A Rebellious Field Guide to the Scandalous Art of Romance Novels

A Rebellious Field Guide to the Scandalous Art of Romance Novels

Cover art from Lisa Kleypas Only in Your Arms Buy the book cover Art by Max Ginsberg buy the print 2

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Publication for AAD 550 Art in Society University of Oregon

A Rebellious Field Guide to the Scandalous Art of Romance Novels by: Emma Oravecz

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A Rebellious Field Guide to the Scandalous Art of Romance Novels

cover art from johanna lindsey gentle rogue buy the book cover art by David Gatti

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Foreward

This field guide is the capstone project of a graduate level course at the University of Oregon. The course, Art in Society, aims at giving students a theoretical lense to analyze current arts administration scholarship and critically think about the integration of the arts and technology.

From the syllabus: “Transmedia Field Guide Option 1: Field Guide to an Art World Field guides are based on provided template. Posted to your student learning portfolio with hotlinks and embedded media. This will be the “final project” for our course, and will need to exhibit the rigor of editing and construction associated with such things. The provided template breaks the field guide into sections (required), and you will populate these sections with examples, analysis, and references to outside sources as appropriate.

TEMPLATE: Section 1: Introduction to art world/practice = a brief overview that provides key terms, definitions, and historical context Section 2: Setting = a description of the participants, community, and/or context for the subject introduced in Section 1 Section 3: Transmediations = a narrated tour through a mininum of 7 (seven) transmedia resources that you used to map your subject Section 4: Analysis = a critical discussion of the art world/practice under investigation that draws on course materials/texts, themes and issues from course discussions, and any relevant outside sources.

Want to comment on my project?

Email the Professor, Dr. John Fenn jfenn@uoregon.edu

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A Rebellious Field Guide to the Scandalous Art of Romance Novels

Table of Contents Foreword............................................................................................................................... 5 Table of Contents............................................................................................................... 6 Design Contributors........................................................................................................... 8 Field Guide..........................................................................................................................10 1. Introduction..................................................................................................................10 2. History of the Genre..................................................................................................12 3. Key Themes and Imagery.......................................................................................14 4. The Evolution of Cover Art......................................................................................22 5. Transmedia Objects..................................................................................................24 The Cover Artist Forum............................................................................................25 Romance Cover Generator.....................................................................................26 10 Unretouched Romance Novel Covers..........................................................27 Smart Bitches, Trashy Books.................................................................................28 TIME Video....................................................................................................................29 Pinterest Search..........................................................................................................30 Buzzfeed Article on Fabio........................................................................................31 Tips on Covers for New Authors...........................................................................32 Julie Ortolon’s Online Journal................................................................................33 6. Analysis..........................................................................................................................34

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A Project by Emma Oravecz

cover art from miriam minger, captive rose buy the book

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A Rebellious Field Guide to the Scandalous Art of Romance Novels

Design Contributions To produce this field guide, I utilized the creative talents of people from all over the internet. I want to say thank you to all of the deisgners who provided amazing work and allowed me to create something that feels visually cohesive and appealing.

FONTS

Channel

Ostrich Sans Roboto Pacifico

vintage swirls designed by Freepik.com

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A Project by Emma Oravecz

Cover Art used in this project only in your arms Gentle Rogue Captive Rose forever yours loved by a warrior savage honor my fair highlander A Woman made for pleasure Until we touch the dragon king and i the bride summer at sunset cove the ideal wife truly madly yours the flame and the flower tilly alone the taming legendary warrior after the abduction destiny’s surrender Black Hearts the tin star catch of the day crimson footprints

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A Rebellious Field Guide to the Scandalous Art of Romance Novels

Introduction

My fascination with romance novels as a literary genre began my freshman year of college when I began consuming them in my free time, mostly because I knew I could rely on them for a love story and a happy ending (no pun intended). While I first began reading historical romance, I was soon assuaged with the onslaught of categories residing under the romance umbrella - contemporary, regency, time-travel, supernatural, etc.

The genre of romance itself faces critcism from literary scholars and popular opinion alike, although it remains the top-selling genre of in the United States.

The aim of this project is to dissect the symbolism of romance covers and also give credence to an art form that is lost amongst the throngs of naysayers who have condemned the entire canon of romantic fiction as smut.

