Interesting item in the New York Times Arts section today about U.S. reading habits in these difficult economic times. As it turns out—surprise, surprise—escapism is booming… and in the publishing world that means the romance houses are cashing in.
While most book sales are expected to fall or remain flat, the Times reports that “the romance category was up 7 percent after holding fairly steady for the previous four years.” More incredibly, “Harlequin Enterprises, the queen of the romance world, reported that fourth-quarter earnings were up 32 percent over the same period a year earlier…”
And it’s not just fables of love flying off the shelves—the sci-fi and fantasy genres are also holding their own. The piece cites a Barnes & Noble executive who says, “sales of novels with vampires, shape shifters, werewolves and other paranormal creatures were ‘exploding’…”
Not suggesting that next script should include a star-crossed vampire couple battling extra-terrestrial zombies, but it is curious stuff.
