Romance Reader Behavior in the Digital Publishing Age

Abstract

Despite its consistent popularity among readers for decades, and its continued commercial success, the romance novel has been one of the most maligned forms of fiction since Jane Austen was first published in 1811. To anyone outside the romance fiction community, romance readers are typically considered to be uneducated, unmarried women, who due to a lack romance in their own lives read romance novels to escape reality. However, research suggests this reader stereotype is false, and romance novels maintain their popularity due to high quality publishing standards and an actively involved reader community. Based on the research done as part of this thesis, it is apparent that romance readers are perhaps the savviest readers in the publishing market, are quick to adapt to new digital publishing technology, have wide ranging tastes when reading content, and have a unique ability to develop rich relationships with other readers and romance authors, resulting in a book community unlike any other in the publishing industry. The information gathered from this thesis should be used to develop a further understanding of how romance readers interact with the books they love.

Full text

ABSTRACT
ROMANCE READER BEHAVIOR IN THE DIGITAL PUBLISHING AGE
A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of Regis College, Weston, Massachusetts
BY
TARA A. HOLT
Despite its consistent popularity among readers for decades, and its continued
commercial success, the romance novel has been one of the most maligned forms of
fiction since Jane Austen was first published in 1811. To anyone outside the romance
fiction community, romance readers are typically considered to be uneducated, unmarried
women, who due to a lack romance in their own lives read romance novels to escape
reality. However, research suggests this reader stereotype is false, and romance novels
maintain their popularity due to high quality publishing standards and an actively
involved reader community. Based on the research done as part of this thesis, it is
apparent that romance readers are perhaps the savviest readers in the publishing market,
are quick to adapt to new digital publishing technology, have wide ranging tastes when
reading content, and have a unique ability to develop rich relationships with other readers
and romance authors, resulting in a book community unlike any other in the publishing
industry. The information gathered from this thesis should be used to develop a further
understanding of how romance readers interact with the books they love.

ROMANCE READER BEHAVIOR IN THE DIGITAL PUBLISHING AGE
A THESIS
PRESENTED TO
THE FACULTY OF REGIS COLLEGE
In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirement of the
Master of Science Degree
BY
TARA A. HOLT
MAY 2016

ii
This thesis of Tara A. Holt, entitled Romance Reader Behavior in the Digital Publishing
Age, has been approved by the Faculty of Regis College in fulfillment of the
requirements for the Master of Science Degree.
Dr. Malcolm Asadoorian
Academic Dean, School of Liberal Arts,
Education and Social Sciences
Professor Joan Murray, Ph.D.
Department Chair of Communication
Assistant Professor Colleen Malachowski, Ph.D.
Program Director of M.S. in Organizational and
Professional Communication

iii
Acknowledgements
The author wishes to thank several people. I would like to express my gratitude
and thanks to my advisor, Dr. Joan Murray, for her guidance, comments and revisions
over the past year while working on this thesis. I would like to thank Dr. Colleen
Malachowski for serving as my second reader and for spending many hours guiding me
through the statistical measures used in this thesis. I would like to thank both Dr. Murray
and Dr. Malachowski for their encouragement and support throughout my graduate
studies. I wish my colleagues in the program all the best in their future communications
careers. Also, a special thankful to the romance readers and romance authors who
participated in the research outlined in this thesis. Lastly, I would like to thank my family
and friends who were tremendously supportive of me during my two-year graduate
school journey, especially my parents, my friends who served as beta readers for my
thesis, and my friends at the Needham YMCA. Your love and support have been
invaluable.

iv
Table of Contents
List of Tables v
Literature Review 1
Methodology 13
Results 23
Discussion 35
References 41
Tables 43
Appendices
Appendix A: Study 1 – Romance Author Interview Questioning Route 59
Appendix B: Study 2 – Romance Reader Survey Questions 60

v
List of Tables
Table 1. Study 1 – Interviews – Digital Publishing Impact Statements 43
Table 2. Study 1 – Interviews – Romance Reader Behavior Statements 45
Table 3. Study 1 – Interviews – Romance Community Connection Statements 47
Table 4. Study 1 – Interviews – Craft Impact Statements 49
Table 5. Study 1 – Interviews – Career Impact Statements 50
Table 6. Study 1 – Interviews – Future Trends Statements 51
Table 7. Study 2 – Survey – Independent-samples t-test results for romance reader
device preference based on age 52
Table 8. Study 2 – Survey – Correlations among romance reader reading,
purchasing, connections, and views preferences 53
Table 9. Study 2 – Survey – Independent-samples t-test results for reader device and
romance reader reading, purchasing, connecting, and views preferences 54
Table 10. Study 2 – Survey – Correlations among romance reader age and romance
reader reading, purchasing, connecting, and views preferences 55
Table 11. Study 2 – Survey – Optional Romance Reader Statements 56

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 1
Literature Review
There has been a plethora of research in the past thirty years or more about
romantic fiction; however, a good deal of that research has focused on how romance
novels are anti-feminist or at least perpetuate a patriarchal view of relationships between
men and women. Scholars who have read romance novels and talked to romance readers
and authors when conducting their research recognize that romance novels are not lady
porn, as Rodale (2015) points out, but, rather, love stories that help girls, women and men
learn more about sexuality and intimacy using a positive outlook on love. Interestingly,
while romance novels continue to be criticized by many scholars and the mainstream
media, the books themselves continue to be a billion dollar business. The books are
beloved by a thriving community of readers and authors, who not only nurture each other,
but also encourage diversity of storytelling within the romance genre, which includes, but
is not limited to, heterosexual love stories; gay, lesbian and transgender love stories;
inter-racial and minority love stories; and love stories that include any variation thereof.
It is almost as if by being maligned and marginalized by other book genres and forms of
entertainment, the romance fiction community has found a way to include everyone and
anyone who cares about love within its own ranks.
This openness has also led romance readers and authors to embrace digital
publishing. Although there have been bumps along the way, romance readers and
romance authors became early adopters of electronic reading devices, such as e-readers,
tablets, mobile devices, and online distribution platforms (such as Amazon.com and
exclusively online e-publishers) in a way other genre readers have not. The history of the
romance genre made it a near perfect setting for digital publishing advocacy since online

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 2
content selection and e-readers made reading romances more private. No one on the
subway, train or plane could turn their nose up at the romance reader any longer.
Onlookers could not see what they were reading and assume it was trash based on
ingrained stereotypes. Romance readers no longer had to explain themselves; they simply
were able to enjoy their book. Furthermore, since romance novels are typically published
in mass paperback form, which is a lower price point for market entry for a reader (i.e.
consumer), romance readers knew they were getting a deal when purchasing e-books
online, and didn’t question the quality or value of the content based solely on a low-price
model. They were also able to try different types of romance novels since the Internet
offers almost infinite content and the buying process is individualized, as observed by
McCoy (2014).
According to its website, Romance Writers of America® (RWA) is a non-profit
membership association based in Houston, Texas that works to advance the interests of
career-focused romance writers, the romance novel contains two key elements: a central
love story where two people fall in love and together struggle to overcome a series of
obstacles, as well as an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending, also known as a
Happily Ever After (HEA). RWA’s website goes on to say that "romance novels may
have any tone or style, be set in any place or time, and have varying levels of
sensuality—ranging from sweet to extremely hot” (RWA, 2015). RWA’s website stated
that romance readers embrace many sub-genres within the romance fiction genre,
including but not limited to, romance novels that are historical or contemporary in time
period and contain diverse characters that represent many cultures and sexual
preferences. In their research on romantic fiction, Opas & Tweedie (1999) remarked that

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 3
“boy meets girl, they fall in love, and they live happily ever after. This is one of the most
successful plots in history. Mythological epics, Greek plays, and medieval texts all have
love stories in them, and romance fiction traces its origins back to the beginning of the
novel as a literary form” (Opas & Tweedie, 1999, p. 89). Their research also noted that
familiar plotlines, defined roles for the hero and heroine, and the use of keywords
common within the genre, give the reader a sense of place whenever they pick up a
romance novel, even if the time period, theme, setting, and subplots of each novel may
differ (Opie & Tweedie, 1999).
Jagodzinksi (2014) analyzed reader behavior changes that have occurred since
Janice Radway’s research on romance novels and readers, Reading the Romance:
Women, Patriarchy, and Popular Literature, was first published in 1984. Radway, who
was one of the first to apply academic standards when researching romance novels, has
become a benchmark for other romance novel scholars (Jagodzinksi, 2014). According to
Jagodzinksi (2014), unlike the trends found in Radway’s original research, romance
novels are no longer as upsetting to feminists as the books once were since the heroines
are no longer damsels in distress, but must actively seek their own happiness;
empowering readers, not just titillating them. According to Crane (1994) romance readers
have mixed emotions on how feminists typically react to romance novels. The readers
interviewed by Crane (1994) did not feel romance novels hurt women and readers felt
like they learned more about sex, felt more comfortable with intimacy and enjoyed more
freedom as women having read about strong heroines. These readers read romances to
escape the pressures of everyday life, such as work, relationships and children, but didn’t
feel the escape diminished their value like early feminists believed (Crane, 1994). Bond

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 4
(2009) highlighted that romance readers are always willing to read many different types
of romance novels beyond the traditional historical or contemporary romance. While
Regency period books are still in demand, and many readers enjoy heroes and heroines
falling in love in a contemporary setting, paranormal romance novels that include
vampires, demons, ghosts, Victorian-era steampunk elements, time travel and other sci-fi
creatures are extremely popular (Bond, 2009). Crane (1994) showed that romance readers
enjoy the emotional relationships described in the books where the men were strong, but
also emotionally available; however, she also pointed out that today’s romance reader
wants a heroine who can go toe-to-toe with her hero; no shrinking violets are allowed as
was once the fashion. The research done by Regis (2003) on the history of the romance
novel noted that the story components that make the books so attractive to legions of fans
(i.e. a love story with a HEA) are the same components that critics use to condemn the
entire romance fiction genre. The research showed that while the critics were willing to
assume most romance novels follow classic storyline telling structure, they argue the
HEA demeans the heroine by making it appear she cannot go on with her life alone at the
story’s end (Regis, 2003). In essence, [the critics’ believed] the heroine loses her identity
by being bound in marriage to the hero, and the reader feels bound within their own
marriage or other life circumstances based on the books’ overemphasized ideal that
marriage equals happiness (Regis, 2003).
However, Regis (2003) maintained romance readers see the HEA, whether it is a
marriage or an engagement or the promise of a commitment, as a victory for the heroine,
arguing that all story narratives must come to an end, and romance novels that use love as
its main theme must have a happy ending to satisfy the reader. The heroine has

