A History of the First RWA Conference and How it Fostered Texan Romance Writers

By Daisy Lane and Meredith Huston (2022)

In June of 1981, authors and publishers of romantic fiction gathered in Houston, Texas at the inaugural Romance Writers of America (RWA) Conference. This paper analyzes documents, media coverage, and attendee accounts of the Conference to understand its events and its influence on Texas romance authors. It begins with a brief description of the romance industry and formation of RWA, then discusses the logistics, atmosphere, media coverage, and reaction to the Conference. Lastly, it investigates the success of Texas authors who attended the Conference and subsequent publication of many Texas-based romance novels. [DL/MH]

Background on the Romance Industry

Romance has long been a genre encompassed by stigma. In 1856, George Eliot wrote an essay entitled “Silly Novels by Lady Novelists,” arguing that romantic writing was frivolous, and its authors were not to be taken seriously.¹ The deep-seated animosity towards romance came from the idea that it was a female dominated genre, and therefore somehow worse than its counterparts.² Romance novels continued to face critical rejection through the first-wave feminism of the 1960s. Feminists argued that romance was “a cause and effect of women’s oppression.”³ This idea was often criticized by advocates of the romance genre, because it neglected the reality that romance is at its core, fiction, and therefore not meant to portray reality.⁴ [DL/MH]

Despite this stigma, the modern romance novel blossomed with the 1972 publication of Kathleen Woodiwiss’s esteemed The Flame and the Flower. Set in antebellum South Carolina, Woodiwiss’s novel found great success following its publication by Avon. The success of The Flame and the Flower sparked the beginning of a new subgenre, women’s historical romance. Once women across America read of Heather and Brandon’s passionate love, they were hooked.⁵ Some even began to try writing paperback romances themselves.⁶ These very writers would become some of the first members of Romance Writers of America when it was created just a few years later.⁷ [DL/MH]

Both preceding and proceeding The Flame and the Flower, however, the romance genre was dominated by British writers and publishers. This lack of American representation in publishing was one of the factors that prompted Rita Estrada and Vivian Stephens to found RWA. They wanted to create community for American romance novelists. Furthermore, they hoped to support writers who wrote strong female characters into their romances: “Our British sisters liked lots of hitting and slapping…but we wanted heroines we could relate to.”⁸ [MH]

Formation of Romance Writers of America

In 1979, Vivian Stephens attended and spoke at the annual Southwest Writers’ Conference at the University of Houston where she met Rita Clay Estrada.⁹ At the time, Stephens was making a name for herself in New York publishing, working as the Editor-in-Chief of Dell Candlelight and Candlelight Ecstasy Books. Estrada was a bookseller-turned-romance author.¹⁰ Estrada, attempting to break into the romance industry, was attending writing conferences trying to find a community, but found the conferences were all run by men who made a habit of excluding women.¹¹ Stephens meanwhile realized that there were no conferences or organizations that focused solely on the romance industry.¹² [DL]

Stephens understood that, like mystery, science-fiction, and Western writers, romance writers needed their own national organization.¹³ Stephens suggested to Estrada that romance writers needed to organize and create their own space, including establishing their own writers’ conference. The result was the first meeting of Romance Writers of America, which took place at a savings-and-loans building outside of Houston on December 15, 1980, and was attended by forty women, half of them published authors.¹⁴ [DL]

The meeting led to the formal establishment of Romance Writers of America, a national non-profit that was officially incorporated as a literary society on March 13, 1981.¹⁵ The founding of RWA was relatively late in comparison with its counterparts; Mystery Writers of America was established in 1945, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America was founded in 1965, and Western Writers of America was started in 1953.¹⁶ According to 1981 bylaws, the purpose of RWA was to “promote excellence in romantic fiction and help writers become published and establish careers in their writing field.”¹⁷ RWA was first and foremost a professional organization. Their aim, in the words of their first president, Rita Estrada, was not to serve as a writing workshop where writers “meet at intervals to discuss writing and read manuscripts” but instead to be “an organization for the support and affiliation of romance writers everywhere.”¹⁸ This demonstrates that the RWA was meant to be a professional association, organized for and acting on behalf of its members. [DL]

