Sellers and publishers of books from all over the world convened in New York this week for their annual convention, Book Expo America. Conference discussions focused on e-books, social media, and self-publishing, but the real buzz was about an old-fashioned phenomenon: a printed and bound bestseller that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. And not just a book: a dirty book.
E.L. James began Fifty Shades of Grey as fan fiction based on the Twilight series. Later, with the vampire bits edited out, Knopf’s prestigious Vintage imprint picked up the book — by then a trilogy — and released it in April. Now the three Fifty Shades novels, plus the boxed set, hold the top four places on the New York Times bestseller list. According to Publishers Weekly, the books have sold more than 10 million copies in print and digital versions.
Studio 360’s Eric Molinsky talked with publishing insiders at Book Expo America to hear how they hope to hitch a ride on the erotic fiction bandwagon.
Contributors:
Eric Molinsky
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Comments [5]
Responding to Jo from Brooklyn: Fifty Shades is part of the "national conversation," because it and its trilogy hold the first four places on the NYT bestseller list. That's major money, and money always trumps race in business. Urban fiction has an important market and finally is being taken seriously by the major publishing houses, but no books of that genre have become mainstream bestsellers (yet).
Why is this part of the (imaginary and boring) "national conversation"? Oh that's right, because upper and middle-class white women are interested in it, so it becomes relevant.
No mention of erotic "urban fiction" books that have been popular with African-American women for decades.
Personally, I think "Rachelle, Rachelle: A Young Woman's Erotic Journey from Milan to Minsk" is the best erotic fiction out there! Breathtaking!
I loved the "Ages of Lulu" by Almudenas Grande.
5
"Josefina's Sin" by Claudia Long. Historical fiction with very hot passages.
Favorite "woman's porn" The Story of O
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