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 5
vanquished her demons, overcome obstacles and found love and equality with the hero,
so the HEA makes sense. Regis (2003) also mentioned that critics underestimate the
reader’s intelligence when they say the HEA makes readers feel they must also find
traditional love and marriage to be fulfilled in life. The romance reader knows the heroine
is making a choice to marry the hero at the end of the story; she is not obligated to do so
(Regis, 2003). Struve (2011) reflected on how women connect through reading romance
novels, a tradition that goes all the way back to the 18
th
century when readers were
criticized for reading stories that included love stories. “Scholars who are critical of this
genre seem unaware of the history of their complaints and cultivate a certain blindness
about the relationship between literature and popular culture and the act of reading. The
“fallacy of content” reveals the gulf between the way academics perceive their own
reading and that of the people they study” (Struve, 2011, pp.1302-1303). In her research,
Struve (2011) stated that “it is no surprise that readers can be defensive about their
reading choices as they face criticism not only from feminist scholars, who reprove
readers for enjoying and supporting patriarchal fantasy, but also from mainstream
society, which condemns them for enjoying what is perceived as poorly written
pornography” (Struve, 2011, p. 1298).
Rodale (2015) concluded that since romance novels portray images of women
knowing their worth, making independent choices, and actively choosing the hero, the
books are considered unrealistic by most critics, who rightly or wrongly continue to argue
that reading about an idealized world is damaging to readers. Thomas (2012) challenged
the typical criticisms made against romance novels, including how the books are like a
secret addiction women use to get a buzz while trying to make it through the day.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 6
Thomas (2012) argued romance novels have all the same critical story components as
other types of fiction, but what frightens so many in the literary world and in popular
culture is that the books are predominantly written by women for women. Rodale (2015)
noted most romance readers started reading romance at an early age. This most likely
occurred because the books are more readily available to young girls since their mothers
and grandmothers already had the books in the home. Like the older females in their
lives, the young girls read romance novels in secret, which has helped to perpetuate
stereotypes and criticism (Rodale, 2015). Ultimately, Thomas (2012) was hopeful that as
younger academics, who were raised with 24/7 popular culture, move forward in
academia some of the criticism of romance novels will diminish since these new
academics will understand that love is an acceptable form of entertainment (Thomas,
2012).
Rodale (2015) argued readers, in particular romance readers, should be more
confident when speaking about their reading habits, especially since romance novels can
help young women continue to feel positive about themselves as they mature and become
adults. Rodale (2015) concluded that romance readers should stop allowing the books to
be called trash or smut since romance novels are the only genre fiction published that
portray women in such an affirmative way. Romance author Diana Palmer (Krentz &
Palmer, 1992) said she found it curious how everyone is interested in love and romance,
but when it comes to romance novels the books are still considered the stepchild of the
literary world. In her essay, Palmer (Krentz & Palmer, 1992) noted that other genre
fiction, such as mystery/thrillers and sci-fi and westerns, among others, do not have to
constantly defend their existence like romance novels do; furthermore, romance novels

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 7
attract many types of readers, regardless of background, because the readers all have one
very important thing in common: they understand love. As an author, Palmer said she
was happy to provider readers with an entertaining story that helped them escape some of
life’s hardships and make their lives easier. She cited several reader letters that said her
novels helped them through the process of losing a loved one, caring for a sick family
member and going through other personal struggles. She argued there is nothing wrong
with giving readers what they want: a story about love in its best form with a satisfying
ending (Krentz & Palmer, 1992).
Popular culture has taken note of the romance novel even if it has not embraced it.
According to a 2014 romance fiction industry overview published in Entertainment
Weekly, romance novels now make up 32 percent of all paperback novels sold today
(Terrero, 2014). As a $1.08 billion a year industry, romance novels are second only to
thrillers at $1.09 billion a year. Most romance readers are aged 30-54, are college
educated, have an average income of $55K annually, and 59 percent are married or in a
significant relationship. Not surprisingly, 84 percent of readers are women. Romance
readers read frequently; 46 percent read at least one book per week while the typical
American reader overall only reads five books a year. Romance novels are 51 percent of
all paperbacks sold and 38 percent of all e-books sold. Geographically within the United
States, 40 percent of readers are on the West Coast, 30 percent on the East Coast, 19
percent in the South, and 18 percent in the Midwest (Terrero, 2014).
Wischenbart (2014), whose work is focused on the state of book publishing
around the world, noted that the book publishing industry is the largest segment in the
entertainment and media industry, and that books are not only entertainment but also keys

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 8
to learning for millions of people worldwide each year. Wischenbart’s (2014) research
concurred with other industry insiders in pointing out that e-books are a continuation of
constant change and innovation, in particular, in English-speaking countries, such as the
United States and the United Kingdom, where e-books are quite popular among readers.
According to Fox (2009), romance readers were early digital publishing e-book and e-
reader adopters. “Early adopters of e-books have not been techno-junkies but avid
readers” said Malle Vallik, director of digital content and social media for Harlequin
Enterprises, when interviewed by Fox (2009). “[Romance readers] like e-books for their
portability, accessibility, immediacy, and lack of shelf space. Women have embraced e-
books because they will seize anything that makes their lives simpler” (Fox, 2009, p.24).
The content available with e-books in the early days of e-publishing was a draw to
romance novel readers, according to Angela James, an executive editor at Harlequin’s e-
publishing house, Carina Press, who cited romance sub-genres like erotica, which was
not readily available in mass paperback, as an initial pull towards online content
distribution (Fox, 2009). Rodale (2015) found that since romance novels have almost
always been mass produced it was inevitable the books would be profitable in digital
publishing. In fact, some of the romance editors with whom Rodale (2015) spoke said
many publishing houses test new innovation on romance readers first since the romance
community has a history of being open to try new things. Fox (2009) said that while
digital publishing has been a boon for the romance fiction industry, it has not been
without its pitfalls. The management of digital rights and the compensation for authors
who publish e-books has caused friction within the industry (Fox, 2009). Since most e-
books started as unencrypted PDFs, piracy issues have also plagued digital publishing.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 9
However, in the last five years publishing, e-reader devices and content distribution
channels, such as Amazon.com, have been able to secure books better (Fox, 2009). Like
other researchers who study digital publishing, McCoy (2014), had concerns about digital
rights management, content accessibility, and interoperability. The research suggested the
purchasing of e-books is a sign of the times – a continuation of innovation, much like
how Charles Dickins originally published his novels as serial chapters in a newspaper,
and later as fully bound novels in a single package (McCoy, 2014). “I think we can say a
story is story, and while some aspects of it change, the content of it, you might say the
underlying, the platonic ideal of the story, actually doesn’t change” (McCoy, 2014, p. 3).
McCoy (2014) suggested that Amazon.com, an early Internet distribution
platform that included music, movies and books among its available products, was
primed, no pun intended, to capture market share by offering e-books when the book
form first took off in the early 2000s. Amazon.com was also an early innovator in e-
readers, and with the introduction of the Kindle in 2007 has been able to expand the
company’s reach not only into the books made available to readers, but also publishing
services available to authors (and publishers) who wish to maximize book distribution
channels and offer their books in print and e-format (McCoy, 2014). Wischenbart (2014)
reflected on the acquisition of Harlequin Enterprises, the largest publisher of romance
novels worldwide, by HarperCollins a couple of years ago. “Harlequin had been an
incredible innovator. It redefined romance novels…as attractive to modern, urban,
professional women…it discovered before many of its competitors how digitalization
offers new ways of organizing a reading community” (Wischenbart, 2014, p. 6).
Wischenbart (2014) discussed how despite Harlequin’s dominance in the romance market

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 10
and its innovation over the years, digital publishing has led to a dramatic increase in self-
published books by authors, especially since authors want more autonomy than is
typically allowed in traditional publishing contracts. This change, and e-book pricing
driving down paperback pricing, likely forced Harlequin to pair up with HarperCollins to
remain relevant in a changing market (Wischenbart, 2014).
According to Wischenbart (2014), in 2013 the North American book market was
almost flat in terms of growth, with a slight decline of less than 1 percent, and a 2.3
percent decline for trade paperbacks. Bond (2009) noted that romance novels showed to
be recession proof during the economic downturn that started in 2008. Bond (2009)
added one of the reasons romance novels are so resilient is that romance novel publishers
typically publish the books as mass market paperbacks, and in recent years as e-books,
which makes romance novels more cost effective (priced $7.99 or less) than other books
or forms of entertainment. According to Bond (2009), the revenue generated by romance
novels has made the industry more attractive to other media formats, such as television,
and more entertainment executives are starting to take notice. For example, HBO’s
vampire show, True Blood, is based on paranormal romance author Charlaine Harris’s
popular bestselling-novel series. The show averaged about 12.4 million viewers at the
height of its multiple season run, which was the cable network’s highest rated series since
The Sopranos (Bond, p. 19). Terrero (2014) mentioned the success of E.L. James and her
50 Shades of Grey series and how her erotic novel trilogy opened the doors to many new
readers. “Millions of people, it’s clear, want to root for true love, and millions more get
off on some full-hearted fetish. But buying a book that includes those desires, and reading
it on a crowded subway or a school pickup line – well, it simply wasn’t done, my dear.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 11
That’s partly why romance readers were such early adopters of digital formats. You could
read whatever swoony (or kinky) thing you wanted.” (Terrero, 2014, pp. 40-41).
McCoy (2014) concluded that given Amazon.com’s commercial relationships
with its product providers, plus its commitment to innovation, it had greater success with
digital publishing because unlike Barnes & Noble and Borders, it wasn’t afraid to move
away from traditional publishing models as e-books started to become popular (McCoy,
2014). Amazon made print books and e-books all accessible in one place, which is
perfect for women, the primary readers of romance novels, who have busy lives and who
want to get all their information in one place. But, McCoy (2014) cautioned that
Amazon.com’s success and market domination is a cautionary tale: a society should
never let one entity own, or at least control the distribution of, all the content. His
research highlighted the landmark lawsuit between Microsoft and Netscape in the 1990s,
which revolutionized Internet innovation (i.e. users have choices beyond Internet
Explorer today, but in the early days, Microsoft wanted to be the only game in town)
(McCoy, 2014). Fox (2009) quoted blogger Jane Litte, who runs the industry’s popular
“Dear Author” romance novel review site, as saying, “My feeling is that women will
adopt a multifunction device sooner rather than adopting e-reader devices”, since all their
information can be connected in one place and readers can access everything quickly
(Fox, 2009, p. 28). Still, the demand for low-price e-books is also causing trade
publishers to feel concerned about the future viability of the publishing industry. Fox
(2009) observed that many mass market publishers, who already attempted to keep prices
down to increase the volume of books sold, struggle with how to price e-books, which are
typically at least 20 percent cheaper than printed books.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 12
Jagodzinski (2014) stated that the romance fiction community is very tight knit
and frequently chat with each other online. Readers are so involved with reading romance
that they will not only read the work, but critique it and offer detailed reviews online on
shopping sites like Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com (Jagodzinski, 2014). Readers
are so involved they also create their own websites dedicated to reviewing romance
novels and keeping up with the genre, such as “Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, All About
Romance”; “Dear Author”; “Love in the Margins”; and “Heroes and Heartbreakers”
(Jagodzinski, 2014). Struve (2011) agreed that romance readers apply more rigorous
analysis to their reading than readers of other fiction genres “[Romance] readers are
aware of the negative stereotypes about them and combat them in many ways” (Struve,
2011, p. 1298), adding that readers are very knowledgeable about conditions within the
romance fiction industry and keep in touch with authors through fan mail, email, Internet
communities, and writer conferences. RWA, as the primary organization supporting
romance novels and romance writers, thrives on the sense of community that exists
amongst romance readers and romance authors. In fact, RWA’s members include not
only romance authors and publishing industry professionals, but also unpublished
aspiring writers, booksellers and librarians. Rodale (2015) concluded that many romance
authors were once readers, so it makes sense RWA is structured to help aspiring writers
join the romance fiction community’s ranks, offering tools online and at in-person
conferences on how to write and get published. Unlike other fiction genres where being
an author is like being in the elite “members-only club”, romance authors welcome
readers as writers with open arms (Rodale, 2015). It’s not uncommon for a romance
author to help an aspiring writer work on the plot of her book or critique a few chapters,

