From today's PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY

[desayunoencama]

Running Press is getting into the fiction market with what it sees as a unique twist in historical romance--gay fiction written by and for straight women. The idea for the line came from Running president Jon Anderson and is based on what he sees as the growing interest in M/M stories reflected in the success of such projects as Brokeback Mountain and the television series Brothers and Sisters. Anderson has acquired the first titles in the line, which will be edited by Lisa Clancy, associate editorial director. The series will launch in April with Transgressions and False Colors. Two more titles are set for fall 2009.

Running v-p and associate publisher Craig Herman said the series will be positioned as a subgenre within romance and while the books will be “erotic, they will not be hardcover explicit,” Herman explained. Running will promote the line through traditional romance outlets including advertising in Romantic Times and outreach through regional RWA chapters. Noting that the books will be shelved in the romance section rather than the erotica section, Running said the book will be “created to mirror romance novels, not gay erotica.”

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Given how many queer presses have collapsed or been shut down lately for various reasons and how few mainstream opportunities there are for books with gay male characters and content, does this mean gay male writers are going to need to start using female pseudonyms in order to get published?

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

I hope not. But there's more than a name. Of course you know that. Slash doesn't map over gay literature, but you knew that.

[mroctober.livejournal.com]

Agreed. However, there is a growing number of gay male authors who are publishing through these m/m small presses. I have not read the books but I am curious if they are adapting that slash style of romance.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Yes--would be interesting to find out.

[ithiliana.livejournal.com]

*snicker* He haz a NEW idea! And it's MALES promoting it! (Except that straight women writing male/male romance is totally outdated these days in most fandoms...)

But with all the fantastic slash one can find out there for free, I wonder why anybody would pay for it.......

[stacia-seaman.livejournal.com]

I like that there is the slash vs. gay lit distinction in this discussion. I've been trying to explain to someone that f/f and lesbian literature aren't necessarily the same thing, but with no success.

[man-of-snows.livejournal.com]

Gay erotic writing and queer lit. are very distinct creatures. Not that there cannot be erotic literature of very good quality. I have a hard time with articles that treat all "X" like some cohesive genre. There are all kinds of gay writing out there. Lots of it good and lots of it bad.

[clarentine]

Ooo! I wonder if anyone would see my Cavalier Attitude as historical romance. It's probably too second-world fantasy-ish for this market.

(My crit partner would beat me silly if I end up being the one of us who hits in romance first, when I haven't even been trying.)

And re female pseudonyms: there's a reason I sign myself with the ambiguous Chris.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I think there was some discussion of male writers using psueds, but I'm fairly sure that RP have decided NOT to go that route, and thank goodness for it. We don't need more controversy! I know that they are considering two male writers at the moment for the next releases.