Weeding out romance.

Well if you devoutly believe in no sex before marriage, then a book about sex before marriage would seem trashy.

I guess they've never heard of inspirational romance.

Hmm... might want to bone up (ha ha) on their genres before they paint those sweeping generalizations.

I doubt it's the sex - probably just buying into that 'Well, it's a book about mushy feelings and stuff that like womens read, so it must be trashy'

To which my normal reply is 'Yeah that football is trashy cos men like it'

I wonder how many true-crime books will be carried there - because murder, kidnapping, rape are all sooooo Christian based.

justme said:

What is their weeding process, I wonder?

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God knows, probably My first one has no sex in it but, um, they probably wouldn't sell it because it's a fantasy and has like magic in it and that means witchcraft. ( Okay I have no idea about that in this instance lol, they might like it or not have a problem with fantasy but having seen some rants about Harry Potter promoting witchcraft and the devil, who the heck knows?)

I wonder how many true-crime books will be carried there - because murder, kidnapping, rape are all sooooo Christian based.

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Depends if they're trashy murders I expect

Trashy vs non-trashy - Could you just imagine?

Trashy wins

Works for me.

Awesome!

Sure they know about inspie romance. Romance is the biggest genre-seller in our market, so I'd be willing to bet if you sent these folks an inspie, they'd know what it was and would sell it.

As far as "trashy", that seems to be going a little far, as word choice goes. I prefer Desert Breeze Publishing's definition of the "sweet-to-warm" romances they want to publish.

It also seems to me, and I may be dipping a toe in superheated water here, that there are plenty of presses who want romance on the hotter side, and a scarcity of publishers who prefer to cater to the sweet-to-warm-preferring reader. A niche market--but isn't that what niches are for?

there are plenty of presses who want romance on the hotter side, and a scarcity of publishers who prefer to cater to the sweet-to-warm-preferring reader

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I know I was having a hard time trying to sell my romance because some thought it wasn't erotic enough.

I personally don't like the word trashy, and I am sure it covers a lot of what I read. But I try not to take offense. They have to think of their target audience. If people know it is a Christian based store, then only a certain demographic will enter. They have to cater to what their customers will want. Unlike say a B&N which carries a little of everything since they have a wide variety of customers. Many of other stores will carry the "trashy" stuff I know and love.

I grew up in used bookstores and owned my own. When I opened my store we took all paperback the only exclusion was condition, no rips or tears, broken spines, water damage etc. I had 60K books and more out of print titles than Amazon. My romance customers were thrilled because I actually had harlequins back to the beginning of each series, none of the other bookstores carried them at all. My romance customers were my best customers. We never censored any books. Porn went under the counter and if you wanted it you knew to ask, everything else when on shelves. I had many christian customers come in and tell me I should get rid of this book or that...and even though I am a believer I would never censor someone else's reading. I would be highly inflammed if someone did it to me. Used bookstores will not last if they decide who can read what...you put it all out there and let them choose.

Who cares? Really? It seems like a pretty lame thing to get all in a lather over.
It's big world. Shop elsewhere.

L.Jones said:

Who cares? Really? It seems like a pretty lame thing to get all in a lather over.
It's big world. Shop elsewhere.

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I have to agree. And even if there wasn't another shop around you could always shop online. There are options.

Shamrockgreen said:

I grew up in used bookstores and owned my own. When I opened my store we took all paperback the only exclusion was condition, no rips or tears, broken spines, water damage etc. I had 60K books and more out of print titles than Amazon. My romance customers were thrilled because I actually had harlequins back to the beginning of each series, none of the other bookstores carried them at all. My romance customers were my best customers. We never censored any books. Porn went under the counter and if you wanted it you knew to ask, everything else when on shelves. I had many christian customers come in and tell me I should get rid of this book or that...and even though I am a believer I would never censor someone else's reading. I would be highly inflammed if someone did it to me. Used bookstores will not last if they decide who can read what...you put it all out there and let them choose.

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I am so jealous! I love little used bookstores and it has always been a dream of mine to open one. There was a great one where I grew up and aI came across some older books in there, but very interesting reads. A lot of out of print books.

This person did not say romance was trashy.

They said they were weeding out trashy romance.

I do it. We all do it. We weed out anything which isn't up to our standards.

Laurel Hamilton

I wonder if people just don't want it advertised on the book covers, my library proudly displays it's Hamilton books, guess they don't know what is in these books....I can carry home a discreet cover, my version of a brown paper bag but not a cover rated XXX. Not that I wouldn't read it, I just wouldn't want to carry it home, I like heat in a good story.

scarletpeaches said:

This person did not say romance was trashy.

They said they were weeding out trashy romance.

I do it. We all do it. We weed out anything which isn't up to our standards.

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But who is to say what is trashy? Something they might weed out because they find it trashy may be something I like that and don't find trashy. Like when schools ban books because they think that particular story will corrupt our youth (different, but similar circumstances). I think individuals should be able to decide for themselves what they like and don't like. So I don't agree with what they are doing, but it is their store, so they can pretty much say FU to any of us that take issue with them. And they have every right to. Another reason I would love my own book store....I would have a little bit of everything.

IMHO, that phrase isn't usually meant as, "I didn't like this one, it was trashy," but more as, "I never read stuff like trashy romance novels."

I tend to think of it as a generalization of the genre instead of referring to a specific book. Maybe it's my own personal bias, but that's how I read such a statement.

I took them to be referring to a certain sub/genre as "trashy romance". I doubt they will be reading every romance book to decide which are really trashy. I imagine anything with a romancey cover will just be ditched.

In that case, they can ditch a whole segment of the Christian romance line as well. I mean...I've read one or two of these very popular "bonnet books" and they are trashy. By that I mean that they're garbage-writing, stuff that my publishers would rake me over the coals for writing. Spare me!

That said, these I call trash have a huge following. Just because I personally cannot understand the attraction doesn't mean others can't enjoy them. There should be something for everybody at every spot on the romance-loving continuum.

I recently read a title in the Christian market which I classify as non-bonnet-book rubbish, though. Here's the plot (and I mean the ENTIRE THING): He spots his fiancee's attractive sister. He puts the moves on. She slaps him. He leaves. He returns. He puts the moves on. She slaps him. He leaves.

Oh my aching bifocals. Please. Give me a book in which something actually HAPPENS.