The power of writers’ organizations came through collective action and the ability to advocate for authors, a power of which RWA took full advantage.¹⁹ Article II of RWA’s bylaws specifically called for the Annual Conference, specifying it must be held in June or July. It described the Conference as an avenue for educating and informing “both aspiring and published writers by providing a forum… for its members to obtain and disseminate information regarding writing techniques, publishing, marketing, and networking with other writers.”²⁰ The creation of both RWA and their annual conference marked the first instance that romance authors were given a space for themselves to not only organize collectively, but to promote the business of romance. [DL]

Advertising and Organizing the First RWA Conference

In February 1981, two months after the first meeting, RWA published its first newsletter to members introducing the founder of the organization, Vivian Stephens, the president, Rita Estrada, and the Board of Directors. Newsletters were the primary method of communicating with the larger membership base of RWA and studying them and their contents can indicate what the most important issues facing the romance community were at the time. The newsletter also informed readers that membership had already grown to over one hundred in the first two months of RWA’s existence. It further told members that editors and agents had an active interest in the organization.²¹ The rapid expansion suggests RWA filled a niche in the publishing world. It also demonstrates the eagerness of writers and members of the romance community to organize. [DL]

The newsletter also contained the first mentions of what would be Romance Writers of America’s Annual Conference. The letter specified that “group reservations [had] been made at the beautiful Woodlands Inn… for our Writer’s Conference to be held on June 27^th and 28^th of this year” and hinted that not only would a prominent romance author be the guest speaker but also that the conference would be attended by “prestigious editors and agents.”²² RWA’s ability to organize a major conference in six months and publicize details in advance demonstrated the Board of Directors’ efficiency and emphasized the level of professionalism present in the organization. The Board was comprised of seven women, who, regardless of the fact that many of them held other jobs on top of being mothers, wives, and authors, were able to organize a successful 1981 Conference.²³ RWA’s ability to organize in such a short time was in direct contrast with the popular notion that romance authors were frivolous, and indicated the women’s dedication.^{24 [DL]}

The second newsletter, published by the organization on April 15, 1981, contained significantly more detailed descriptions of the Conference and reveals the excitement surrounding the creation of RWA and its Conference. Pages 10 and 11 of the newsletter were dedicated to RWA Conference News, the biggest piece of information being the announcement that Janet Dailey was scheduled as the guest speaker during the awards banquet.²⁵ Dailey, known as the First Lady of American Romance, had sold some 80 million books by the age of 37 when she spoke at the Conference, and her success demonstrated that writers could find lucrative financial and professional success in the romance genre.²⁶ The newsletter also listed the Conference staff, which included founder Vivian Stephens, Editor-in-Chief of Dell Candlelight and Candlelight Ecstasy Books, in addition to other prominent editors, a publicist, literary agents, and an art director. The use of so many prominent members of the romance publishing community to promote the 1981 Conference indicates that the RWA Board of Directors knew the draw of this Conference would be the ability to network and meet big names within the industry.²⁷ Further, the fact that RWA could attract such big names when they were only months from their conception indicates that the romance industry was waiting for something of this magnitude to occur. Before the Conference there was no professional conference dedicated to the business of romance, and suddenly this was an opportunity, not only for authors, but also editors and agents to expand their business. [DL]