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 13
and readers, aspiring writers and authors frequently mingle at conferences and book
events as well (Rodale, 2015). In her 2008 speech delivered to the International
Communication Association, Benovitz Greenfeld (2008) suggested the online community
of romance readers and authors is a “humorous, participatory romance culture”
(Greenfeld, 2008, p. 1). This phenomenon can be traced back to Radway’s first study in
1984, where Radway acknowledged romance readers communicate with each other
regularly about their reading experiences (Greenfeld, 2008). Greenfeld (2008) stated that
the romance fiction community is similar to that of other media fan groups, such as fan
groups that spring up dedicated to popular television shows, and that the romance fiction
community would benefit from being reviewed as a general group, not a specific group
so closely tied with feminist scholarship.
Methodology
Two studies were conducted for this thesis. Study 1 used a qualitative method
design where the PI interviewed five romance authors within the United States to
understand how romance authors interact with readers online and if that interaction has
influenced the romance fiction industry in recent years. Study 2 used a quantitative
method design where, in conjunction with the interviews, the PI conducted a survey
asking romance readers to answer questions about how they read and purchase romance
novels, their feelings of connection to romance novels, other readers, and romance
authors, and their personal views on romance novels and the romance fiction industry.
More specifically, qualitative methods were used to examine relationships among reading
device (i.e., paperback, hardcover and e-reader) and romance readers’ behaviors. Further,

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 14
the connections and personal views regarding romance novels among romance readers
and authors were examined.
Study 1 - Interview Participants
Romance authors recruited online were asked to participant in one-on-one
interviews. Author 1 was a female, Caucasian author in her early 60s, who was first
published in the early 1980s and had her bachelor’s degree. She had over 80
contemporary romance novels in print as paperbacks and/or in e-reader format. Author 2,
a female, Caucasian author in her early 50s, was first published in 2009 and had her
master’s degree. She had over a dozen contemporary romance novels in print as
paperbacks and/or in e-reader format. Author 3 was a female, African-American author in
her late 30s, who was first published in 2007 and had her master’s degree. She had over
30 contemporary romance novels in print as paperbacks and/or in e-reader format. Author
4, a female, Caucasian author in her early 50s, was first published in 2009 and had her
bachelor’s degree. She has published more than 11 books in print and/or in e-reader
format.
Study 1 – Procedures and Instrumentation
Interviews were conducted with romance authors until no new themes related to
the research emerged. Four interviews were conducted in person in a private room and
one interview was conducted via telephone. Each interview was digitally recorded.
Romance authors were asked questions about the impact of digital publishing on the
romance fiction industry (Digital Impact on Romance Fiction Industry), their insights
about romance reader behavior related to current publishing trends (Romance Reader
Behavior Insights) and romance author connections with readers and authors online and

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 15
in person (Romance Community Connection). Over the course of the interviews other
themes also emerged, including the impact digital publishing had on each romance
author’s writing craft (Craft Impact), how their careers evolved based on digital
publishing trends (Career Evolution), and what possible future publishing trends are
emerging (Future Trends). A total of six themes were noted. The romance author
interview questioning route is included as Appendix A.
Digital Impact on Romance Fiction Industry
All five romance authors noted a seismic shift in the romance fiction industry that
could be attributed to the rise of digital publishing. This theme reviewed the romance
fiction industry publishing fluctuations the romance authors had observed over the last
several years. For example, Author 5 said, “I think Amazon made their Kindle successful,
in part by opening up the program whereby people, not just publishers but regular people,
could upload their books because they wanted to have more material for the people with
the Kindles to read…I think it's given the opportunity that more writers now don't have to
rely on New York to get to readers. It's cut out the middle-man there.” A theme statement
matrix is included as Table 1.
Romance Reader Behavior Insights
All five of the romance authors shared insights about the romance readers who
read their books and on romance reader behavior in general. This trend evaluated
romance author perceptions about how romance readers interact with romance novels and
romance readers’ expectations about romance novels in regards to digital publishing
trends. For example, Author 4 said, “[Readers] can get any book they want whether it's
super-hot and sexy like Fifty Shades of Grey or the sweetest, most chaste romance. They

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 16
can read whatever they want, whatever genre and nobody needs to know. I do think that
e-readers allow you to get things quickly. You're going on vacation you want three
books, boom, boom, boom it's there.” A theme statement matrix is included as Table 2.
Romance Community Connection
The Romance Community Connection theme evaluated how romance authors
interact with romance readers online and in person as well as how romance authors
interact with other romance authors online and in person. For example, Author 3 said, “I
think with the online community you find people who are just as fanatical about [reading
romance novels] as you are and it helps. You don’t feel as strange anymore [for liking
these books].” A theme statement matrix is included as Table 3.
Craft Impact
The Craft Impact theme estimated how digital publishing has changed how the
romance authors write romance novels. Each of the romance authors noted that their
approach to the craft had changed due to digital publishing, but for some romance authors
the changes were more related to the types of characters and storylines they wrote about
and for others it changed the length of the book. For example, Author 1 said, “I am
definitely writing shorter…[the printed category books] were 80 or 85,000 words, and
then I was writing single-title romances which were 100,000 words. The series that I've
been working on now…they're like 50,000 words.” A theme statement matrix is included
as Table 4.
Career Evolution
All five romance authors saw significant changes in their careers in the last
several years, which each romance author contributed to the rise of digital publishing.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 17
This theme assessed how the romance authors’ careers had evolved, either positively or
negatively, given digital publishing trends. For example, Author 2 said, “Ideally, I would
like to get to the point where I can write one book a year [as an independent author], and
one book for [my traditional publisher]…mainly, it's because I love my editor. She's
fantastic. We've been together for 13 books, and that's kind of why I can't break up with
her.” A theme statement matrix is included as Table 5.
Future Trends
The Future Trends theme emerged as romance authors discussed how their
careers had changed and each romance author reflected how they wanted to be prepared
for continuing changes in the romance fiction industry. This theme noted the potential
trends romance authors saw based on their business expertise related to the romance
fiction industry. For example, Author 5 said “I think the traditional publishers are going
to have get a lot smarter or else they're going to be in trouble. I think we kind of mirror a
little bit what's happened in the music industry. I guess what's happening in music today,
maybe what we can look to see.” A theme statement matrix is included as Table 6.
Study 2 - Survey Participants
Eighty-seven participants started the survey, and 65 participants fully completed
the survey (Men = 2, Female = 63). Romance readers were recruited by posting the
survey on the PI’s social media networks (e.g., Facebook and Twitter) and asking the PI’s
friends to share the survey within their social media networks. The age of the respondents
ranged from 21 to 78 years (M = 45.79, SD = 14.17). The ethnic makeup of the sample
was 93.8% Caucasian, 3.1% Asian/Pacific Islander, 1.5% Hispanic, and 1.5%
Portuguese. Forty participants noted their relationship status as married, 16 as single, 5

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 18
divorced, 3 engaged, and 1 in a romantic relationship. In regards to education, 2
participants earned their high school diploma, 2 completed some college, 1 earned a
certificate, 27 earned their bachelor’s degree, 25 earned their master’s degree, 1 earned a
doctorate degree, and 1 was a tradesperson. In terms of preferred reading device, 26
participants reported mostly reading books in hardcover or paperback, 36 reported using
e-readers, and 3 used mobile devices.
Study 2 – Procedures and Instrumentation
A snowball sample was used to obtain participants for the survey. Respondents
were instructed to complete the survey based on their experiences reading romance
novels. The questionnaire had 4 measures, including their experiences reading romances
in print format (paperback or hardcover) and in e-format (e-reader, mobile device), their
experiences purchasing romance novels (in all formats) online and in person at a
bookstore, their experiences connecting with other readers and romance authors online
and in person, their views on romance novels, and statements about romance novels they
optionally provided as part of the survey. Given the subject matter of this thesis, no
known or established research scales could be used; therefore, the PI developed the scales
based on the research performed as part of this thesis. Reliability tests were run on each
scale, and are detailed below.
Romance Novel Reading Scale
The Romance Novel Reading Scale developed by the PI included 10 items that
asked respondents to indicate how they use devices (paperback or hardcover books, e-
readers and/or mobile devices) to read romance novels (e.g., “I read most of my romance
novels on an e-reader”, “I read most of my romance novels in hardcover or paperback”,

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 19
and “I read some romance novels on an e-reader, but I also read romance novels in
hardcover and paperback”). Responses were solicited using a 5-point Likert scale ranging
from strongly agree (5) to strongly disagree (1). A strong reliability coefficient was
achieved for this measure (α = .78, M = 3.28, SD =.74). The entire scale is included as
Appendix B.
Romance Novel Purchase Habits Scale
The Romance Novel Purchase Habits Scale developed by the PI included 10 items
that asked respondents about their buying behaviors when purchasing romance novels
(e.g., “I purchase most of the romance novels I read in a bookstore (hardcover and
paperback book)” and “I purchase most of the romance novels I read online in an e-
reader format”). Responses were solicited using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from
strongly agree (5) to strongly disagree (1). As stated, the scale originally had 10 items;
however, a reliability analysis indicated that 4 items were weak (too neutral or not
relating to the other items); therefore, the final scale was comprised of 6 items, which had
a reliability analysis of .65 (M = 2.74, SD =.769). The entire scale is included as
Appendix B.
Romance Novel Connection Scale
The Romance Novel Connection Scale developed by the PI included 10 items that
asked respondents about how they connect with other romance readers online or in
person, as well as how readers connect with romance authors online and in person (e.g.,
“I feel comfortable talking about reading romance novels with my friends, family or peer
group”, “I use Facebook or Twitter to talk about romance novels but only with other
romance readers”, “I belong to at least one online community that promotes and discusses

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 20
romance novels”, and “When I interact with a romance author on Facebook or Twitter, I
am more likely to purchase one of the author’s books”). Responses were solicited using a
5-point Likert scale ranging from strongly agree (5) to strongly disagree (1). A strong
reliability coefficient was achieved for this measure (α = .82, M = 3.00, SD =.77). The
entire scale is included as Appendix B.
Romance Novel Personal Views Scale
The Romance Novel Personal Views Scale developed by the PI included 15 items
that asked respondents about their personal views about romance novels, as well as their
perceived views of others (non-romance readers) about romance novels (e.g., “Reading
romance novels are entertaining and help me de-stress”, “I think romance novels help
readers understand loving relationships in a positive way”, “I would try a new type of
romance novel if I knew no one else could see what I was reading”, and “Most people
look unfavorably on romance novels”). As stated, the scale originally had 15 items;
however, a reliability analysis indicated that 5 items were weak (too neutral or not
relating to the other items); therefore, the final scale was comprised of 10 items.
Responses were solicited using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from strongly agree (5) to
strongly disagree (1). A strong reliability coefficient was achieved for this measure (α =
.71, M = 3.49, SD =.50). The entire scale is included as Appendix B.
Romance Novel Statement Question
At the end of the survey, a free-form comment item asked the respondents to
share an optional statement they wished to convey to those studying the romance novel
industry, or those commenting on romantic fiction in popular culture. Of the 65
respondents who completed the survey, 30 respondents provided a statement. Statements

