Candy and I recently received an email from Kate of Brisbane Romance Reading Addicts, a Brisbane-based bunch of romance fans. She likes our site, and she likes romance, but man, she does not like the state of romance sales in the land down under:
The major book chains (Dymocks is equivalent to Borders) don’t carry romance, or, if they do, they display them in one of those cardboard fold out shelves. Harlequin’s lines (regardless of the fact that there is a Harlequin branch in Sydney) come out months late, or incomplete. And author visits, tours, or conferences? Non-existant. So I wrote my thesis about, well, basically, about how romance readers survive…. I published the first chapter of my thesis (seriously cut down) in Queensland’s major daily paper on Saturday.
Well, as they say in Oz, good on you! Breaking sexual barriers? Focusing on female professions before the advent of feminism and equal rights movements? Ideological shifts in the attitude towards women’s sexuality? All things we know and love about romance here at SBTB. Nice to see a newspaper publishing the social and political timeline of romance novels, right up to the advent of erotica.
Now, while I do empathize with the lack of author tours from the US to Australia, I have to say that to fly to Oz from the US? Damn expensive. Beyond the reaches of most touring budgets, I am sure.
But interest seems to be growing: Kate has been asked to put together a review column for the Courier Mail, and certainly getting romance good press and getting a fair review that considers the romance novel with the same weight as any other published fiction is indeed a VERY good thing, if you ask the Smart Bitches.
Now, I must ask: how did you come up with the “Top Fives” that appears at the end of the article? And who has some suggestions as to how to help the Aussie romance readers find better buffets of books from which to choose?
At the time of my reading this post there isn’t a link to the mentioned article, and I’m curious about the Top Fives.
As for suggestions for Aussies looking for a wider selection—ebooks and online bookstores, of course. Seems to be the only answer, especially if you’re out in bush country. I’ve come across a lot of Aussie writers working for epubs, so there will be plenty of books set in Oz, too. Rebecca Williams is one of them; she may have a ton of other suggestions.
Visited Oz last month and loved it, but I didn’t think to look for romance novels at the Angus & Robertson store. I went looking for maps. Stupid me.
This is a little indelicate, but I have to stick in my nose and ask a question…
My Wilderness series does REALLY well down under. Really well. For example, at one point one of mine (I think it was Lake in the Clouds) knocked John Grisham off the number one spot. I get tons of email from Australia and NZ. For some reason, the series really appeals to them.
But what I don’t know is, whether they are considered romance in that market, or something else. So this is a general question for Kate: do y’all define ‘romance’ in pretty much the same way the U.S. does?
Sara, as one of your Aussie fans, I can tell you that your books are generally classified as romance here. They are, however, also carried by some if not all of the major bookstore chains whereas a lot of other romance authors don’t seem to cross over in the same way.
There are maybe three or four stores in the country (that I know of anyway!) that specialise in romance, and who will accept orders and post them to wherever in the country, but that does take the pleasure out of browsing the shelves. Borders has an okay selection, but again Borders is mainly only in the larger cities so is not accessible to lots of people.
April, you would be lucky to find one small shelf of romance books in the average A & R store unfortunately, if there are any at all. That would be why you didn’t notice it.
I have to admit to not having read a romance either written by an Aussie, or set in Australia for years. Not a conscious decision on my part, just haven’t come across any.
Where to start. It is hard to buy romance at your average bookshop. I live an hour and a half west of Sydney so I either buy on line, get some books at my local K Mart (which is hopeless) or stock up at Dymocks (the city one isn’t bad) or Books Kinokuniya in the city.
Siren
http://www.sirenbooks.com/aus/default2.asp
Rosemary’s Romance
http://www.rosemarysromancebooks.com/index.html
Intrigue Bookshop in Canberra
http://www.intriguetheromancebookstore.com.au/
are the main online bookshops. I use Amazon and Powells as well.
Don’t know why it’s so hard to buy romance here. There is a general lack of interest in stocking romance in bookshops. I think it’s a snobbish thing. Jenny Crusie is supposed to be coming to the 2007 Romance Writers of Australia conference (Debbie Macomber is coming this year, Donald Maass came last year). Oz writers do well in category particulary the Presents line. There are a growing number of erotica writer published through epublishers. I read the article in the Courier Mail and I wondered about the Top Five too.
Just in case anyone’s wondering about Australian romance writers, there’s a list at http://www.romanceaustralia.com/links/authorsausnz.htm
I recognise Anne Gracie and Emma Darcy.
My Wilderness series does REALLY well down under. Really well. For example, at one point one of mine (I think it was Lake in the Clouds) knocked John Grisham off the number one spot. I get tons of email from Australia and NZ. For some reason, the series really appeals to them
I think we like frontier stuff and like the Brits go for sagas. All that New World solidarity too. And it’s just a guess but I think we like stories about indigenous people. We treat our own indgenous people shamefully but like reading about the North American experience particularly.
Marg, thanks for the confirmation on A&R! It’s a relief not to have to wonder.
Keziah, regarding the indigenous people of Oz, are there many romances about them there? If so, how are the covers usually done for them? Any clinches? Any overflowing hair? Aborigine man titty? I’m curious. When I did Rebecca Williams’ cover for Good Intentions, where the heroine is an Aborigine (or half of one, I don’t recall), I had the darndest time even figuring out what Rebecca meant in her description of the heroine—dark like a black person, but NOT black and with hair that is not kinky.
Hey guys! Thanks for putting my article so front and central! As for your questions: the top five lists are my personal choices. My favourite ones from 2005. My favourites that I turn to when I want a good book. That wasn’t made clear, though I suppose that’s newspapers.
