Marketing and all things related

Marketing Blurb lives romance, so we have little time for romance novels. But the genre is popular, and publisher HarperCollins has decided to cash in on your desires. Their Avon Books romance imprint is planning a contest to promote their existing stable of authors. Called Express Your Desires, the contest sends romance novel fans online to read and vote on one of six story premises. Readers can also contribute their own chapter based on one of the stories and hear feedback from other fans. Once a week, a panel of fans and a seasoned Avon author will vote on one chapter to be used for the given story. After six weeks, Avon will publish the result as an original e-book. According to The Wall Street Journal (paid subscription required,) "We're creating an online community that will bring the fans closer to the authors we publish," said Jane Friedman, CEO of HarperCollins. "If you are a fan and you get a communication from Julia Quinn, somebody you've been reading for years, then you'll be a fan of hers for life. And I think you'll become a fan of Avon's for life." This fall, HarperCollins will launch a site that will enable teenage girls to collaborate on original fiction.” Marketing Blurb thinks this is a novel idea we are eager to embrace. Photo Credit: Avon Books