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 21
were coded for common themes by the PI and advisor, which resulted in a total of six
themes. The themes included the following: Respect (12 respondents), Quality (8
respondents), Relaxation (4 respondents), Love (3 respondents), Price (2 respondents),
and Other (1 respondent). The theme of Respect represented romance readers’ admiration
for romance authors and romance novels as a fiction genre. Quality represented romance
readers’ thoughts about the quality of romance novels as a story-telling vehicle as well as
how romance novels compare to other fiction genres (i.e. mystery, science-fiction, etc.).
The theme Relaxation represented romance readers’ regard for romance novels as stress
relief and entertainment tools within their daily lives. Love represented romance readers’
passion for reading love stories in the form of romance novels. The theme Price
represented romance readers’ preference to purchase romance novels due to the books’
low price for market entry as compared to other fiction books. Other represented
additional views provided by a participant that did not fit into any other coded theme. The
entire list or participant responses is included as Table 11.
Respect: To media people doing their annual human interest stories about
romance novels every Valentine's Day: please stop using the term
"bodice ripper." It just makes you look uninformed and biased, and ruins
your journalistic credibility as far as I'm concerned.
I believe that romance novels are undervalued by society partially
because they are woman-centered and partially because they are
generally written by women.
Even non-romance novels have a romantic couple or piece in it,
including Harry Potter and other mainstream stories. Love and romance

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 22
is a part of life.
Romance is around us everywhere and does not mean smut.
Quality: That they are all not bodice ripping books set in the 18th century only.
I think most people think "romance novel" and "Fifty Shades of Grey"
are synonymous. I wish people knew that there are actually romance
novels out there that can be more thought-provoking than titillating.
The genre isn't stuck in the 80s, and there is something for everyone
somewhere under the romance umbrella.
Relaxation: Reading romance novels allows me to relax and de-stress. What others
think doesn't matter.
It’s usually very relaxing to read a romance novel with good character
development and an interesting plot. They are a nice break to reading
"more serious" books describing depravity, non-stop hardship and
hopelessness.
Love: I prefer romantic fiction because I want a happy ending.
Price: I try new authors and new types of romance novels on my e-reader that I
would not try in paperback/hardcover simply because of the price point
and ease of returns.
Other: You should look at sites that publish stories as a resource, e-reader in
my mind doesn't cover a website that hosts such material and a lot of
people use those sites.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 23
Results
Study 1 Results
Research question one, which was related to Study 1, inquired if there is a
relationship between the views held by romance authors about the romance fiction
industry and author connections with romance readers that is influenced by online
interaction. The PI used a narrative approach to report results based on the themes that
emerged during the romance author interviews.
Based on statements made by the five romance authors interviewed the rise of
digital publishing in recent years has had a significant impact on the romance fiction
industry. Each of the romance authors interviewed felt the impact in their own way, but
acknowledged that the push towards digital publishing has caused a seismic shift that
traditional publishers and romance authors continue to sort out. Author 2 stated, “More
and more, authors who are with traditional publishers have left to go on their own and
become digital because you have more control over your sales, you are actually making
better money. Most of the digital publishers offer better royalty rates, because they don't
have that kind of overhead [that traditional publishers have] …if you're an indie author,
you're getting 80% of your sales, versus 20% of your sales. You're naturally making more
money and you have control, you control the kind of stories you write, you can control
how often you put things out, and while it's a lot more work because you're a small-
business person, on the other end of that is you're not waiting for a gatekeeper.”
Digital publishing changed the established editorial, marketing and distribution
model that had been in place for decades. Each of the romance authors pointed out how
digital publishing had put the writer/author in the driver’s seat within the publishing

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 24
industry when before editors, agents and bookstores, such as Borders and Barnes &
Noble, determined what, when and where romance novels were made available to
romance readers. Author 5 said, “I think Amazon made their Kindle successful, in part by
opening up the program whereby people, not just publishers but regular people, could
upload their books because they wanted to have more material for the people with the
Kindles to read…I think it's given the opportunity that more writers now don't have to
rely on New York to get to readers. It's cut out the middle-man there.”
The romance authors noted that the changes are not all business related; digital
publishing has also transformed the types of stories and characters that have found a
flourishing home in digital publishing. Author 3 said, “The transition I’ve seen is actually
a little different because I write African-American romance, which did not have the same
type [of marketing], they always had a big audience, but there weren’t enough books out
there before. You basically had two main lines that published the books. There were very
few [publishing] spaces available for African-American writers, but now with the
explosion e-books and self-publishing so many more people can get their stories out
there. And there are so many more books out there for people to read.”
Each romance author said that the advances made in the romance fiction industry
due to digital publishing has had a mostly positive impact on romance readers and
romance authors, but it is not without some drawbacks. Author 1 said, “There are great
things about it and horrible things about it. I love the freedom, I love being able to put
covers on my books that highlight [the story], I love not having to change little things to
please editors that I don't think improve the books that had to fit a certain restriction that
they had…editors who would just make strange demands on you. I'm not real happy with

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 25
all the marketing and business stuff. That's just not my thing, but I do it, because I guess
these days, if you publish with a traditional publisher, you'll still be doing most of the
marketing.” See Table 1 for additional romance author statements.
In regards to how romance reader behavior has changed in light of digital
publishing, all five of the romance authors said that romance readers have remained loyal
to the genre and their favorite authors. The romance authors also said that since romance
readers read so many books per year, and only have so many dollars to spend on books,
that the readers were natural advocates of e-readers. Author 3 said, “Romance readers
have always been some of the most voracious [readers] in my opinion. They can fly
through a book very quickly...a lot of the readers are moving away from [traditional
publishers] because they said the books just seem all the same. They can just get more
variety from some of the self-published authors. I think New York has to change unless
they want to get left behind.” From an ease of purchasing perspective, Author 4 said, “I
think it's a combination of they want the instant gratification of being able to read books
at their fingertips. I also think that some of it is content. Before Fifty Shades of Grey, I'm
not sure that people would have as open to reading really hot books, especially books
about a subject that may be taboo...I do think there is that freedom to just pull out that e-
reader and read what you want and nobody has to know.”
The romance authors said it not uncommon for romance readers to buy paperback
or hardcover books for their favorite authors, but also have an e-reader they use to try
new authors or to purchase books to read on the train or on a plane or while away on
vacation. Author 5 said, “I think most readers, most are prolific readers, they use an e-
reader of some kind…they don't necessarily own a Kindle or a Nook, but they use the

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 26
technology on their tablets or their smartphones. There are still the die-hards that insist
they'll never get [an e-reader], but I think they're an older group and I think they're
dwindling.” Now that e-readers are the norm, the romance authors said romance readers
have become accustomed to find and purchase books quickly and regularly online.
This rapid purchase distribution channel has impacted all five of the romance
authors, who said they feel the pressure to write more and more books and release the
books as quickly as possible. Author 1 said, “One thing that I have noticed has changed is
that [readers] expect you to put out a lot more books faster. It's so easy, I think for them
to buy books, and I know I'm guilty of that, too…plus, I don't have to worry about my
shelf space anymore.” See Table 2 for additional romance author statements.
Each of the romance authors interviewed was vocal about the connection romance
authors have with one another and with romance readers online and in person (i.e. the
romance novel community). All five of the romance authors use Facebook and Twitter as
their primary online methods of interacting with romance readers and other authors. All
five of the romance authors said Facebook is used to connect with romance readers while
Twitter is more a business tool to connect with other authors and keep up with business
trends in the romance fiction industry. Author 4 said, “I do [use social media], Facebook
and Twitter, both of which I think have different dynamics …I do think interacting with
[readers] makes you seem approachable. If you're not approachable or enclosed, I think
people are less likely to be open to you. Especially new authors because people are, they
only have so much money to spend and they're going to choose either somebody they're
familiar with or they're going to say that's too expensive to give it a chance, unless they're
interacting with you.” Four of the five romance authors acknowledged they do not enjoy

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 27
being active on social media, but said they participated because romance readers are very
connected with it and they like to interact with romance authors. One of the romance
authors said she enjoyed the time spent on social media each day. All five authors said
they would not be successful as romance authors without social media. Author 2 said,
“You need a webpage and the Facebook page, because a lot of people will find me on
Facebook, and then go to my webpage to get the books. Or, they'll meet me at ... I've sold
books on Twitter by chatting with people, and they'll go check it out because of Twitter,
so I do do Twitter and I do talk about reading on Twitter, and they get a lot of them from
blogs and blog reviews. I know if I have a review on a blog, I'll notice I'll get a hit, and
it'll bump.”
The romance authors interviewed also shared their insights into why the
connection between romance readers and authors is so strong. Author 3 said, “I think
with the online community you find people who are just as fanatical about [reading
romance novels] as you are and it helps. You don’t feel as strange anymore [for liking
these books].” The romance authors also noted that given that romance novels are books
written by and for women there is a natural connection. Author 1 said, “We're all people
who love love, so there is that. I do think that readers feel we writers are one of them, and
we are. Romance writers read romance, too...romance readers I think it's like a big
sisterhood. I have one friend who's written a lot of science fiction, but she loves going to
RWA conferences because everyone’s so nice and opening, and warm. At science fiction
conferences, they'd stab you in the back, but their knives are too primitive. They'll taser
you or something. It's just much more competitive and less supportive. I think there is a
special community.”

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 28
Each of the romance authors also said they participate in online and at in-person
events. Online events include romance author chats, book giveaways, and online book
parties. Author 1 said, “I enjoy getting together with friends and getting on stage and
singing and stuff, but I'm also an introvert. Communicating with readers online is just a
lot easier for introverts. You can stay in touch with people and you don't have to worry
about if you're wearing lipstick or anything. I like it. It's made my life a lot easier.” In-
person events include book signings at romance fiction industry conferences as well as
reader events such as “Wild Wicked Weekend”, which is geared towards erotica romance
readers, or the “Historical Romance Retreat”, which encourages historical romance
readers to attend and participate in historical costume. Author 3 said, “[Readers] know
the books. I actually to one where the event was planned around the wedding between
characters they had followed through six books in a series. It felt like a real wedding.
Anyone who isn’t a romance reader would think it is the craziest thing in the world, but
for a romance fan it’s the coolest thing ever. Everyone was really into it.” See Table 3 for
additional romance author statements.
The romance authors said that digital publishing has only marginally impacted the
craft of writing romance novels. Author 5 said, “What is challenging about [writing
romance novels in any format] is it's a dual protagonist story; you have the growth for
both the hero and the heroine. Plotting a romance novel is a lot harder than it looks,
especially the kind of novels that I write...you have to have a central conflict that works
through the whole book. It can be difficult.” According to the romance authors
interviewed, some notable craft changes included a shift toward writing shorter romance
novels and writing series romance novels.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 29
Author 2 said, “[Readers] want to be able to read books faster, but they also want
to keep visiting the same characters. You get a lot of, "Oh, I love this book. Is there going
to be a sequel?" They want the sequels, they want the sagas, and they want to see the
characters over and over…they read now like they watch TV series, so it has changed,
because before you wrote standalone books and now even traditional publishers are
saying, "Connect them. We want books that are connected somehow. Give me two, three,
four books that are somehow related.
Author 3 said, “Most of the books I have self-published have been novellas. I did
that because...I didn’t have much time to devote to those books [given my publishing
contract]. My long-running self-published series is actually a novella series that is loosely
tied to my one of my [traditionally published book] series, which my publisher allowed
me to do. I do plan to publish longer books…I plan do them to about 55,000 to 70,000
words. I think that’s a good spot.” The romance authors said they now operate not only as
professional writers, but as business owners who are responsible for brand and marketing
strategy, business planning and financials. Each of the romance authors said they
appreciated that they had been traditionally-published prior to moving to digital
publishing since the experience provided them the opportunity to learn how to name a
book, handle revisions and understand how book distribution channels work.” See Table
4 for additional romance author statements.
Over the last ten years, and especially within the last five years, all five romance
authors said digital publishing has dramatically impacted their careers. Four of the five
romance authors started their careers with traditional publishers who provided editorial
and marketing support as well as print distribution channels. One romance author