As to the definition of romance, yeah, it’s much the same. Some bookstores stock the paranormal and suspense in their general fiction, but you have to go to the specialty stores if you really want selection
Another one is
http://www.rendezvousbooks.com/
I think that there is a secondhand bookstore that specialises in romance as well, but I have a feeling that that is in country NSW. Will hunt around for the link.
Laura, thanks for the link! I might go looking for some!
I couple of names on the list really surprised me! I had no idea Stephanie Laurens was an Aussie!
Dymocks in Melbourne (the main city store) have a reasonable romance section, as does Reader’s Feast, and Borders but they still have a delay of a few months for latest releases. But that’s true for almost all US/UK fiction in Australia unless it’s someone like JK Rowling who gets a worldwide release date. We wait. Or order from the specialists and online stores.
Rendezvous and Rosemary’s etc do a great job for the ‘must have it now’s’.
And most Australian’s don’t know Stephanie is an Aussie either. She’s not generally promoted as such here and she’s got to be one of our most successful authors in any genre. I’ve never understood it. But the Australian writing scene tends to the literary so any genre successes get little publicity or kudos. Same with Marion Lennox, multiple, multiple Rita nominee and winner.
The aussie writers work to get the press to move beyond the stereotypes when covering romance but it’s an uphill slog. So good on Kate for getting her article in!
There are places to get romance novels, and there are some really good bookstores. But I think the lack of novels in mainstream stores is just a symptom of the greater lack of understanding. The readers are here, I know, I interviewed them. But Australia hasn’t caught up to the fact that there’s a market here. And the general acceptance level? Non-existant. If it is suggested one more time (this is my favourite) that I am panting for it, I am going to shoot someone. Which would make even more news…headline: Romance Reader Shares the Love
🙂
Shopping for ‘Romance-Genre Fiction’ here in OZ is hard. We have a few dedicated new-only romance bookstores around the country, but they’re the standouts, most are second-hand and there are some great second-hand bookstores selling a LOT of romance because there are a LOT of people who want to read it.
I know people who travel to the US with empty suitcases that come back full of all the books they’ve bought, or they wait 2-3 months for books to arrive to cut down on the shipping costs.
Nothing seems to get through to the powers that be that ‘Romance’ sells!
Currently I’m working with Kate (of the article) to raise the awareness of romance readers; getting them together online and face to face within Australia.
We know there are heaps of Aussies on author mailing lists, but we’d like them to meet each other in reader’s groups to discuss their fav books and authors, and have a little of what you guys in the US have. Sometimes, I feel we’re too scared of being ‘found out’ to be reading ‘romance’ and so end up hiding from each other, when we could be sharing so much.
So yay for Kate and Yay for SBTB for further highlighting Kate’s article which has certainly changed some things already. More good things to come.
I understand that Mills and Boon will be publishing Regency novels in Australia that are no longer being published in the US. US publishers,except for Harlequin, are backing away from classic Regencies, so I’m hoping a stronger overseas market will keep American Regency authors employed.
I get lots of nice fan e-letters from down under, and even some tim-tams and brownies shipped to me from readers. *starting to drool thinking of those brownies* Sorry, completely forgot what I was saying. lol
I’ve even shipped books and bookmarks down there. Here’s a store that I have shipped things to before. It is VERY romance friendly:
Rosemary’s Romance Books – Shop 6, 144 Adelaide Street, Brisbane, Qld, 4000
T: 07 3229 0088 F: 073229 2822 http://www.rosemarysromancebooks.com
Michelle Pillow
I know people who travel to the US with empty suitcases that come back full of all the books they’ve bought
That’s what I’m planning to do at Atlanta!
Being an avid romance reader from New Zealand this is one of my major pet peeves. Shopping for books is a freaking nightmare, and I live in the capital city. We have Dymocks, which has maybe a metre wide, 5 shelf section of romance novels (mostly Mills & Boon, a lot of Stephanie Laurens and even more below average Avon authors). Whitcoulls and Paperplus, the other two major book retailers are useless, one shelf in the Paperplus, and a small section in Whitcoulls. It’s pathetic.
I do however, find Jenny Crusie’s books on the fiction shelf, as well as your “Wilderness” books Sara (hi! LOL). They are NOT shelved in the romance section. Ditto for Gabaldon.
I don’t buy a lot from US based online sites (Amazon, B&N etc), with the cost of international shipping and the exchange rate, it’s just not economical. Fortunately there is one good and really well priced NZ website that I use a lot. Plus a really good second hand bookshop that has an amazing romance section.
When I was in New York a few years ago, I went nuts in the bookstores. Ended up having to ship books to myself in London, as I knew they wouldn’t let me on the plane with all the excess luggage LOL.
Lanie
PS. I’d be willing to send Tim Tams for books for those interested LOL.
I have readers in Australia who’ve bought my books through Amazon, either Amazon.uk or Amazon.com.
And this is an advantage of ebooks—you can generally buy them anywhere in the world for a heck of a lot less than importing a paper book from the US.
I have bought a few books through Amazon but the problem is that the postage costs practically the same as the actual books – so this is left as a last resort option only.
Powell’s isn’t bad. They have a slower option that’s cheaper but I found it got to me pretty quickly anyway.
Don’t have any trouble finding all the books I want. In Hornsby alone we have Borders, KMart and a bookstore that supplies nothing but romance novels. Has thousands of books. then there are all the other suburbs. On top of that there are all the online bookstores. Boomerang books, Siren books, Rendevouz, Intrigue Books, to name only a few.