes.”
So why are so many self-described Mormon feminists drinking from such a theologically poisoned well?

That’s easy, say three panelists at a recent Sunstone Symposium. It’s because church leaders and critics are missing the messages of independence and empowerment embedded in a genre written largely by women, for women and about women….

“My women felt they deserved to have a great sex life with their spouse. They were willing to say that their sex lives matter,” she said. “If the books contributed to that and to the health of the marriage, then they didn’t accept those negative pronouncements.”

Simply put, the steamy novels heated up their bedrooms and warmed their marriages.

Sing it, y’all. I’m holding a lighter up.

Graceful curtsey to Brooke for the link.

Finally, the quest to raise money and awareness at Limecello’s Social Media for Social Good continues with over 500 comments made. If you haven’t left a comment, there’s still time, and many folks are standing by ready to pledge their local currency to help the effort.
The deadline is Sunday, 21 August.

Filed: General Bitching, The Link-O-Lator

Tagged: social good, romance in the news, positive press, limecello, awesomesauce, australia

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EbonyMcKenna said on 08.18.11 at 05:18 AM • [link]

The RWAus conference in Melbourne (my home city) was made of awesome. So many wonderful workshops including body language and knife fights!

It was very, very interesting for sure. More publishers there this year - but I couldn’t help wondering if some were there under duress.

Just as you can’t write romance novels unless you pour your heart out, you can’t really publish Romance if your heart’s not in it.
Ana Farrish said on 08.18.11 at 06:04 AM • [link]

It’s always nice to see some positive coverage of the genre in the media. Thanks for posting the link, Sarah!
Gabby said on 08.18.11 at 07:35 AM • [link]

What frustrated me when I was there was the reluctance of some of the publishers to use the word ‘romance’. Harlequin and Avon were the exception, but Hachette, Allen and Unwin and Penguin were all throwing about ‘women’s fiction’. Romance is not a dirty word!But they seem to be noticing how big the genre is, especially in digital, and now they’re all jumping on the bandwagon. but as Ebony said, you can’t publish romance if you don’t love it/understand it.

As for ebooks, I know that all of Harlequin Australia’s books are available on the iBookstore (and I think Amazon is coming soon). A few of the intl. guests were saying that the iBookstore sales for North America and the UK weren’t that great but I know that the iBookstore in Aus is completely different. It’s one of the strongest selling eretailers.

But it was a great conference. There’s nothing better than being surrounded by women who understand romance and who get why you read it.
Keziah Hill said on 08.18.11 at 09:57 AM • [link]

And to think we used to beg some of the Aussie publishers to come to our conference. We’re now in the position of asking them what they can do for us, not the other way around. They don’t understand the genre but want to make money from it.
Philippa said on 08.18.11 at 03:52 PM • [link]

I had a fantastic time at the conference, and thanks for linking to my site. I do have 2 more sessions to write up, including one from Bob Mayer on self publishing and eBooks. But between having a migraine and travelling home it has got a bit behind schedule.

Along with Ebony, Gabby and Keziah, I thought there was some very interesting stuff going on with the publishers. My opinion is that a lot of them are in trouble. There usual stuff isn’t sellikng so they are turning to Romance in desperation. But they don’t like the genre and aren’t sure how to approach it (or the writers). The whole ‘oh we mean women’s fiction in general’ comments were so patronising it made my skin crawl.

but there are some new opportunities opening up I guess, we just have to work out how to make the most of them and be ready for them as writers :) (and no I have nothing finished, I’m not ready at all lol)
Philippa said on 08.18.11 at 03:53 PM • [link]

sigh - I mean ‘their usual stuff isn’t selling’. too late at night
Limecello said on 08.18.11 at 09:50 PM • [link]

Yay happy stuff- and thanks so much for linking again! <3