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 30
published with an electronic publisher who made her books available online and in print
on demand. Today, three of the five authors no longer have contracts with traditional
publishers by their own choice, and the remaining two authors will likely opt out of
traditional publishing when their current contracts has expired. All five romance authors
plan to publish books as self-published, or independent, authors in the future. All five
romance authors said they would leave the door open to work with a traditional publisher
again, but would continue to publish as an independent romance author. This approach
has been dubbed as “hybrid publishing” within the romance fiction industry community.
Author 5 summed up the transition from traditional publishing to independent publishing
when she said, “I think that business-wise it doesn't make sense for me to traditionally-
publish anymore. It was a great apprenticeship, but the way that the opportunities are now
in the market as far as the freedom that you have is with independently publishing.
There's the opportunity to make much more money versus in traditional publishing, the
money is shrinking…distribution is shrinking [in traditional publishing].”
All five romance authors have acquired, or will attempt to acquire, the publishing
rights back for their books from their respective publishers. The romance authors said
they plan to repackage the books (i.e. cover art, story updates, etc.) and re-release their
books at a later date as independently-published books. Author 2 said with digital
publishing there is a marked difference in how romance writers and authors approach
their careers and interact with editors and agents within the romance fiction industry,
where she noted, “I think the new romance writers are much different looking, much
different acting now, and I think that they represent the market in a much more
professional way. You see it at conferences. You can go, you can see they're much more

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 31
aggressive, they're much more confident, and the digital era has helped that a lot, because
I think the younger generation, we spent, some of us, I spent 17 years knocking on doors
trying to get published. "Please, please, please, buy my book." Well, they go in with the,
"You don't want it? I'll just put it out myself." Having that option gives them such
incredible confidence about their work.” The romance authors acknowledged that the
move away from traditional publishing is easier for them since they have a reader
following, but none of them would discourage a new writer from going independent from
the start if that was their chosen path to publishing. See Table 5 for additional romance
author statements.
Lastly, the romance authors who were interviewed volunteered how they think the
romance fiction industry may change as digital publishing continues to thrive. None of
the romance authors thought that print books would go away entirely in favor of
electronic books, but all of the romance authors felt strongly that traditional publishers
must adapt to the times, and do so more rapidly than they had in the last ten years. Author
3 said, “Readers have more choices out there now. [Readers] are not constrained by New
York publishing that told them, you will only read the books that we put out. New York
really is like the big Titanic trying to turn around…some of them are [changing], there
are more publishers that are speaking about more diversity issues, so maybe they are
waking up.” Author 5 added, “[Traditional publishers] know they have to change. It's sort
of like turning a cruise ship. They're learning from the indies too because they never
knew how to sell electronic books, they never considered it important. Then the indies
came in about five years ago.”

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 32
Author 2 talked about how the relationship between traditional publisher and
romance author will change as well as what might happen to bookstores. She said,
“[Publishers] have to be a little more transparent than they used to be. Before, you sent
your stuff in and they did what they wanted, and you were like, "Thank you for my
royalty check." Now, they kind of have to work to keep you. I think we're going to lose
Barnes & Noble. I think there'll always be the little indie stores, because those books are
a different kind of book, and I think those readers are a different kind of reader…they go
for as much of the experience of being in a bookstore…I love doing that, too, we all do. I
think that'll survive. [With Amazon] it's never good to have one big company. My guess
is as soon as they get big enough the government will step in and figure out a way to
break it into little things.” Some of the romance authors also shared how they think
digital publishing technology will change in the coming years. Author 4 said, “I think [e-
readers] will be more advanced…it's going to look more like a book. It's still flat, you
can't really change a tablet, but I think the experience, I think you're going to have, I
think they'll do things like when you flip a page you're going to hear it. There's something
about turning a book page of your favorite author. I think that they're going to be more
interactive and there's a big push now for graphic novels in romance.” See Table 6 for
additional romance author statements.
Study 2 Results
Research question two, which was related to Study 2, inquired if reader device
preference (i.e. paperback/hardcover book or e-reader) differs based on reader age.
Results of an independent samples t-test revealed there were no significant differences
between reader age and reader device preference (t (58) = .32, p = .75). A closer

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 33
examination of the means indicated that the age of romance readers who prefer to read
using a paperback or hardcover book was 46.76 (SD = 16.53) and the age of romance
readers who prefer to using an e-reader was 45.51 (SD = 12.90). See Table 7.
Research question three, which was related to Study 2, inquired if there is a
relationship among how romance readers read and purchase romance novels, connect
with other readers and romance authors, and view romance novels. Results of Pearson
Product-Moment correlations supported positive correlations between romance reader
preferences for reading and the connection a romance reader felt towards romance novels
(r = .27, p < .05) as well as a reader’s personal views about romance novels (r = .29, p <
.03). The test also indicated a positive correlation between romance reader purchasing
habits and the connection a reader felt towards romance novels (r = .39, p < .003). A
significant and positive relationship existed between the connection a romance reader felt
towards romance novels and their personal views about romance novels (r = .58, p <
.000). See Table 8.
Research question four, which was related to Study 2, inquired if there is a
difference in how romance readers read and purchase romance novels; connect with other
readers and romance authors; view romance novels; and the reader’s device preference.
Results of an independent samples t-test revealed there were no significant differences
between how romance readers read and reader device preference (t (57) = -5.84, p = .00)
and how romance readers purchase and their reader device preference (t (56) = 4.50, p =
.00). However, there was a significant correlation between how romance readers connect
with other readers and romance authors and their reader device preference (t (55) = -.06,
p = .95) and how romance readers view romance novels and reader device preference (t

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 34
(54) = .16, p = .87). A closer examination of the means indicated that for participants
who preferred paperback or hardcover books was 2.8 (SD = .49) for how romance
readers read; 3.2 (SD = .55) for how romance readers purchase, 3.0 (SD = .76) for how
romance readers connect with other readers and romance authors; and 3.5 (SD = .47) how
romance readers view romance novels. A closer examination of the means indicated that
for participants who preferred e-readers was 3.7 (SD = .62) for how romance readers
read; 2.5 (SD = .70) for how romance readers purchase, 3.0 (SD = .78) for how romance
readers connect with other readers and romance authors; and 3.5 (SD = .55) how romance
readers view romance novels. See Table 9.
Research question five, which was related to Study 2, inquired if there is a
relationship among how romance readers read and purchase romance novels; connect
with other readers and romance authors; view romance novels; and the reader’s age.
Results of a Pearson Product-Moment correlation showed a negative moderate correlation
between romance reader’s age and how a romance reader preferred to read (r = -.05, p <
.69); a positive moderate correlation between romance reader’s age and how a romance
reader purchases (r = .06, p < .65); a positive strong correlation between a romance
reader’s age and how a romance reader connects with other readers and romance authors
(r = .01, p < .94); and a negative strong correlation between a romance reader’s age and
how a romance reader views romance novels (r = -.03, p < .84). However, based on the
results (p = > .05) none of the relationships showed significance. See Table 10.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 35
Discussion
The primary purpose of this thesis was to understand how digital publishing has
impacted the romance reader, romance authors, and the romance fiction industry. The rise
of e-readers, including Kindles, Nooks and tablet devices, coincided with the growth of
social media (i.e. Facebook and Twitter), and both factors contributed to a market
disruption in the publishing industry. In fact, Pew Research Institute estimated 68 percent
of adult women online use social media (Perrin, 2015). According to RWA, 84 percent of
romance readers are women (RWA, 2015). Readers and authors were able to validate the
use e-readers online through word of mouth, which challenged long established methods
of acquiring a book, marketing a book, and printing and distributing a book. This shift
impacted anyone connected to publishing.
Books have been a primary communication method used by human beings for
many centuries. As outlined in this thesis, romance readers are prolific readers and read
more books on average per year than any other genre fiction readers (i.e. at least one
book per week compared to five books a year) (Terrero, 2014). Romance novels have
historically been priced lower than other genre fiction books, at about $7.99 or less,
always making the business of selling love stories a volume enterprise (RWA, 2015).
Furthermore, the romance fiction industry has been marginalized for decades; with most
in academia and those reporting popular culture mislabeling the $1.08 billion a year
industry as trashy books read by desperate women. Given these variables, researching
romance reader behavior in the era of digital publishing presented a unique opportunity to
gain a better understanding of how technology changes intersect with human
development and interpersonal relationships.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 36
The results of Study 1 indicated that romance authors have experienced dramatic
and rapid career changes in recent years in the wake of digital publishing. The romance
fiction industry is in transition as many long held beliefs about book publishing are
dissolving or evolving. As these publishing changes occurred, social media was also on
the upswing, making it easier for romance readers and romance authors to strengthen
existing connections online and form new connections. Romance authors, who may have
originally had misgivings about using e-book distribution channels, quickly realized
digital publishing was a way to increase the volume of books sold and potentially reach
new readers, unlike traditional publishers who lagged behind in accepting the e-book
distribution model. Romance authors also learned how to leverage the strong connection
their readers have with romance novels in order to remarket themselves and their books
via digital publishing. It’s likely Martin Fishbein and Icek Ajzen’s Theory of Reasoned
Action (Frymier & Nadler, 2010) contributed to romance authors’ acceptance of digital
publishing as a respectable publishing distribution model since their online romance
reader and romance author connections enabled them to see, despite what their traditional
publishers might have said, that romance readers enjoyed reading and purchasing books
online and/or using e-readers and that their fellow romance authors were selling more
books through digital publishing distribution channels than through traditional
publishing.
Study 2 survey results showed there is no significance between a reader’s age and
their reader device preference (i.e. paperback/hardcover book or e-reader). Given the
exponential technology growth that has occurred in the last 10 years, it’s likely that
romance readers of all ages have adapted to using e-readers similarly to how quickly