To begin delving into the world of romance, a definition of the genre must first be understood. According to the Romance Writers of America (RWA), “Two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.

A Central Love Story: The main plot centers around individuals falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. A writer can include as many subplots as he/she wants as long as the love story is the main focus of the novel.

An Emotionally Satisfying and Optimistic Ending: In a romance, the lovers who risk and struggle for each other and their relationship are rewarded with emotional justice and unconditional love,� (RWA Website).

These loose criteria leave room for imaginative and diverse plotlines and subgenres. A few of the most popular subgenres are historical romance, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, romantic suspense and timetravel romance. Other categories include multicultural, fantasy, inspirational, erotic and gay/lesbian romance.

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A Project by Emma Oravecz

Given the variety of subgenres, it is no suprise that romance outsells every other type of book, including both fiction and non-fiction. RWA estimates that as of 2013, romance is a $1.08 billion industry, with an overwhelming 84% of readers identifying as female. In addition, readers are purchasing 39% of all romance novels as e-books and only 32% as mass marketed paperbacks, (RWA Website). These statistics are an important indicator of why cover art follows certain paradigms and more importantly, why the art has changed.

Finally, it is worth noting, romance also has three distinct possibilities when it comes to the ways in which they are produced. Books are either released as single-titles, as part of a series or as harlequin romance, which are monthly installments. It is important recognize this feature as it fuels not only the quantity of covers produced but also the way in which the consumer is interacting with the genre. Readers are more likely to continue purchasing books if they are part of a series or are harlequin romance, especially if they have formed a connection to the characters or the author.

Cover art by elain gignillait buy the print

cover art for forever yours by jeanne carmichael buy the book 11

A Rebellious Field Guide to the Scandalous Art of Romance Novels

History of the Genre

There are many theories as to where the genre of romance as we know it today began. Romantic fiction has certainly been a part of secular literature since before the advent of the written word, as there are several songs and sagas of the oral tradition that carry the same themes. However, today’s romance novel is generally thought of as women writing for women, although there are several erotic works centering on all types of sexual orientation.

When looking at classic literature, romance is attributed heavily to the works of Austen, the Bronte Sisters and other 19th Century female authors. The genre began making appearances as a popular form of erotic fiction with the works of Georgette Heyer and Catherine Cookson.

In 1972, the first single title romance was published in the United States, marking the beginning of the commerical success that romance still enjoys today. Pamela Regis gives a distinct timeline in her book, A Natrual History of the Romance Novel. Regis sections off early romance chronologically with key works from 1740-1908 as follows: The First Best Seller: Pamela 1740 The Best Romance Novel Ever Written: Pride and Prejudice, 1813 Freedom and Rochester: Jane Eyre, 1847 The Romance Form in the Victorian Multiplot Novel: Framely Parsonage, 1861 The Ideal Romance Novel: A Room with a View, 1908.

After 1908, romance changed due to the founding of publishing giant, Mills and Boon, who is still active in the genre today. The industry changed for a second time in the mid-2000’s when e-books became the primary source for readers to purchse and consume romance novels, allowing a larger quantity of writers and styles to be available. The trend of e-books is strong and likely not changing anytime soon.

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A Project by Emma Oravecz

cover art by victor gadino

cover art for loved by a warrior by donna fletcher buy the book

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A Rebellious Field Guide to the Scandalous Art of Romance Novels

Key Themes and Imagery It is impossible to dissect the cover art of romance novels and not identify a few of themes present. While there are too many covers to fit every type of imagery in this field guide, there are seven main themes that encompass the majority of covers. It should be noted that this particular guide is focusing on romance as defined by mass marketed, popular fiction. With the advent of sites like Amazon.com, writers are able to publish independent works without having to go through a traditional publishing company. For the purpose of being able to compare today’s covers with those of the 1970’s-2000’s where the market was controlled by publishing houses, I will not be including independent romance, although perhaps in the future that will be a part of my larger study.