The April newsletter also gave a glimpse into the logistics of organizing what would turn out to be such a large-scale Conference in 1981. Page 6 specifically addressed California and Oregon writers and offered a discount on airfare to Houston, Texas. RWA organized a “block reservation for twenty or more members” on airfare from LA to Houston and a return flight from Houston to LA for a total of $218, as opposed to an unsubsidized rate of $554. The advertisement included which travel agency to reach out to and a deadline of April 20^th to contact them.²⁸ Members of RWA were also told, if they chose to attend the conference and flew into the Intercontinental Airport, they would be met by someone from RWA to provide transport to the Woodlands Inn. These discounted prices were all evidence of the benefits of organizing. Their ability to confidently book a group reservation of at least twenty also indicates that RWA leadership had high expectations for the Conference, the newsletter specifically states the RWA organized this discount rate “because we have so many members in the California/Oregon area.”²⁹ Special prices for husbands “not attending the conference but arriving to take advantage of golf, tennis, etc.” were offered at $85, and children over the age of 12 were $10 per night while those under the age of 12 were free, food not included. These travel costs were on top of the $110 fee of attendance for the Conference itself.³⁰ The inclusion of husband and children rates acknowledges the reality that many writers were housewives, and many of them had to convince their husbands to allow them to write. One author that attended the Conference wrote that she “heard a lot of talk about how sweet their husbands were to put up with their hobby” and that she saw “more men than women at the workshops on taxes and business, and most of them were writers’ husbands.”³¹ [DL]

Planning, Events, and Awards of the 1981 Conference

The first Romance Writers of America Conference took place on June 27^th and 28^th, 1981 at the Woodlands Inn and Conference Center in Houston, Texas just six months after the founding of Romance Writers of America.³² It was attended by 800 men and women who were related to and involved in the romance writing and publishing industry. Among these attendees were editors, publishers, literary agents, and both published and unpublished authors. Husbands of authors also accompanied their wives to the conference, and in some instances, children were brought along as well.³³ [DL]

The panels covered a range of topics, and all were given by prominent members of the publishing community (Appendix 1). Topics ranged from “So You Think You Can Write Harlequin” given by Fred Kerner, Vice President & Director of Publishing, Harlequin Books, Toronto and Canada, to “Tax Planning for Writers” given by two attorneys.³⁴ In addition to panels there was a book room where attendees could take up to three free books and an opportunity for authors, both published and unpublished, to schedule one on one discussions with editors and agents to receive, what was advertised as, “a professional critique from an editor.” ³⁵ The wide range of offerings reveals that panels were focused on building realistic skills for attendees at all stages of the writing and publishing process. Panels such as “Tax Planning for Writers” and “Newsletter Publicity for the Writer” were promoted towards already published authors, with the April Newsletter reading, “professional authors will be interested in the tax consultant; copy editors and book cover artists.”³⁶ Whereas panels such as “The Romance Revolution” and “So You Think You Can Write Harlequin” were geared the more general population attending the Conference.³⁷ This demonstrates the commitment on the part of RWA to cater to all niches of their audience; it was meant to welcome not only those who were already published but provide real opportunity to become published. [DL]

The 1981 Conference had one award, the Golden Heart Award. The Golden Heart was specifically for unpublished authors. Submissions were solicited in the April 15^th newsletter, which included four rules: one, only unpublished authors were eligible, two, submissions should be comprised of a brief synopsis and one chapter, three, winners had to attend the conference, and four, all submissions had to be postmarked by May 15^th, 1981.³⁸ Winners were chosen from a pool of 115 manuscripts by editors and agents who were sent the copies of one chapter and a synopsis provided by the hopeful authors and asked to judge and select a favorite.³⁹ Janet Dailey presented the award during the Golden Heart Awards Dinner. Dailey herself received an honorary Golden Heart in recognition of her wild success in the romance market. The first place winner was Race the Wind by Barbara Cameron Smith, second place was Man of Velvet: Man of Steel by Dana Terrill, and third place was Weekend Affair by Deborah Bryson.⁴⁰ By presenting an award only to an unpublished author, RWA’s intent was to provide a platform for publishing, as it put manuscripts and chapters directly in the hands of editors and agents that judged the competition.⁴¹ The top three winners are all evidence of this success, as all of their manuscripts that won were sold after the fact; further of the eight honorable mentions, half of those manuscripts sold, and one additional author sold a different manuscript.⁴² This opportunity to shed light on unpublished authors highlighted RWA’s commitment to all members of the romance community. [DL]