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 37
most human beings have globally adapted to using smartphones, tablets and other devices
as part of their daily lives. However, since romance readers are avid readers used to
books priced using a lower price model, their e-reader adoption rate was likely faster than
the average reader. This resulted in romance readers feeling comfortable with reading
physical books, using an e-reader, or using books and e-readers based on individual
preferences and ease of use.
Study 2 survey results also indicated there is no significant relationship between
how romance readers read and purchase romance novels (i.e. at a bookstore or online)
based on device preference or age. However, there is a significant relationship between
how positively romance readers, regardless of device preference and age, connect with
romance novels and view romance novels and the romance fiction industry. Romance
readers are passionate about the books they read, and feel strongly that the books not only
provide stress relief in a hectic, fast-paced world, but are also relevant to how women
experience love in their lives. Due to this intense connection and strong positive
viewpoint, its probable romance readers were ideal first adopters of e-readers because the
ability to purchase books with a single click at a reduced price point was a welcomed
experience.
Love as a story is a theme that has existed in storytelling for centuries. As
mentioned earlier in this thesis, romance novels and the women who read them are often
maligned by academia and mainstream media. However, since romance readers are so
invested in reading romance novels frequently, the scorn romance readers may
experience from non-romance readers and others, is irrelevant to them. Leon Festinger’s
Theory of Cognitive Dissonance (Frymier & Nadler, 2010) likely contributes to this

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 38
singularity as romance readers routinely defend their reading choices and show support of
the romance fiction industry by devotedly purchasing their favorite romance authors
books and being willing to try new romance authors over time.
These results suggest that romance readers, romance authors, and the romance
fiction industry continues to thrive as its own unique community despite the destabilizing
effect digital publishing has had on the publishing industry at large. The results gathered
from each study also contribute to a further understanding of the romance fiction
industry, in particular, the mindset of the reader. In short, digital publishing has taken the
proverbial publishing keys away from the traditional gatekeepers (i.e. editors, agents, and
book distributors) and handed them to readers. Now, readers are in control and can
purchase any available content they choose in any format they desire. With romance
readers, who feel so attached to the genre, romance authors are in good hands, especially
since reader loyalty is with an author, not a publisher.
Implications
The Internet has rapidly changed how human beings interact with each other and
with electronic devices, including how readers connect with books in print and online.
The results concluded in this study indicated that romance readers are motivated to find
and purchase romance novels regardless of delivery method (i.e. paperback/hardcover
bought in a bookstore or online or an electronic copy downloaded to an e-reader). In
addition, mainstream media and academic stereotypes about romance novels persist, but
those stereotypes have only strengthened the bonds between romance readers and
romance authors, who now have regular and direct access to one another online via social
networks and via independent publishing distribution channels, such as Amazon.com.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 39
Limitations
A few limitations were discovered while conducting the research for this thesis.
First, a convenience sample was used for the survey, rather than a random sample, which
possibly limited the population characteristics. The sample obtained is not representative
of a random population. Second, the survey was publicized using the PI’s social media
accounts, which limited the participants to those romance readers who are connected to
the PI’s social network or the social networks of those who responded to the survey.
Third, the original results of the survey showed a sample size of 87 participants, but only
65 participants completed the survey. The length of the survey could have potentially
caused participants to lose interest in the questionnaire and discontinue answering or
answer inaccurately. Lack of answers or inaccurate answers could have skewed the
results. Lastly, in regards to the romance author interviews, the PI conducted individual
one on one interviews due to time, geographical and logistical constraints. If the PI had
conducted an in-person focus group with all five romance authors in attendance together,
it’s possible other interview themes might have emerged.
Future Research
It is important romance fiction industry research continues as the publishing
industry continues to evolve. One potential area of future research is to focus more on the
types of content romance readers want to read as societal norms continue to change. A
modified study related to the research outlined in this thesis could include a questionnaire
addressing the specific types of romance novels, including preferred storylines, time
period, character ethnicity, and character sexual orientation that is most preferable to
today’s romance reader. Another possible area of research would be to uncover the

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 40
impact digital publishing has had on romance fiction industry contracts, distribution
channels, intellectual property rights management, digital rights management, and
revenue at both the romance author and publishing industry level.
Conclusion
This study provides researchers with a further understanding of how romance
readers interact with romance novels since digital publishing emerged several years ago.
In addition, it explored the multi-layered impact digital publishing has had on the
romance fiction industry, and more specifically romance authors. It also showed the
impact of digital publishing and online interactions on romance reader and author
connections. The information gathered from this study should be used to develop further
understanding about romance reader behaviors as the publishing industry continues to
evolve and societal norms change. These results may be used by researchers to explore
and conduct future research.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 41
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RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 43
Tables
Table 1
Study 1 – Interviews – Digital Publishing Impact Statements
Author Digital Impact on Romance Fiction Industry
Author 1 You can start playing with trickier subjects… [independent publishing]
really freed up a lot, because you can do all kinds of things, because you
don't have to market to as huge a market to make money. You can
narrow cast your books, because the royalties for each sale are so much
higher than for me to have, like, if I sell 30,000 copies of an indie
published book than if I had sold 150,000 copies of a [traditionally]
published book. You don't have to worry about pleasing everyone
anymore. You can just please a narrow group of readers. That's really
freed things up a lot, too, and that's really changed the market.
There are great things about it and horrible things about it. I love the
freedom, I love being able to put covers on my books that highlight [the
story], I love not having to change little things to please editors that I
don't think improve the books that had to fit a certain restriction that
they had…editors who would just make strange demands on you. I'm
not real happy with all the marketing and business stuff. That's just not
my thing, but I do it, because I guess these days, if you publish with a
traditional publisher, you'll still be doing most of the marketing.
I do know that a lot of authors really just do not want to learn how to
survive this indie trend, it's a lot of work, and there are new services
coming up that will do some of the work for you. I mean, beyond just
hiring freelance editors or freelance cover artists or something. I have
friends who are putting together a company where you would write the
book and then they would do all the rest of it, and divide the royalties in
some sort of percentage or take a flat fee if they felt the book wasn't
going to sell well, because they want their money up front. I think it's a
really good model.
Some authors really just love the excitement of the indie world. They
have business women in their hearts, and they're really thriving in it. It's
really nice to have those choices, but I know of a lot of people, who
tried for years to sell traditionally, and they weren't able to, and in some
cases, I have no idea why they weren't, because their books were fine,
but who knows? Maybe it was a French hero and a classical pianist
heroine or whatever, and so they take it indie and some of them have
had some success.
Author 2 More and more, authors who are with traditional publishers have left to
go on their own and become digital because you have more control over
your sales, you are actually making better money. Most of the digital

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 44
Author Digital Impact on Romance Fiction Industry
publishers offer better royalty rates, because they don't have that kind of
overhead [that traditional publishers have] …if you're an indie author,
you're getting 80% of your sales, versus 20% of your sales. You're
naturally making more money and you have control, you control the
kind of stories you write, you can control how often you put things out,
and while it's a lot more work because you're a small business person,
on the other end of that is you're not waiting for a gatekeeper.
There are books that got turned down that really should have been
published and now they are. They're getting out there, and then you go
to things like minority authors. Well, they're having trouble getting into
mainstream publishing, or they get shunted to these lines that don't get
marketed. They go on the internet, and their readers can find them.
They're doing very well indie, and why not? You're not getting
respected by the mainstream publishers; you might as well go and go to
the readers.
Author 3 The transition I’ve seen is actually a little different because I write
African-American romance, which did not have the same type [of
marketing], they always had a big audience, but there weren’t enough
books out there before. You basically had two main lines that published
the books. There were very few [publishing] spaces available for
African-American writers, but now with the explosion e-books and self-
publishing so many more people can get their stories out there. And
there are so many more books out there for people to read.
Author 4 When they first came out, there was so few e-readers. There was a Sony
e-reader and you had to download it from your computer, a file, and
then you transferred the file to the reader from there and it was a little
bit tedious, so I think sales were slow. Depending upon the genre. With
the Kindle and all these Kindle apps and tablets, I think that is what's
changed the e-book market because you can get a book with a click.
Author 5 I think Amazon made their Kindle successful, in part by opening up the
program whereby people, not just publishers but regular people, could
upload their books because they wanted to have more material for the
people with the Kindles to read…I think it's given the opportunity that
more writers now don't have to rely on New York to get to readers. It's
cut out the middle-man there.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 45
Table 2
Study 1 – Interviews – Romance Reader Behavior Statements
Author Romance Reader Behavior Insights
Author 1 One thing that I have noticed has changed is that [readers] expect you to
put out a lot more books faster. It's so easy, I think for them to buy
books, and I know I'm guilty of that, too…plus, I don't have to worry
about my shelf space anymore.
Author 2 My readers tend to skew a little older, and I find that a lot of them are
my age, 40 and older, and they tend to be on Facebook more. I have a
Facebook author page, and I actually just towards the end of the year,
last year, started spending more time on that, and have found that I'm
talking to a lot more readers. I'll answer their comments. And you try to
make a point of mentioning their name in the comment, because you
want them to know you're chatting with them and reading their
comments.
Author 3 Romance readers have always been some of the most voracious
[readers] in my opinion. They can fly through a book very quickly...a lot
of the readers are moving away from [traditional publishers] because
they said the books just seem all the same. They can just get more
variety from some of the self-published authors. I think New York has
to change unless they want to get left behind.
Author 4 The one thing I have learned, especially with things that are going on in
the publishing industry, or with my publisher, is if the readers are upset
with the publisher or feel like they've been ripped off, they're not
forgiving. If you promise something in a book, your book is going to do
this and if you don't deliver they will not go back, unless it's an absolute,
something changes or whatever. If they feel like their money is not well
spent, they will not spend it on that person again.
[Readers] can get any book they want whether it's super-hot and sexy
like Fifty Shades of Grey or the sweetest, most chaste romance. They
can read whatever they want, whatever genre and nobody needs to
know. I do think that e-readers allow you to get things quickly. You're
going on vacation you want three books, boom, boom, boom it's there.
I think it's a combination of they want the instant gratification of being
able to read books at their fingertips. I also think that some of it is
content. Before Fifty Shades of Grey, I'm not sure that people would
have as open to reading really hot books, especially books about a
subject that may be taboo...I do think there is that freedom to just pull
out that e-reader and read what you want and nobody has to know.
Author 5 I think there's a reader for every length even for short stories, but I think
the most important thing is that somehow you have to let them know in
the description what it is. Where they get angry is where they think
they're getting a full length novel and they're not, they're getting a

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 46
Author Romance Reader Behavior Insights
novella. You have to price them appropriately; you can't price a novella
at the full length. I do think romance books have a lower price point
than the other genres…the new books are at 3.99, electronically. My
back-list, it's all at 2.99, which is about right.
I think most readers, most are prolific readers, they use an e-reader of
some kind…they don't necessarily own a Kindle or a Nook, but they use
the technology on their tablets or their smartphones. There are still the
die-hards that insist they'll never get [an e-reader], but I think they're an
older group and I think they're dwindling.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 47
Table 3
Study 1 – Interviews – Romance Community Connection Statements
Author Romance Community Connection
Author 1 I have a Facebook page, I send out a newsletter about once a month. I'm
not really regimented about it. I participate in a group blog. There are 30
of us. It's called "Girlfriends Book Club." We're all women, but not all
romance writers. Some mystery writers, some women's fiction, some
erotica, all different things.
We're all people who love love, so there is that. I do think that readers
feel we writers are one of them, and we are. Romance writers read
romance, too….romance readers I think it's like a big sisterhood. I have
one friend who's written a lot of science fiction, but she loves going to
RWA conferences because everyone's so nice and opening, and warm.
At science fiction conferences, they'd stab you in the back, but their
knives are too primitive. They'll taser you or something. It's just much
more competitive and less supportive. I think there is a special
community.
I enjoy getting together with friends and getting on stage and singing
and stuff, but I'm also an introvert. Communicating with readers online
is just a lot easier for introverts. You can stay in touch with people and
you don't have to worry about if you're wearing lipstick or anything. I
like it. It's made my life a lot easier.
Author 2 You need a webpage and the Facebook page, because a lot of people
will find me on Facebook, and then go to my webpage to get the books.
Or, they'll meet me at ... I've sold books on Twitter by chatting with
people, and they'll go check it out because of Twitter, so I do do Twitter
and I do talk about reading on Twitter, and they get a lot of them from
blogs and blog reviews. I know if I have a review on a blog, I'll notice
I'll get a hit, and it'll bump.
I don't pay attention to the other genres as much, but certainly, you don't
need it for literary books, because you're getting recommended
elsewhere, and you're getting hand sold by bookstores and you're getting
the bigger reviews, but I think for a midlist author like me, you have to
be on social media, because there's too many of you, and they won't find
you unless you're out there being chatty and social, and being someone
they want to meet. That's the other part of Facebook, is it is literally
more chatting with them rather than selling. They just want to like you,
and then they buy your books, because they feel like, "Oh, I like you."
It's a female industry, too. Now that I think about it, because I'm not
sure if you had primarily male readers and you were a male author, I'm
not sure if they'd feel like they want to be buddy, buddy, but women
automatically like to connect with other people, and our industry does it,