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“The Clinch” When people think of romance novels, it is associated with the “clinch” cover. These covers are where two lovers are passionately embracing one another, as if their lives depended on it. The clinch cover features people in various states of undress. The man is usually shirtless or coming undone while the woman is wrapped around him, her hair flowing or spilling out of it’s updo and her dress featuring strategically placed slits. Notice the oiled up muscles and perfect bosom in the piece below.

While historically, this is one of the most common types of covers; the original genre of clinch covers were painted and that style has been lost on the e-book. It is now much more cost effective for publishing companies to use photographers and models as opposed to paying an artist for an entire print. It is also rumored that clinch covers were so popular in the beginning for romance because the people purchasing them for resale were men and they were more likely to purchase the risqué clinch covers than other, more demure romances.

cover art for savage honor by cassie edwards buy the book

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A Rebellious Field Guide to the Scandalous Art of Romance Novels

cover art for until we touch by susan mallery buy the book The Modern Adaptation of the Clinch With romance becoming such a prominent and high grossing genre, the production of covers has moved towards art that incorporates photography as opposed to paintings. The sales of romance have skyrocketed on mobile devices and e-readers, allowing for authors to choose risque covers wihtout the fear of low sales. Readers can choose books with the modern clench and not worry about judgement from others who see them reading. The modern clinch is also used heavily in supernatural or paranormal romance that may incorporate elements of fantasy and therefore have a more whimsical approach to the cover.

There are also modern adaptations of a couple’s embrace that are more G-rated, allowing for shelf distrobution without the fear of censorship.

cover art for the dragon king and i by adrianne brooks buy the book cover by book cover by design 16

A Project by Emma Oravecz

Half-naked Hunks These covers feature the solitary, masculine hero. His rugged good looks are only diminished by the fantastic display of his massive pecks. The hunk cover is used in both traditional painted covers as well as photographic ones. Hunk covers are common in most romance genres and are especially common in historical or supernatural romance. The hunk is supposed to represent the hero of the novel, who at any point may walk out of the pages and into the reader’s life. There is a specific set of guidelines for cover models. They need to be handsome but not too pretty, muscular but not to beefy. These covers expose the male body as objects of desire for the reader, depicted chisled abs, rock hard pecks and killer biceps.

cover art for savage honor by cassie edwards buy the book Cover art by craig white

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A Rebellious Field Guide to the Scandalous Art of Romance Novels

Strong, Smart, Sensual Women Women often do a solo appearance on the cover of romance novels. From historical to contemporary to sci-fi and fantasy, the women of these covers are strong, sensual and are going to draw a reader in. She is usually scantily-clad or expressing some key element to the theme, e.g. a cowboy hat or a sexy librarian get-up.

The woman-only cover does not have to be overtly sexual, although various states of undress can be found in many examples. The women most always fit into a certain physical description: slender, beautiful, long, flowing hair and fabulous clothes. It is a rarity to have one of these criteria not met on a womanonly cover.

cover art from michele sinclair a woman made for pleasure buy the book

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A Project by Emma Oravecz

cover art for the bride by julie garwood buy the book

Place and Space Covers can also depict an expositional element of the story. These places can manifest in everything from a castle to a deck looking out over the Pacific Ocean.

Another reason why the place cover is popular is its inconspicous nature. A reader can pull out a place covered romance in an airport and not worry about the opinions of those around them. The place cover is also important when it comes to series romance, specifically because series are most likely set in the same location and the consistency of the cover will allow a reader to identify the series and will increase the likelihood of return shoppers.

cover art for summer at seaside cove by jacquie d’alessandro buy the book

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A Rebellious Field Guide to the Scandalous Art of Romance Novels

Flowers, Animals and Shiny Objects Sometimes no amount of busting cleveage and Fabio hair can encapsulate the theme of a book and an author might choose a more... innocent approach. Given that the majoriy of romance readers and authors are female, it is no surprise that steretypical feminine images make their way onto the covers, hence the large quanitity of flowers, necklaces, crowns and more flowers that you find on the shelf. In some instances, this imagery will include animals, usually a horse. The horse is an interesting choice as it represents a free spirit but also commonly refers to a plotline that will involve a hero who has some occupational link to horses, e.g. warrior, cowboy, soldier, outlaw, viking.

