Issue #18
June, 2006
Dear Romance Writer:
This month, Romantically Yours is pleased to welcome 200 new readers. For those of you joining us, we hope you will find this newsletter both informative and fun.
We have a special treat for you this month. Romantically Yours had the pleasure of interviewing the founder and CEO of Romantic Times Book Review—Kathryn Falk, the Lady of Barrow. Please scroll down to read Part 1 of this interview as Kathryn takes us with her on her journey.
Last month was action-packed. In addition to completing the sequel to Flamingo Place, my July 2006 release, I attended two industry events—one in Daytona Beach, the other in Washington, D.C. These literary events were as different as night and day.
The first, the annual Romantic Times Book Lovers Convention in Daytona Beach, was attended by over 1,000 book lovers. Geared toward readers, the event was hosted by Kathryn Falk, the Lady of Barrow. Readers got to rub elbows with favorite authors and dance with a cover model or two. In addition to the usual workshops, there were parties galore hosted by many New York Times best-selling authors. I, unfortunately, had to leave before the crowning of Mr. Romance 2006.
The second event, Book Exposition America, held in Washington, D.C., was a book lover’s feast. Attendees roamed through aisles and aisles of books and magazines addressing everything from gardening to Zen mastery. Most everything was free, and all the major publishers were there. Every hour on the hour there were book signings with long lines of fans waiting for autographed books from their favorite authors. Come happy hour, the wine and margaritas flowed.
On Friday, I signed early-release copies of Flamingo Place alongside three other launch authors who signed copies of their latest releases. On Sunday I repeated that pleasure again, signing at the Romance Writers of America booth, where I experienced the graciousness of RWA president, Gayle Wilson, Executive Director Allison Kelley, and Public Relations Manager Nicole Kennedy.
Next month, it’s off to the annual Romance Writers Conference in Atlanta. I hope to see you there!
Romantically Yours,
Marcia King-Gamble
Editor of Romantically Yours
www.lovemarcia.com
P.S. In July, stay motivated by logging on to www.theromancewriterslife.com/julytips/ daily to read the tip of the day from your favorite author.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
Pre-published authors are often concerned that their work might be pilfered by another. To copyright or not—therein lies the dilemma. Here are some frequently asked questions about copyrighting. The answers should help ease your angst.
Q: What is copyright?
A: The word “copyright,” not to be confused with “copy write,” is defined as the legal exclusive right of an author to control the copying of a creative work. It is a form of protection grounded in U.S. constitution and covers both published and unpublished works.
Q: What is public domain?
A: Public domain work is defined as creative work that is not protected by copyright and may be used freely by everyone. Most works produced before 1923 are considered public domain; however, new edited editions may still be protected.
Q: Why might a work not be protected?
A: A work might not be protected if the term of the copyright expires or if the work does not qualify for copyright protection. For example, an author may fail to satisfy statutory formalities. Works produced by the U.S. government are also public domain.
Q: What are the rights of an author under copyright law?
A: Copyright law states that the author:
- Can reproduce the copyright work.
- May prepare derivative works based on the work.
- Can distribute copies of the work to the public.
- Has the right to perform the copyrighted work publicly.
- May display the copyrighted work publicly.
Q: How do I establish copyright?
A: Copyright is established the moment you put pen to paper or save your work in any tangible form (e.g., on a disk or with the aid of a machine or device).
Q: Do I need to register my copyright to be protected?
A: The Berne Convention, signed by the U.S. and 90 other countries, ensures you are copyrighted whether your work is registered or not. As stated above, copyright exists the moment the work is created. And by virtue of having created it, you own the copyright to your work. However, if you feel your work is infringed, you must register copyright before you can pursue litigation. Registration is voluntary.
Q: Is an article on the internet considered public domain?
A: No. The content belongs to the person who wrote it.
Q: If I give credit to the writer, can I copy the work?
A: According to the Copyright Office, not so. It is in your best interest to seek permission from the copyright holder before reproducing a work.
HAPPENINGS:
July 26-29, 2006
Romance Writers of America National Conference
Atlanta, Georgia
www.rwanational.org/
Members and non-members welcome. Participate in the workshops, Literacy book signing, and Golden Heart Awards.
