Love in the Time of Self-Publishing

“A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year”“A rigorously researched history of the industry, Larson’s book explores the rise of [the Romance Writers of America] and of a sprawling network of editors, writers, readers and fans that helped make romance one of the book industry’s most popular and lucrative genres.”—Robert Ito, New York Times“Eye-opening… . A rewarding deep dive into an influential corner of the publishing industry.” * Publishers Weekly *“An intriguing study of how the staggering success of romance e-books has turned the publishing industry on its head… . An important story of how new trails can be blazed with persistence and imagination.” * Kirkus Reviews *“An insightful work of literary criticism, Love in the Time of Self-Publishing shows how an informal labor network of romance writers impacted the greater literary and publishing world.” * Foreword Reviews *“Eminently readable and impossibly well researched, Larson’s book is at once an efficiently written investigation into the history and current state of romance publishing and a perceptive and balanced assessment of the potentials and pitfalls of the gig economy and creative labor… . Refreshingly, Larson avoids tired, elitist concerns about the quality of the literature and instead focuses on what kinds of communities, opportunities, and voices this female-dominated, billion-dollar industry fosters, and how corrections can be made to promote broader inclusivity. A must read for anyone interested in contemporary publishing and gig labor.” * Choice Reviews *“There is much to like in this approachable, almost cheerful exploration.”—Kate Cuthbert, Publishing Research Quarterly“Engaging … [Love in the Time of Self-Publishing] should be read by anyone interested in the social history of writing and publishing.”—Jessica Taylor, Public Books

Christine Larson is assistant professor of journalism at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Her writing has appeared frequently in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and other national outlets, as well as in such scholarly journals as Information Communication and Society and Media, Culture & Society. She is the coauthor of Influence: How Women’s Economic Power Will Change Our World for the Better.