The list is endless. These objectbased covers have been popular in romance since its inception and have been used by most authors at one time or another. When a book is rereleased, it can often change from an original clinch cover to one with a flower or other symbolic object. This has more to do with the trend of covers than the creative choice of the author.

Whatever is selling copies goes on the book.

cover art for the ideal wife by mary balogh buy the book Cover art by Alan Ayers Cover lettering by David Gatti 20

A Project by Emma Oravecz

cartoon imagery When all else fails, there is always the possibility of using traditional romantic symbolism on the cover. These cartoon covers often have a light-hearted feel and reside mainly in the genre of contemporary romance. This symbolism serves the purpose of providing the consumer the ability to pick a book with a cover that may not be as sexually aggressive as the half-naked Highlander or the couple that looks as though they might fornicate on top of a grassy knoll.

This style is also associated with an overall trend in romance that occured in the late 90’s, early 2000’s. Cartoonish and “cute” covers were now the style of choice for readers and publishers, making it one of the most common covers available.

The same titles, rerealeased today have covers that feature photographs of couples, as is the current industry standard.

cover art for truly madly yours by rachel gibson buy the book

1999

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A Rebellious Field Guide to the Scandalous Art of Romance Novels

The Evolution of Cover Art It is clear that the style and thematic elements of romance novel cover art has changed dramatically since the beginning of it’s commercial success in the 1970’s. Here is a timeline of that evolution woth a focus on the clinch cover as seen on historical romance.

the flame and the flower kathleen e. woodiwiss 1972

Tilly Alone Catherine Cookson 1983

the taming jude deveraux 1992

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While much of the design has stayed the same from the 1970’s through the 90’s, the new millenium brought about an increase in photography as the main medium used. It is also evident that the more recent covers are not only more sexual but also feature larger, more intense images. Also, the subject matter of these couples has expanded to include a wider variety of looks, including the multicultural couple featured on the cover of Beverly Jenkins’ Destiny’s Surrender.

Legendary warrior donna fletcher 2004

after the abduction sabrina jeffries 2009

destiny’s surrender beverly jenkins 2013

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A Rebellious Field Guide to the Scandalous Art of Romance Novels

Transmedia Gallery The purpose of this gallery is to exhibit the impact of this art world on culture and society but also to highlight the significance of the work in the lives of everday people. When I began searching for interactive media to include in this gallery, I was under the assumption that most of my pieces would be in book form, given the literary nature of this genre. However, I soon discovered that romance is not only the bestselling genre, but has become somewhat of a cult favorite.

The millenial generation has taken romance and reincarnated it on the internet by using it (like many other forms of popular culture that began with their parent’s generation) as the subject of online memes and jokes. This involvement of romance cover art within the large scope of internet culture is worhty of study as it allows us to take a critical look at the genre and more importantly, it allows us to make a connection between the ways in which these covers have affected the creation of other types of media.

To navigate the interactive elements of this gallery, simply click on the image associated with each piece and it will direct you to the webbased content.

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A Project by Emma Oravecz

the cover artist forum goodreads This forum was an interesting find as it has posts from all different types of cover artists. With the development of ebooks and their popularity amongst readers, cover artists are broadening their styles and marketing themselves to up can coming authors who are self-publishing. Some are posting as individuals while others are posting as companies that produce cover art.

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A Rebellious Field Guide to the Scandalous Art of Romance Novels

Romance Cover Generator Have you ever wondered what it would be like to star on your very own romance novel? Well, now you can! This site allows users to upload personal photos and put themselves right in the action. It is worth noting that among the templates available, the couples shown are heterosexual, re-enforcing the normative culture of the average romance reader.

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A Project by Emma Oravecz

10 Unretouched romance novel covers original article | cosmopolitan While romance is the most popular genre and has certainly garnered an attentive fandom, it is still the point of ridicule specifically for the early clinch covers. Another major criticism of romance, which has been addressed in modern works, is that the protagonists of these stories are always conforming to normalized standards of beauty.

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A Rebellious Field Guide to the Scandalous Art of Romance Novels

smart bitches, trashy books cover art and artists Smart Bitches is one of the foremost blogs on Romance and hosts several interactive discussions that prompt fans of the genre to chat about books, authors, and yes, even cover art. This forum is important to the art world of romance novel covers as it analyses the texts, provides consumers with reviews and even interviews key authors within the genre.

