Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Comment
Patrick Lenton

Selling romance and erotica books during my breakup taught me about heartbreak

Couple kissing in front of orange shutter
‘Real life romance doesn’t have one rule, and it doesn’t have a formula, a recipe. It’s more mysterious, more exciting, more strange than that.’ Photograph: Steve Prezant/Getty Images/Image Source

“There’s only one thing a romance book absolutely must have, with no exceptions,” my boss explained to me seriously, spreading out a bunch of the types of titles we published and sold – regency romances with dashing princes on the cover, paranormal erotica with sultry vampires and butch werewolves, and our speciality: rockstar romances with shirtless tattooed men clad in leather.

“Fucking,” I answered. “Or, you know, at least general horniness. Foreplay?”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.