Atmosphere, Content, and Coverage of the 1981 Conference

Conference attendees were largely white, middle aged, housewives who lived in the middle of the country – the Midwest and Texas mostly.⁴³ One reporter described the view of the conference as a “sea of Quiana and rhinestones and Seven & Seven.”⁴⁴ Another wrote the crowd “didn’t exactly look like a March on Washington – but [it] didn’t look like a Pillsbury Bake-Off either.”⁴⁵ However, all the women were there to learn the business of writing romance.⁴⁶They were aware of the numbers; Janet Dailey’s husband Bill Dailey had regularly said Janet had made at least $15 million from her books.⁴⁷ It was known that advances for category romances ranged between $2,000 and $6,000 depending upon the author and publisher.⁴⁸ The Conference presented an opportunity to break into the industry in a way that was previously unheard of for romance novelists, and the potential money was a huge motivator, one author who attended wrote, “whatever side benefits I may have stumbled onto, I do it because it pays well.”⁴⁹ [DL]

A general theme of the Conference was how to, as a romance author, be taken seriously for your craft, and how to get others to take the genre seriously. Kerner, who gave the talk “So You Think You Can Write Harlequin,” discussed how to combat this stigma and find new romance readers to expand the market, specifically for Harlequins.⁵⁰ Kerner discussed how the target audience for romance was shifting and “coming out of the closet,” helping not only to increase Harlequin’s sales but also make reading romance less embarrassing.⁵¹ He also pointed to expanding the market as a way to combat the stigma surrounding romance. For example, Harlequin sold romance novels with other products such as tampons and Hefty bags, as a way to provide exposure to people who normally would not pick up a Harlequin.⁵² Pocket Books publicist Joan Schulhafer, who gave a talk on how to create publicity, advised authors to use facts to disprove any comments about the frivolity of the romance market.⁵³ Dailey, during her speech at the Award Ceremony, gave what was reportedly a passionate defense of romance novels as a genre. She told the audience, “we are not bothered by other people’s opinions – our husbands, our male associates,” but nonetheless affirmed her success in the genre would be nothing without “the love and support of her husband.”⁵⁴ Written reports of Dailey’s speech during the Golden Heart ceremony included discussions of the feminist movement and women’s liberation, serving as context for the time period of the Conference.⁵⁵ Further, RWA’s April newsletter specifically criticized journalists who “write condescendingly about housewife novelists” and reasserted that romantic fiction has value, indicating RWA officially acknowledged, and were aware of, the stigma against romance writers.⁵⁶ The presence of discussions indicated that the Conference itself was a space to combat this perception within the community. One author who was present reported that attending the Conference helped her reevaluate her perception of romance authors as “matronly women who tended to wear more ruffles than she could get away with” and to see them as her peers, women who, like her, saw the potential profit in the industry and worked to profit from it.⁵⁷ [DL/MH]

In addition to all those who gave talks and served as Conference staff, there were 40 editors and agents in attendance representing all the major names of the romance publishing industry at the time: New American Library, Bantam, Pocket Books, Berkeley/Jove, Richard Gallen, Silhouette, Candlelight/Ecstasy, Ballantine, Ace, Popular Library, and Pinnacle. Harlequin, the biggest name in romance publishing at the time, had an especially strong showing with five members at the Conference, including their Vice President of Publishing and Editorial Director Fred Kerner.⁵⁸ The strong presence of agents and editors was heavily publicized in preparation for the Conference and reported on afterwards as indication of the Conference’s success. [DL/MH]

When not giving talks, it was reported that agents and editors “held court” with both aspiring and published romance authors, dictating what their publishing houses were looking for.⁵⁹ During the General Session, agents and editors who did not hold workshops had the opportunity to speak for ten minutes about the types of manuscripts that attracted their specific publishing house.⁶⁰ They also distributed sheets with guidelines on what the formula was for the type of romance a publishing house was looking for; it included details such as manuscript length, plot types, and submission procedures.⁶¹ Editor-in-Chief of Silhouette Books, Karen Solem, who held two talks, told one author, “I’m not buying a book. I’m interested in buying an author” and showed interest in purchasing the novel Man of Steel: Man of Velvet from unpublished author Dana Terrill, who won second place in the Golden Heart.⁶² The opportunity for interactions with editors indicated the professionalism of the Conference as opposed to a social gathering. [DL]