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 48
Author Romance Community Connection
anyway, so we're probably the most supportive industry you'd ever want
to see.
I think a lot of romance authors…have the idea that a rising tide lifts all
boats. If they cross sell you, I sell your book, well, they're going to buy
my book and your book, and guess what? Now the business is bigger, so
there's more business for all of us. It's not an either/or thing…that's why
you have groups of authors marketing together…female oriented writers
tend to figure out that if you work together as a group.
Author 3 I think with the online community you find people who are just as
fanatical about [reading romance novels] as you are and it helps. You
don’t feel as strange anymore [for liking these books].
[Readers] know the books. I actually to one where the event was
planned around the wedding between characters they had followed
through six books in a series. It felt like a real wedding. Anyone who
isn’t a romance reader would think it is the craziest thing in the world,
but for a romance fan it’s the coolest thing ever. Everyone was really
into it.
Author 4 I do [use social media], Facebook and Twitter, both of which I think
have different dynamics …I do think interacting with [readers] makes
you seem approachable. If you're not approachable or enclosed, I think
people are less likely to be open to you. Especially new authors because
people are, they only have so much money to spend and they're going to
choose either somebody they're familiar with or they're going to say
that's too expensive to give it a chance, unless they're interacting with
you.
Author 5 I reluctantly, I do [use Facebook and Twitter]…I don't get it myself, I do
not understand. I'm not a social media girl… [my publisher] really, they
did a lot of education, they sort of require it. They're right, because it is
the easiest place to find romance readers, they are there… I find it's the
easiest way to get word out when you have a release. I've done
giveaways and I'm moving more away from blogs and more to
Facebook, because a lot of the people on Facebook don't want to leave
Facebook. They don't want to click on outside, so I even put my mailing
list sign-up form on my Facebook page so they don't even have to go to
my website to sign up.
I'm with the group of authors and we do…we just did a Valentine’s Day
Facebook party, so each of us invited people. I think we had a few
hundred attendees. We did giveaways. Everybody has a 20 minute space
of time on the Facebook party to pitch themselves and their books, and I
did gain exposure from that. The way you're supposed to do it, is more
having a conversation with readers. Whenever anyone responds to your
posting, you interact with them.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 49
Table 4
Study 1 – Interviews – Craft Impact Statements
Author Craft Impact
Author 1 I am definitely writing shorter… [the printed category books] were 80
or 85,000 words, and then I was writing single title romances which
were 100,000 words. The series that I've been working on now…they're
like 50,000 words. I obviously spend a lot more time on business than I
did when I was traditionally published, but it's probably about 50-50 I
would say.
Author 2 [Readers] want to be able to read books faster, but they also want to
keep visiting the same characters. You get a lot of, "Oh, I love this
book. Is there going to be a sequel?" They want the sequels, they want
the sagas, and they want to see the characters over and over…they read
now like they watch TV series, so it has changed, because before you
wrote standalone books and now even traditional publishers are saying,
"Connect them. We want books that are connected somehow. Give me
two, three, four books that are somehow related.
Author 3 Most of the books I have self-published have been novellas. I did that
because...I didn’t have much time to devote to those books [given my
publishing contract]. My long-running self-published series is actually a
novella series that is loosely tied to my one of my [traditionally
published book] series, which my publisher allowed me to do. I do plan
to publish longer books…I plan do them to about 55,000 to 70,000
words. I think that’s a good spot.
Author 4 I've always been a romantic. I love the idea of having two people fall in
love. I tend not to like the push pull of fighting and conflict like that. I
like outside conflicts, but I like two people to fall in love and commit to
each other.
Author 5 What is challenging about [writing romance novels in any format] is it's
a dual protagonist story; you have the growth for both the hero and the
heroine. Plotting a romance novel is a lot harder than it looks, especially
the kind of novels that I write...you have to have a central conflict that
works through the whole book. It can be difficult.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 50
Table 5
Study 1 – Interviews – Career Impact Statements
Author Career Evolution
Author 1 I have tried retiring before and a few years ago, before I started indie
publishing, my career had really flat lined at [my publisher]. I couldn't
find another agent. I mean, I just thought, "That's it," and my husband
said, "Why don't you just retire?" I lasted two weeks. I couldn't. What I
ended up doing then was starting to write other books…and started
experimenting with mysteries then, and played around with a lot of
different things because I didn't think I was ever going to make money
as a writer again, but I couldn't stop writing.
Author 2 I think the new romance writers are much different looking, much
different acting now, and I think that they represent the market in a
much more professional way. You see it at conferences. You can go,
you can see they're much more aggressive, they're much more confident,
and the digital era has helped that a lot, because I think the younger
generation, we spent, some of us, I spent 17 years knocking on doors
trying to get published. "Please, please, please, buy my book." Well,
they go in with the, "You don't want it? I'll just put it out myself."
Having that option gives them such incredible confidence about their
work.
Ideally, I would like to get to the point where I can write one book a
year [as an independent author], and one book for [my traditional
publisher]…mainly, it's because I love my editor. She's fantastic. We've
been together for 13 books, and that's kind of why I can't break up with
her.
Author 3 I am strictly self-published right now and I’m enjoying it very
much…I’m actually free. The freedom in the stories is one thing, but
more free time [for my life] was needed.
Author 4 For me I try to put out two books a year and sometimes more depending
on what the situation is. I do think that if you get an audience who likes
your books, the more that's available the more they will read.
Author 5 I think that business wise it doesn't make sense for me to traditionally
publish anymore. It was a great apprenticeship, but the way that the
opportunities are now in the market as far as the freedom that you have
is with independently publishing. There's the opportunity to make much
more money versus in traditional publishing, the money is shrinking…
distribution is shrinking [in traditional publishing].

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 51
Table 6
Study 1 – Interviews – Future Trends Statements
Author Future Trends
Author 1 [Publishers] have investments in [the traditional publishing] model.
They are way behind the curve, I think. The smarter ones, the smaller
ones may figure it out. I remember when I signed with this mid-sized
press, I told the editor that traditional publishers were like aircraft
carriers, and she was like a cigarette boat. She could zip around a lot
faster, change directions and do things a lot. Actually, I see a lot more
smaller presses thriving, because again, they don't need the big mass
market sales to survive, and I think they will fill in more of the tasks that
indie authors don't want to do.
Author 2 [Publishers] have to be a little more transparent than they used to be.
Before, you sent your stuff in and they did what they wanted, and you
were like, "Thank you for my royalty check." Now, they kind of have to
work to keep you. I think we're going to lose Barnes & Noble. I think
there'll always be the little indie stores, because those books are a
different kind of book, and I think those readers are a different kind of
reader…they go for as much of the experience of being in a
bookstore…I love doing that, too, we all do. I think that'll survive. [With
Amazon] it's never good to have one big company. My guess is as soon
as they get big enough the government will step in and figure out a way
to break it into little things.
Author 3 Readers have more choices out there now. [Readers] are not constrained
by New York publishing that told them, you will only read the books
that we put out. New York really is like the big Titanic trying to turn
around…some of them are [changing]; there are more publishers that
are speaking about more diversity issues, so maybe they are waking up.
Author 4 I think [e-readers] will be more advanced…it's going to look more like a
book. It's still flat, you can't really change a tablet, but I think the
experience, I think you're going to have, I think they'll do things like
when you flip a page you're going to hear it. There's something about
turning a book page of your favorite author. I think that they're going to
be more interactive and there's a big push now for graphic novels in
romance.
Author 5 [Traditional publishers] know they have to change. It's sort of like
turning a cruise ship. They're learning from the indies too because they
never knew how to sell electronic books, they never considered it
important. Then the indies came in about five years ago.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 52
Table 7
Study 2 – Survey – Independent-samples t-test results for romance reader device
preference based on age
Independent Samples Test
Levene's Test for
Equality of
Variances t-test for Equality of Means
F Sig. t df
Sig.
(2-
tailed)
Mean
Difference
Std. Error
Difference
95% Confidence Interval of the
Difference
Lower Upper
Age Equal
variances
assumed
1.505
.225
.328
58
.744
1.246
3.800
-6.361
8.853
Equal
variances not
assumed
.315
43.615
.755
1.246
3.960
-6.737
9.228

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 53
Table 8
Study 2 – Survey – Correlations among romance reader reading, purchasing,
connections, and views preferences
Correlations
RNSCALE PURCHASE CONNECT VIEWS
RNSCALE Pearson Correlation 1
-.081
.271
*
.291
*
Sig. (2-tailed) .550
.046
.031
N 61
57
55
55
PURCHASE Pearson Correlation -.081
1
.386
**
.222
Sig. (2-tailed) .550
.003
.094
N 57
61
58
58
CONNECT Pearson Correlation .271
*
.386
**
1
.584
**
Sig. (2-tailed) .046
.003
.000
N 55
58
59
57
VIEWS Pearson Correlation .291
*
.222
.584
**
1
Sig. (2-tailed) .031
.094
.000
N 55
58
57
59
Note. *p < .05, **p < .001

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 54
Table 9
Study 2 – Survey – Independent-samples t-test results for reader device and romance
reader reading, purchasing, connecting, and views preferences
Independent Samples Test
Levene's Test for
Equality of
Variances t-test for Equality of Means
F Sig. T df
Sig.
(2-
tailed)
Mean
Difference
Std. Error
Difference
95% Confidence
Interval of the
Difference
Lower Upper
RNSCALE Equal
variances
assumed
1.255
.267
-5.838
57
.000
-.87165
.14930
-1.17061
-.57268
Equal
variances not
assumed
-6.057
56.711
.000
-.87165
.14391
-1.15985
-.58344
PURCHASE
Equal
variances
assumed
2.238
.140
4.497
56
.000
.77247
.17178
.42836
1.11657
Equal
variances not
assumed
4.687
55.281
.000
.77247
.16480
.44223
1.10271
CONNECT Equal
variances
assumed
.232
.632
-.059
55
.954
-.01213
.20701
-.42697
.40272
Equal
variances not
assumed
-.059
52.293
.953
-.01213
.20637
-.42618
.40193
VIEWS Equal
variances
assumed
.959
.332
.164
54
.870
.02292
.13973
-.25722
.30305
Equal
variances not
assumed
.168
53.165
.867
.02292
.13638
-.25061
.29645

