If you have any acquaintance with romance and romance writing, you either know of or need to know of the Smart Bitches.
Running Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, they take a hard look at romance. With a mix of sarcasm, affection, and an experienced eye they look at what's going on in the genre, what's not going on, what should go on, and what should stop.
Since they're a great example of taking a site farther, and can provide insight on the genre that's always a success, I interviewed one of their members, Sarah who now pretty much runs the site. Let's meet Sarah and get some questions about her site and romance fiction.
1) Let's start with the inevitable question – why did you and your cohorts start Smart Bitches and Why?
At the time we started Smart Bitches, back in 2005, we, the "we" being Candy Tan, the site's co-founder, and I wanted to talk about romance novels critically, celebrating what made them truly awesome but also lighting literary and not literal trashcans on fire when one went south to crapland in the valley of WTF, as they sometimes do. We started the blog thinking no one would find it or read it and we'd have a good old time cursing and making fun of the covers and writing really really REALLY long reviews. We were right and wrong: we do indeed have a good old time, but we were wrong that no one would read it.
2) Did things work as you expected? What unexpected elements – if any – did you encounter.
The URL of our site spread quickly through word-of-mouth and I was definitely surprised about that. I was also happily surprised by how many intelligent women there are in just about every country who love romance novels and love to talk about them with us.
3) Does this help with your careers at all?
Yes and no. Candy went to law school and isn't as involved in the site as much now. I now run the site as my full time job, so in that respect it helped very much!
4) You've become a kind of cultural touchstone for many – certainly I hear about you from many people. How does that feel and what are the implications?
It is stunning. Writing a blog entry happens when I'm alone in my own head thinking about books or characters or mullets, but the interaction that happens when the post goes live takes effect supremely fast and the spread of a single entry can go farther than I anticipated. On one hand I'm surprised and humbled that something I wrote is of interest to so much, but on the other hand I'm very proud to help elevate the reputation of romance as a genre in any way I can.
5) What, in a short paragraph or two, is the state of Romance fiction these days?
It's changing, much like everything in publishing. Authors question the application of new technologies to their own careers, whether they digitally publish their backlist or self publish their next work. Publishers struggle with the changing audience and formats of books being published today. Reader preferences and trends change rapidly, especially since with digital publishing, niche audiences who seek a specific kind of romance can be served with some agility and speed. But at the absolute root of all the changes, we readers are still looking for stories that make us happy. That part hasn't changed.
6) Does it seem we're in a kind of revival of paranormal and other-genre romance? Twilight is huge, Doctor Who has taken a strong romantic streak in the new series, the upcoming Thor film is supposed to have a romantic subplot.
Yes and no. Romance has been a part of every major storytelling form since we started exaggerating the size of whatever around the campfire. Paranormal has been hugely popular for awhile, but think its popularity is starting to wane in favor of other sub-genres of romance. But most engaging storytelling in any media format has a romantic subplot, or at the very least a quiet, subtle attraction between protagonists. That's part of the bedrock of storytelling.
7) What do you think about romance becoming part of video game plots? The game Dragon Age had multiple romantic subplots as a possibility, and it seems "Datesim" aspects are working their way into many games.
Love it! Many romance readers are avid gamers, and I think this is excellent. Like I said, good storytelling often involves romantic themes, and video games can house incredibly complex and amazing stories. All the better with romance, says I!
8) What do you think electronic publishing will – or won't – do for the Romance genre?
Romance and electronic publishing are a very well-suited couple! Romance readers are ideal readers for digital publishing: a few hundred books in our bags at any time? The ability to buy a book at 3am when you can't sleep and you don't have anything new to read? That's heaven. Romance readers are avid digital readers, and that is part of the reason why romance is among the top selling genres digitally.
9) For fun, tell us what you think the ultimate best-selling romantic novel would be – and if it would be any good?
I honestly don't know if I could come up with one plot to suit every reader! Our tastes are often so different that what appeals to one reader may be the antithesis of good reading to another. I think what a romance reader looks for is a story of lifelike characters who are compelling and interesting, who face challenges that can seem almost impossible, and a happy ending for them both that doesn't defy belief. You know, piece of cake (not really!).
Thanks Sarah! Be sure to visit the site at http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com/