Romance Writers of America worked hard to promote and publicize both the Conference and the creation of RWA. President Rita Estrada and members of the Board appeared on the TODAY show for a segment on Silhouette Writers in Texas and used it as an opportunity to promote RWA.⁶³ As a result, multiple major news outlets covered the two-day Conference and several who attended wrote about their experiences. News cameras from NBC and CBS-TV covered the conference and broadcast news as it was happening.⁶⁴ One article in the New York Times advertised it as a “red-letter weekend” and perhaps most tellingly writes that “there will be discussions of ways in which romancers can achieve the recognition now accorded writers of mysteries, westerns and science fiction.”⁶⁵ A report from RWA on media coverage asserts that “authors have received local press and publicity at an increasing rate during the existence of RWA.”⁶⁶ In reports of the Conference authors were portrayed as businesswomen with “romance… in their hearts, [but] business… on their minds.”⁶⁷ This provides a contrast to previous reporting which had condescendingly written about “housewife novelists” and refused to acknowledge the accomplishments of female authors, referring to them as “novices” regardless of how many novels they had sold.⁶⁸ The nature of the reports that succeeded the Conference indicate that RWA, and the 1981 Conference were taken seriously in the media. [DL]

Response to the Conference

Beyond supporting individual authors, the 1981 Conference brought attention to Romance Writers of America. The Conference garnered extensive media coverage. Readers, writers, and agents saw RWA in newspapers, on television, and on their own bookshelves.⁶⁹ This media coverage coincided with an increase in RWA membership. In May of 1982, membership was 1,240. By March 1987, the number increased to 3,092. New members were most common in February and March, when the upcoming conference was announced.⁷⁰ Following the 1981 Conference, both the media coverage and membership of RWA increased. [MH]

RWA also expanded geographically. The nearly one thousand attendees at the inaugural RWA conference returned home and often started their own chapters of the organization.⁷¹ Two years after the organization began in Houston, there were chapters across the country, all the way through Michigan and New York. Furthermore, there were 39 international members, reaching as far as India.⁷² This extension of international membership highlights far-reaching interest in American romance. RWA quickly expanded beyond Houston, with new chapters appearing throughout both the state and the country.⁷³ [MH]

Some aspiring authors who attended the 1981 Conference attributed their success to the Conference. Rita Gallagher, mother of founder Rita Estrada and the woman in charge of the RWA newsletter wrote, “the RWA Conference did indeed ‘work’ for me! My editor, Kathy Sagan at Dell, has requested a sequel to my novel.”⁷⁴ Another author, Hines Flourney, brought six manuscripts to the Conference and all six gained interest from editors.⁷⁵ Gallagher and Flourney were able to further their careers at the Conference, and credited RWA for their success. [MH]

RWA publicized the success writers found at the Conference. In the August 1981 report, RWA referred to the conference as “a much needed, new-found marketplace for upcoming novels and future trends in publishing.”⁷⁶ This excerpt demonstrates RWA saw the annual Conference as a space to spread manuscripts and meet with publishers. The Conference was not a writing workshop. It was a business conference where women found real success in their field. [MH]

Negative feedback from some editors and agents contrasted authors’ praise for the Conference. The emphasis on the Conference as a marketplace created what one agent described as a “desperation to get any agent or editor’s attention” with “little sense of decorum…[and] very unprofessional behavior.”⁷⁷ This attitude was also reflected in a letter to RWA from editors and agents who attended the 1981 Conference. Editors recommended that RWA make it clear to attendees that “the conference is… not a marketplace.”⁷⁸ In their letter, agents stressed their preference for supporting authors through workshops and speeches, rather than just reading their manuscripts.⁷⁹ Another senior agent complained her arm was bruised from being grabbed in the hallways by hopeful authors all weekend.⁸⁰ Such complaints highlighted contradictions between the editors’ and authors’ expectations for the Conference. This disconnect suggests that editors felt authors behaved unprofessionally during the Conference. [MH/DL]