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A Project by Emma Oravecz

The making of a romance novel cover video by Time magazine In this video, TIME explores how romance covers are created using photography. This method is much less expensive than commissioning an artist to paint a cover and has therefore become more popular among publishing companies.

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A Rebellious Field Guide to the Scandalous Art of Romance Novels

pinterest search results for: romance novel cover art When beginning this project, Pinterest was key to finding various sources and also gauging fan interaction with romance. Pinterest allows users to share the books they have loved over the years as well as giving users another online forum to discuss the books.

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19 things fabio is actually thinking on romance novel covers original article | buzzfeed This article lists 19 things that the very famous romance cover model, Fabio, is probably thinking during his shoots. It exemplifies the ways in which romance covers from the 1970’s through the 1990’s were a significant part of popular culture and have now become a source for internet memes and re-incorporation. Even lovers of romance can giggle at these.

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A Rebellious Field Guide to the Scandalous Art of Romance Novels

tips on romance ebook covers for new authors ebook indie covers Although this site is named for indie covers, I still found that this article was useful in defiing what romance covers are. Several quotes from authors are present and offer insight into what an author is thinking when choosing a cover. Author SM Reine states, “Personally, I think it’s more important that your cover look like the genre you’re selling than communicate anything specific about the book. My covers are more or less interchangeable with any other urban fantasy novels. You know, chicks in leather holding swords and guns in front of a big spooky moon.”

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Julie’s Journal online blog of romance author, Julie ortolon Julie Ortolon is a well-published romance author whose covers typically feature photographs of contemporary couples. This entry on her online journal had the perspective of both the author and the reader, prompting a discussion on what makes a good cover and what exactly it is that readers are looking for.

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A Rebellious Field Guide to the Scandalous Art of Romance Novels

Analysis

When defining an art world, Becker describes a system rather than a single aesthetic piece. For him, “Art worlds consist of all the people whose activities are necessary to the production for the characteristic works in which that world, and perhaps others as well, define as art,� (Becker 34). Applying that definition, the art world of romance novel covers can only survive based on the participation of all of the members involved in the creation of the novel itself - the art only comes after an author has produced a novel and the novel has been edited, polished and queued for publishing. These things all take place before the artist of the cover has even been commissioned or enveloped within the process of producing a novel. However, the collaborative nature of the publishing process immediately identifies romance novels and their cover art as an art world.

It is within this framework that an in depth analysis of romance novel covers can be made. This analysis will focus on three key ideas: the symbolism of covers and their participation in hegemonic norms of gender and sexuality, the ability of romance covers to engage in remix and new media, and finally the ways in which this art world is part of a cultural life for a multitude of people. These three main ideas will encompass many of the criticisms of the genre as well as the ways in which it has remained relevant in the digital age.

Romance Covers and Hegemonic Culture As an art, romance novel covers occupy two primary mediums - photography and paintings - but impacts culture on a much larger scale. The importance of this art world can be defined not by the work itself, but by the ways in which the work affect those who consume it. This art is also indicative of social norms regarding gender and sexuality and should be held accountable for the ways in which the cover art re-enforces those norms. When romance novels were initially published on a mass scale in the 1970’s, the majority of publishers were male, a fact that is credited with the sexualized women were portrayed on the cover of these novels.

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The models often represented conventional ideals of beauty, including large breasts, slim waists and flawless complexions. Men that graced the covers alongside the heroines had features such as muscular chests, long hair and strong jawlines. These men are usually in a dominant position within the embrace and emphasize masculinity and virality in both dress and stance.

The hegemonic norms of heterosexuality are also re-enforced by these covers. All of them feature male/female relationships with the characters involved encompassing gender ideals such as dress and occupation.

Towards the 1980’s and 90’s, writers of contemporary romance placed heroines in more masculine occupations, although during this time, covers for contemporary romance featured place and cartoonish covers as opposed to the clinch. Moreover, these norms are continued throughout the plot of the novel as the heroine is most often engaged, married or pregnant by the novel’s conclusion.