September 23-24, 2006
Ottawa Romance Writers Association
Sweet & Spicy
Ottawa Sheraton
www.ottawaromancewriters.com/conference.htm
Keynote Speaker – Gayle Wilson
October 6-7, 2006
New Jersey Romance Writers
Put Your Heart in a Book
The Sheraton at Woodbridge
Iselin, New Jersey
www.NJRomancewriters.org
Keynote Speaker – Jennifer Crusie
INTERVIEW WITH KATHRYN FALK
The New York Times dubbed Kathryn Falk—the founder and CEO of Romantic Times magazine and author of Love’s Leading Ladies (1980) and How to Write a Romance and Get It Published (1982) the “Queen of Romance.” “Queen” or Lady Barrow, by whatever title you choose to address her, Kathryn Falk has almost single-handedly propelled the paperback romance genre into the thriving billion-dollar industry it is today. Walter Zacharius, the owner of Kensington Books, has given her credit for having the courage “to go forward at a time when people didn’t believe in her vision. She and Romantic Times… became a voice for fans and professionals who had none.”
And now, from Lady Barrow herself…
RY: I am sure that this is a question that has been asked time and time again. What inspired you to create Romantic Times magazine, and what initiated the recent name change to Romantic Times Book Review?
KF: Growing up, we had a summer home in Canada, with a small old-fashioned library, and I’d read through it shelf by shelf. In high school, biographies became my favorite reading material. I poured over the lives of Russian princesses and movie stars, as well as historical figures. I particularly liked reading about Winston Churchill and Napoleon.
I became an avid reader of historical novels, such as the Angelique series by Sergeanne Golon, Anya Seton (Katherine), Frank Yerby (everything), Thomas Costain (everything), Kathleen Winsor (Forever Amber), and Mika Waltari (The Egyptian).
In my late 30s, I was living in New York, and novels from Avon (Woodiwiss and Rogers) were a new genre. Hand-in-hand with women’s lib, the doors to the bedroom stayed open. Woodiwiss’ heroines did everything with one man. Rogers’ heroines took on entire continents. In between was Jennifer Wilde, who wrote in the first person. (Years later, everyone learned that Jenny was Tom Huff.)
I’d written some nonfiction books on my dollhouse and miniatures business (I had two shops in Manhattan), and felt the urge to write one on the history of historical novels. I started with English classics such as Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights, and one of my favorite poems, “The Highway Man Came Riding,” plus Gone with the Wind. I included a final chapter on the post-1970 authors—Rogers, Woodiwiss, Bertrice Small, Shirlee Busbee, Patria Mathews, etc.
As I was researching this book, Ladies of the Knight, I discovered that millions of books were being sold by the Avon authors and a few others (Jennifer Wilde, Valerie Sherwood), but no one knew much about them or about book publishing (except for that wonderful Barbara Cartland, who was to become my mentor in the early 1980s).
There was no way to know what was coming out, what had been reviewed, and who the authors were. I thought if I wanted to know who was writing the books, and how to write and get published, there must be zillions of other readers out there who felt the same as I did.
I didn’t have much money to invest at first, so I decided to publish a newspaper (16 pages of newsprint was affordable). Plus, if I could sell my nonfiction book, that gave me the credibility I needed to start this new business.
So that’s how I started… in a walk-in closet (pleasantly papered), all by myself. I had an electric typewriter that I wore out. I eventually sold the post-1970 chapter of historical authors to Pinnacle Books, which made it the first trade edition for its time, entitled Love’s Leading Ladies.
Before the book was finished, I was able to have credentials to start pursuing the establishment of a tabloid called Romantic Times, a name that was inspired (after months of mulling) by the London Times and the New York Times. Waldenbooks distributed me to their stores, and I started getting subscribers. The first newspaper was printed in June of 1981 as a bi-monthly. The first issue had about 35 reviews, which was how many were printed each month. Then the romance market was only 30% of paperback sales. No one did hard covers of romances.
I believe that any business has to reinvent itself every 12 to 15 years, or like the dinosaur, you become obsolete. In the 90s, I added book club to Romantic Times, when Oprah’s book club grew in popularity. But the name made new readers think we were part of a book club, and they were trying to order titles. So, for our 25th year, we went to Book Reviews, and here’s where we’ll stay.
The company is Romantic Times, Inc. and it will always be on the masthead, but in smaller letters so as not to give the impression we only cover romance. Today we review about 280 books a month in ALL genres, including mystery and suspense, and mainstream fiction—whatever women like to read.
RY: Can you give us an idea about how large RT’s circulation is and the demographics the magazine attracts? Please tell us about where your headquarters is and the team that you’ve put together.
KF: There are about 70 employees now, including all the reviewers who send in their reviews over the internet. We lease the ground floor of two buildings on Bergen Street in downtown Brooklyn. I think we’ve been there nearly 15 years.