The Rise of Texan Authors through the RWA

As illustrated above, many authors took advantage of the Conference to present their manuscripts to editors. This was where the 1981 RWA Conference really shone: in connecting romance authors with editors and agents that would publish their novel. Because of the Conference’s location in Houston, most of the authors in attendance were Texans.⁸¹ Texan authors were able to work one-on-one with publishers at the Conference, garnering feedback and interest. [MH]

An article published in Houston North magazine in August of 1981 highlighted the success of authors who attended the inaugural Conference. It described the story of Joy Porter and her daughter Deborah Bryson, based in The Woodlands, a suburb north of Houston. The pair attended the RWA Conference to find a literary agent and were able to speak face-to-face with agents without having to travel to New York or Los Angeles. They won third place in the Golden Heart competition and went on to sign with Silhouette.⁸² The Conference helped Porter and Bryson network with agents and eventually get published. The presence of many publishers at the Conference facilitated such networking: Silhouette, with whom Porter and Bryson signed, had two Editors-in-Chief (one former and one current) present.⁸³ [MH]

Another Houston-area author, Sara Pailey Newman, entered the Conference with two partially completed manuscripts. She left with substantial feedback from Pocket Books editor Kate Duffy, suggesting she deepen her main character and change the setting. Beyond just marketing it to editors, Newman was able to develop her writing based on feedback she received at the Conference. A few weeks later, her completed manuscript was submitted directly to Silhouette’s Editor-in-Chief Karen Solem, also present.⁸⁴ Connections made at the Conference helped Newman improve her manuscript and submit directly to high-level editors. [MH]

Mary Tate Engels of Heatherwood, Texas also found her beginnings at the 1981 RWA Conference. Harlequin editor Rosemary Aubert read Engels’ first chapter there and requested a completed manuscript.⁸⁵ After that initial meeting, Engels went on to publish thirty four books, including a “Romancing the West” series set mostly in Texas.⁸⁶ It is clear from these accounts that the 1981 RWA Conference spurred the success of these four Texas-based authors and their novels. Engels, Porter, and Bryson were able to submit their drafts directly to editors who went on to publish their work, and Newman received invaluable feedback to develop her work. [MH]

The Texas Romance Wave

Once Texan authors were connected to editors at the inaugural RWA Conference, publishers began to realize the pull that Texas had on readers. Harlequin editor Birgit Davis-Todd, the editor of the Texas Men series, explained that Texas and Western novels were a huge selling point, particularly abroad. Throughout the end of the 1980’s and early 1990’s, there was a slew of novels and series set in Texas.⁸⁷ These included Engels’ novels, who found her start at the 1981 Conference, and maintained her popularity as a Harlequin author for many years following.⁸⁸ [MH]

After sending multiple editors to the 1981 Conference and publishing a handful of authors found there, Harlequin launched its American Romance line in 1983. Many of the novels published as part of the new line were set in Texas, including Thorn in my Side by Heather Lang and Beyond the Flight of Birds by Lois Carnell.⁸⁹ Advertisements for the new line described American heroines as being “full of spunk” and independent, even raising the question: “Career first, then love?”⁹⁰ These advertisements highlighted a clear transition from the lovestruck heroines of the mid-century to confident and independent female characters that shone in American romance.⁹¹ American writers broke into the previously European-dominated romance genre, writing novels with brash heroines and American settings.⁹² Such a development reflected Estrada and Stephens’ initial goal for RWA, to promote authors who wrote relatable, dynamic heroines.⁹³ [MH]

Conclusion

Vivian Stephens and Rita Estrada founded RWA as a professional space for authors amidst the criticism and stigma of the romance genre. Through an analysis of primary source documents from RWA in 1981 and news stories about the 1981 Conference, this paper investigated the events of and reactions to the Conference. The inaugural Conference provided an opportunity for those affiliated with the romance industry to discuss the business of romance. The Conference helped launch the careers of multiple romance authors. Publishers soon discovered the popularity of Texas-based romance novels, establishing a foothold for American authors in the industry. [DL/MH]

