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Selling Books with GLBTQ Characters

Why can't you sell your "gay" book into the mainstream? Here are some thoughts on it.

Comments

[dsgood.livejournal.com]

A book which turned out to have a much larger readership than expected: The Bridges of Madison County. It ends with the two lovers having their memories of each other -- but not having to live with each other. Apparently, there were many people for whom "They lived together ever after" wasn't their kind of happy ending.

[lauralb.livejournal.com]

I attended the RT convention in Daytona Beach last month. While there I was tracked down by a staff member of one of the NY publishing houses and questioned about my M/M erotic romances, specifially, A BIT OF ROUGH, a 2005 Passionate Plume Finalist for the RWA erotic chapter. This person loved M/M stories, understood their appeal to staright women and was actively seeking supporting facts and numbers to show her CEO that the next big market was going to be M/M erotic romances and that they should get on it. I call my novels Manlove. It bridges the space between gay fiction (written for men mostly by men) and slash (written mostly by ametuers-some very good, some not so good). Staright women can walk into a store and ask for a 'manlove' romance without feeling as uncomfortable as they might feel asking for gay fiction. It's all about preception and what people are at ease with. I think there will be a market for it in the near future in all genres. At least I hope so, became I LOVE writing it.
Laura Baumbach
http://www.laurabaumbach.com

[baka-kit.livejournal.com]

I call my novels Manlove.

Hmm ... echoes of the "Boys Love", shounen-ai, in the Manga part of the bookstore.

[lauralb.livejournal.com]

'Boys Love' sounds too close to underage fic. I'm into changing the female buying public's perception of M/M erotic romances written for them. It enjoys a gay readership as well, and both should feel comfortable looking for it and asking for it.