Critics of the genre are not unaware of these flaws and often site them as being detrimental to women’s rights. Several feminist scholars have condemned romance based on teh assumption that it furthers bondage of women to men. In her book, Pamela Regis both acknowledges that certain examples of the genre fit this profile and exhibit these problesm but also addresses these criticisms by stating, “Critics misunderstand the extent and significance of the genre’s literary history. The generalize hastily from a small group of texts to the genre as a whole,” (Regis 6). She goes on to advocate for romance as it always includes a heroine overcoming certain obstacles and the demolishing of barriers allows the heroine a certain type of freedom, not oppression.

Whether or not the cover art is complicit in re-enforcing dominant cultural norms or just a bystander of larger social agendas is a question that overshadows both the reader’s autonomy and the author’s ability to write and be published in a female-dominated arena. However, it cannot be ignored that in the beginning of its reign as supreme fictional genre, romance certainly depicted a world of physical perfection and heterosexual relationships.

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A Rebellious Field Guide to the Scandalous Art of Romance Novels

The Internet and the Remix In many of the examples displayed in my transmedia gallery, romance novel covers are used as the basis for internet comedy. This utilization highlights the ways in which romance novels are part of a larger, remixing generation and cement there relevance within popular culture. Although the style of romance covers have changed, the covers from the 1970’s through the 1990’s have become part of the American cultural memory and allow new artist to both critique their over-the-top imagery as well as the social norms of the time.

This is an important element for analysis because it not only speaks to the historical context of gender norms but also gives insight into the ways in which the digital age can incorporate elements of analog media. The covers used in the comedic adaptations of both the “10 Unretouched Romance Novel Covers” and “19 Things Fabio is Actually Thinking on Romance Novel Covers” were originally painted and had to be adapted for the internet.

By scanning these documents and hosting them online, they now serve as insurance that the romance novel covers of the genres early days is accessible and will survive even after physical copies of books have become obsolete.

In their article, Cultural renaissance of cultural divide?, Bill Ivey and Steven J. Tepper discuss the “curatorial me” which is defined as follows, “Handed the capacity to reorganize cultural offerings at will through new devices..., citizens are increasingly capable of curating their own cultural experiences — exploring new types of culture; choosing when and how they want to experience art and entertainment; searching out communities of like-minded fans with whom to dig deeper into the substance of what they see and hear,” (Ivey and Tepper 5). This theory of the curatorial me is a reflection of cultural choice and is only made possible by a large quantity of accessible, digital media.

When looking at the ways in which romance novel cover art has developed into a variety of cultural projects and artistic commentary, the curatorial me is ever-present. Not only does this theory apply directly to the use of sites such as Pinterest but it also defines the broader cultural capital that people use to create interesting content. The early covers used in both the Buzzfeed and Cosmopolitan projects speak to many people as they invoke a sense

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A Project by Emma Oravecz

of nostaglia (having either read the books themselves or witnessed women such as mothers, grandmothers and babysitters read them) but also a sense of astonishment that such aesthetics were once culturally relevant. Even 50 Shades of Grey, one of the best-selling romance novels of all time, began as fan fiction and embodies the ability of romance to recreate, re-enact and remix itself.

Romance as Part of the Cultural Life Romance novel cover art is identifiable by the key themes and images that it uses. The genre has grown exponentially and adapted to a world that relies heavily on digital media. While the novels themselves are often not respected as part of the literary canon, romance has repeatedly been the most popular type of fiction amongst consumers. This dichotomy of academic damnation and popular success creates the question of where the cover art fits in to the cultural life.

In his Cultural Bill of Rights, Bill Ivey writes that Americans have the right to understand the quality of art, “The right of Americans to engage art and art making of the highest aesthetic quality, especially art that embodies universal truths or art of quality that auditions the unique character of diverse nations and communities.� Within these parameters, romance novel cover art has evolved to accomodate both universal truths and diverse communities.

This genre has changed with social norms. It may have begun as sexualized imagery used to sell books but has expanded to include narratives from all types of Americans. Readers now have the ability to find romance the is specialized to their unique characteristics and the cover art has expanded to match these themes. Romance novels are boundless in their subject matter and the archetype of male/female romance has long been usurped by story lines featuring multicultural, LGTB, non-traditional heros and heroines.

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