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 55
Table 10
Study 2 – Survey – Correlations among romance reader age and romance reader
reading, purchasing, connecting, and views preferences
Correlations
RNSCALE PURCHASE CONNECT VIEWS Age
RNSCALE Pearson Correlation 1
-.081
.271
*
.291
*
-.053
Sig. (2-tailed) .550
.046
.031
.691
N 61
57
55
55
59
PURCHASE
Pearson Correlation -.081
1
.386
**
.222
.061
Sig. (2-tailed) .550
.003
.094
.645
N 57
61
58
58
59
CONNECT Pearson Correlation .271
*
.386
**
1
.584
**
.011
Sig. (2-tailed) .046
.003
.000
.938
N 55
58
59
57
57
VIEWS Pearson Correlation .291
*
.222
.584
**
1
-.028
Sig. (2-tailed) .031
.094
.000
.838
N 55
58
57
59
57
Age Pearson Correlation -.053
.061
.011
-.028
1
Sig. (2-tailed) .691
.645
.938
.838
N 59
59
57
57
63
Note. *p < .05, **p < .001

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 56
Table 11
Study 2 – Survey – Optional Romance Reader Statement
Theme Reader Survey Statement
Respect I admire the commitment that romance writers have to their craft.
Respect That they are all not bodice ripping books set in the 18th century only
Respect To media people doing their annual human interest stories about romance
novels every Valentine's Day: please stop using the term "bodice ripper."
It just makes YOU look uninformed and biased, and ruins your journalistic
credibility as far as I'm concerned. Just to keep an open mind. I'd love
more people to embrace new experiences, especially in reading.
Respect Try them you might like them
Respect Even non-romance novels have a romantic couple or piece in it, including
Harry Potter and other mainstream stories. Love and romance is a part of
life.
Respect It doesn't matter what genre a writer writes in, they all take time, talent and
skill and should be respected.
Respect I think most people think "romance novel" and "Fifty Shades of Grey" are
synonymous. I wish people knew that there are actually romance novels
out there that can be more thought-provoking than titillating.
Respect Remember, you really can't judge a book from its cover.
Respect That just as there is higher and lesser quality in other types of fiction
(litfic, mystery, historical, etc.), romance fiction also has books of higher
and lesser quality. It can't be tagged with one sweeping brush of disdain.
Respect I believe that romance novels are undervalued by society partially because
they are woman-centered and partially be they are generally written by
women.
Respect The genre isn't stuck in the 80s, and there is something for everyone
somewhere under the romance umbrella.
Respect You cannot compare the worst romance novels to the best "literature" --
often the genre is criticized by people without adequate or even
perfunctory knowledge of romance novels. So for example, someone who
is an active reader of "serious" fiction knows there's good writing and not
so great writing, but that doesn't make them dismiss the entire body of
work, however they pick up and skim one romance and assume it is a
representative sample that they feel justified in mocking.
Quality The novels are up to date on American culture and young girls should read
them to gain a positive, healthy view of relationships. RWA has standards.
As for the writers, I have noticed self-published have not learned how to
write.
Quality Just like any other genre, there are good and bad examples of romantic
fiction.
Quality Romance is around us everywhere and does not mean smut.
Quality Both genre and literary fiction have good and bad writing.
Quality There is not enough diversity in the genre.
Quality Keep relationships real.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 57
Theme Reader Survey Statement
Quality It is hard to find good quality romance being published by major
publishers these days.
Quality Most new and dynamic romance novels being published today are mostly
published by independent and entrepreneurial authors in eBook format, so
readers almost have to adapt to reading on electronic devices in order to
have access to the most exciting and innovative stories.
Relaxation It is usually very relaxing to read a romance novel with good character
development and an interesting plot. They are a nice break to reading
"more serious" books describing depravity, non-stop hardship and
hopelessness.
Relaxation There is nothing so bad in my life that a romantic cowboy can't fix!
Relaxation I read romance novels primarily because it's a great stress reliever for me,
but also because there is so little women-centric general fiction compared
to that focused on men and their journeys. I read some crappy romance
novels, but there are also amazing "romance" novels that I think are
labeled this way mostly because they focus on women and are more easily
mass marketed that way. Laura Kinsale's work is a great example of this.
Her novels are deep and beautiful, but are not solely focused on a hero-
heroine relationship. I believe a lot of fiction with female protagonists
automatically gets grouped into romance category if there is any romantic
element at all (and into chick lit, or mystery, suspense etc. if not). You
don't see this in male centric literature. But, that's an aside on the industry
rather than justification for reading 'romance' novels.
Relaxation Reading romance novels allows me to relax and de-stress. What others
think doesn't matter.
Love Be true to yourself. If you enjoy romantic fiction continue to do so and
share your good books with others.
Love I've read romance genre novels for years, and don't mind talking about
them, or care who sees me reading them on transit or at home. I'm not
ashamed to buy them. I started reading them when I was 12 or 13 years
old. I own a kindle and tablet but like old fashioned books...and read all
sorts. Good luck with your study!
Love I prefer romantic fiction because I want a happy ending.
Price Digital has definitely made books more affordable and accessible. I'm
happy that so many people still love to read. Remember that every book is
a love story. If the hero/heroine/main character doesn't have passion for
their life, or someone, or some cause, or belief, then there is no story.
Read a variety of genres without prejudice and you will understand why
romance novels are so popular. They reflect life. All of life's promises,
failures, successes, hopes, dreams and most of all, a happily ever after.
Good luck in your research.
Price I try new authors and new types of romance novels on my e-reader that I
would not try in paperback/hardcover simply because of the price point
and ease of returns.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 58
Theme Reader Survey Statement
Other You should look at sites that publish stories as a resource, e-reader in my
mind doesn't cover a website that hosts such material and a lot of people
use those sites.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 59
Appendix A: Study 1 – Romance Author Interview Questioning Route
Understanding Romance Reader Behavior in the Digital Publishing Age
Participant Pseudonym: _______________________
Opening Questions
What do you enjoy most about romance novels?
How long have you been involved in the romance fiction community?
What is your background in the romance fiction community – as a reader and as an
industry professional?
Reader Behavior and E-Readers
How has romance reader behavior changed since e-readers were introduced to the market
several years ago?
How has this change impacted the romance fiction industry?
How have e-readers influenced what books romance readers choose to read?
Online Community
How do you interact with romance readers online via social networks?
How does interacting with romance readers’ online impact reader behavior?
How unique is the sense of community between romance readers and romance industry
professionals, both online and in-person, in the publishing industry?
Closing Question
What changes do you see coming in the romance fiction industry?
Probing Questions
Can you tell me more about that?
Is there an example or story you can share?

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 60
Appendix B: Study 2 – Romance Reader Survey Questions
The following questions represented the survey presented to participants on Survey
Monkey during Study 2. Some questions were removed during coding since the wording
of the question resulted in answers that could not be statistically measured.
Survey -- Romance Reader Behavior in the Digital Publishing Age Survey
Demographics (made be researcher)
Please answer the following questions about yourself.
1. What is your ethnicity?
• African-American
• Caucasian
• Asian/Pacific Islander
• Native American
• Hispanic/Latino
• Other
2. What is your gender?
• Male
• Female
• Other
3. What is your current relationship status?
• Married
• Single
• Divorced
• Widowed
• Other
4. What is your highest level of education?
• GED
• High School Diploma
• Bachelor’s
• Master’s
• Doctorate
• Other
5. What is your age? _________

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 61
6. Which device do you choose most often when reading a romance novel?
• Book (hardcover or paperback)
• Electronic Device (E-Reader, Tablet)
• Mobile Phone
Using E-Readers (made by researcher)
**Note – all of these scales are made by the researcher because this is a new area and
there are no existing scales to measure this. We will conduct reliability analyses as well.
Think about where and how you read romance novels as well as how often you read
romance novels. Does the use of an electronic device, such as an e-reader, have any
influence on you when reading romance novels?
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
1. I read most of my romance novels on an e-reader.
2. I read most of my romance novels in hardcover or paperback.
3. I read some romance novels on an e-reader, but I also read romance novels in
hardcover or paperback.
4. I think an e-reader makes it easier to try new types of romance novels.
5. I think an e-reader has no impact on trying new types of romance novels.
6. I have tried different types of romance novels than what I normally would read
because I can read the books on an e-reader.
7. Using an e-reader hasn’t changed the types of romance novels I read.
8. I like the privacy an e-reader gives me when reading romance novels at home.
9. I like the privacy an e-reader gives me when reading romance novels in a public
setting (i.e. plane, train, coffee shop, other public location).
10. An e-reader has no impact on where I read any type of romance novel.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 62
Buying Romance Novels (made by researcher)
Think about where you purchase romance novels. Does the use of an electronic device,
such as an e-reader, have any impact on how you purchase romance novels?
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
1. I purchase most of the romance novels I read in a bookstore (hardcover and
paperback book).
2. I purchase most of the romance novels I read online in an e-reader format.
3. The ability to purchase romance novels online has no impact on how I purchase
books.
4. The ability to purchase romance novels online has no impact on the format in
which I purchase books.
5. I wish there were more romance novels available online for purchase (any
format).
6. I wish there were more romance novels available in bookstores for purchase (any
format).
Connecting with Readers (made by researcher)
Think about how you interact with others readers. Does connecting with other readers –
online or in-person – have any impact on your reading of romance novels?
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
1. I feel comfortable talking about reading romance novels with my friends, family
or peer group.
2. I will talk about other books I read with my friends, family or peer group, but not
romance novels.
3. I use Facebook or Twitter to talk about romance novels with my friends, family or
peer group.
4. I use Facebook or Twitter to talk about romance novels but only with other
romance readers.
5. I do not mention I read romance novels on any social media networks I am on.
6. I belong to at least one online community that promotes and discusses romance
novels.

RUNNING HEAD: Romance Reader Behavior 63
7. I frequently visit the online communities that promote and discuss romance
novels.
8. I interact with romance authors on Facebook or Twitter.
9. When I interact with a romance author on Facebook or Twitter, I am more likely
to purchase one of the author’s books.
10. Interacting with a romance author on Facebook or Twitter does not impact the
romance novels I buy.
Romance Novel Attitudes (made by researcher)
Please rate the following statements thinking about yourself and your personal views on a
scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
1. Reading romance novels are entertaining and help me destress.
2. I think romance novels help readers understand loving relationships in a positive
way.
3. I think romance novels distort how loving relationships really are or can be.
4. I have learned helpful information about dating, marriage and sex from romance
novels.
5. I feel more comfortable learning about dating, marriage and sex from a romance
novel than I do asking about those topics with my family, friends or peer group.
6. I like to try different types of romance novels from time to time.
7. I do not want to try to read different types of romance novels.
8. Romance novels are lower quality than literary novels.
9. Romance novels are higher quality than literary novels.
10. I have always had a positive opinion of romance novels.
General Comments (Optional) (made by researcher)
If there was one statement you would like to share with those studying romantic fiction in
an academic field, or with those commenting on romantic fiction in popular culture, what
would it be (optional text field provided).
Thank you for participating in the study.