I don’t think the demographics have changed all that much. Women who like to stimulate their imagination usually love to read. And reading is an obsession. We avid readers tear through all the gossipy magazines while waiting in line at the supermarket, we read the labels of cans (unless our reading glasses are elsewhere), and we like a strong story. I find that women read romantic fiction before they get married and about 10 years after they are married.
Older heroines aren’t as popular, because in her heart every woman feels she is 18—or no older than 40. Historical novels are particularly susceptible to this flight of the imagination. Contemporaries and suspense can get around it. Seasoned women may be reading, but they’ve never been ready to deal with stretch marks or heroes who aren’t alpha males (unless he’s a beta who is Mr. Right, not Mr. Right Now).
Because I’m somewhere between 40 and death (my favorite line in “Auntie Mame”), I like to read about strong women but a generation younger. But I find women my age are not my picture of myself. So I’m not sure how old I want my exciting heroines to be.
RY: Can you tell our readership what being the Lady of Barrow entails, and the duties associated with that title?
KF: I always depend on my intuition, or what Malcolm Gladwell calls “the blink,” to guide me in different directions. When I feel something is a good idea, I persist in working it out. I don’t feel that way about everything, but now and then my antenna goes off and I hear a voice push me in a certain direction.
I don’t know how I learned the lordship of Barrow was available. There was an auction of titles and properties by a manorial group, and as I was speed reading through the available villages, castles, etc., my eyes riveted on Barrow.
I could have chosen from many others, but I had my heart set on this one title. It has the rights to market and fayre (which means one can have a jumble sale, a.k.a. garage sale, every Saturday!), the right to raise arms, and the right to warren (chase rabbits). It had belonged to the Marquis of Bristol, who was in need of money.
The title has brought me many happy memories through the years; it was probably the most delightful investment I ever made. Thanks to William the Conqueror, England is divided into about 14,000 lordships of the manor. In the old days, the lord collected taxes and gave half to the king, raised arms when needed, and acted as sheriff. Thankfully, I’ve had to do none of those things.
But I did contribute to repairing the 16th c. bells, and whenever I visit the village, the jolly bell ringers put on a concert for me. I also contributed to buying some new equipment for the children’s playground, paid for a patio at the rectory so the grand piano could be moved outside for the summer proms, and when the priest decided to have a live menagerie for the nativity scene, I built him a little barn and got them settled in.
While there, I stay with one of the nieces of the old Marquis, who is like a sister to me. Someday we’ll probably fix up the manor farm where we reside, but in the meantime, we live in it, hold a summer concert to raise money for our Norman church, and have the most delightful dinner parties in the beautiful gardens. I could go on and on...
RY: It’s said that you have a very good sense of what’s going to be hot in the romance market, as well as what’s on its way out. You predicted Erotica, Inspirational and Multi-cultural romances would take off. What’s new on the horizon?
KF: Psychic Fiction. I was told in my early days by a savvy publisher that what’s on TV will appear in books in two years. With the success of “Medium” and “Ghostwhisperers,” as well as psychic detective shows, I’d think that there’s a niche. Not just that the main character is psychic, but that metaphysical talents are part of the plot, and there’s consciousness raising and enlightenment along with adventure.
WHO’S ACQUIRING:
New American Library
Seeking contemporary and historical romance, historical novels, paranormal romance and general women’s fiction for Signet, Onyx, NAl, Signet Eclipse, Heat and NAL Accent.
Triskelion Publishing
15327 W. Becker Lane
Surprize, AZ 85379
www.triskelionpublishing.net
Accepts both agented and unagented materials. They are looking for fresh, unique plots, three-dimensional characters, and heroes and heroines with great chemistry. Triskelion publishes Inspirational, Erotica, and stories with mature heroes and heroines over 40. Queries and synopsis may be sent to: submissions@trisklelionpublishing.net.
COMING NEXT MONTH:
Read Part 2 of my interview with Lady Barrow, including how she discovered Fabio, in the July issue of Romantically Yours.
ABOUT ROMANTICALLY YOURS
Romantically Yours is a FREE monthly newsletter for members of American
Writers & Artists Inc.'s Romance Writing Course - "Writing for Love
and Money."
We want to hear from you. Please send comments, news, research, or story
ideas directly to Marcia King-Gamble at romanticallyyours@awaionline.com.
American Writers & Artists Inc.
245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102
Delray Beach, FL 33483
Phone (561) 278-5557
Fax (561) 278-5929
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© 2006 American Writers & Artists Inc.