Appendix

Bibliography

Cameron, Lauren. “The Romance Publishing Industry and Its Reputation.” Publishing Research Quarterly 36, (January 23, 2020): 1-16. https://link-springer-com.proxy.lib.duke.edu/article/10.1007/s12109-019-09703-2. [DL]

Collof, Pamela. “The Sighs of Texas; Why Are Romance Writers – and Readers – so in Love with Our State?” Texas Monthly 26, no. 8 (August 1, 1998): 106-10. https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/the-sighs-of-texas/. [MH]

Eliot, George. “Silly Novels by Lady Novelists.” In Women and Romance: A Reader, edited by Susan Ostrov Weisser, 301-6. New York and London: New York University Press, 2001. [MH]

Engels, Mary Tate. “Mary Tate Engels – My Books.” Mary Tate Engels. Accessed April 3, 2022. https://marytateengels.com/. [MH]

Estrada, Rita. “Letter to Editors and Agents.” 1981. Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives. [DL]

———. “Welcome Letter to Members.” February 15, 1981. Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives. [DL]

Fitzgerald, Sara. “Letter from the RWA: Love for Sale.” Washington Post, August 2, 1992. https://www.proquest.com/hnpwashingtonpost/docview/140719041/ABC45C3C403C4B52PQ/5?accountid=10598. [DL]

Gallagher, Rita. “Resignation Letter to Members.” August 20, 1981. Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives. [DL]

Gleason, William A., and Eric Murphy Selinger. “Postbellum, Pre-Harlequin: American Romance Publishing in the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century.” In Romance Fiction and American Culture: Love as the Practice of Freedom? 57-70. Ashgate, 2016. [MH]

Harlequin Enterprises. “Harlequin American Romance Advertisement.” The Baytown Sun. March 6, 1983. http://newscomwc.newspapers.com/image/19791948/?terms=%22harlequin%20american%20romance%22&pqsid=Ve0lp-1i9z0MJovik2IlEQ%3A13000%3A1931256038&match=1. [MH]

———. “Harlequin American Romance.” Accessed April 23, 2022, https://www.harlequin.com/shop/brand/harlequin-american-romance.html. [MH]

Kachelmeier, Glenda S. “A Little Romance in Your Own Backyard.” Houston North Magazine. August 1981, Volume 5, No. 11. Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives. [MH]

Kachelmeier, Glenda S. “Romance Writers: Turning Fantasy into Fortune.” Houston North Magazine. August 1981, Volume 5, No. 11. Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives. [DL]

Kachelmeier, Glenda S. “Impatient for Fame.” Houston North Magazine. August 1981, Volume 5, No. 11. Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives. [DL]

Krentz, Jayne Ann. “Introduction.” In Dangerous Men & Adventurous Women: Romance Writers on the Appeal of the Romance. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1992. [MH]

Lundin, Martha. “Romance Writers of America Annual Conference.” The Writer 125, no. 6 (June 2012). https://go-gale-com.proxy.lib.duke.edu/ps/i.do?p=CPI&u=duke_perkins&id=GALE%7CA289360447&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon. [DL]

Lyons, Sarah Frantz and Eric Murphy Selinger. “Strange Stirrings, Strange Yearnings: The Flame and the Flower, Sweet Savage Love, and the Lost Diversities of Blockbuster Historical Romance.” In Romance Fiction and American Culture: Love as the Practice of Freedom? Ashgate Publishing Co., 2016. [MH]

Mooradian, Jill Bloom. “Who Writes the Books of Love?” Boston Globe Newspaper, December 6, 1981. https://www.proquest.com/usnews/docview/294089874/F336D673B62E41A1PQ/3?accountid=10598. [DL]

Mystery Writers of America. “MWA History.” About MWA. Accessed April 2, 2022. https://mysterywriters.org/about-mwa/mwa-history/. [DL]

Oates, Mary Louise. “Looking for Love, Fame, and Money in the Houston Sun: Writers of Romances at Convention.” LA Times, July 1, 1981. https://www.proquest.com/hnplatimes/docview/152873214/647F5F72B4C4F19PQ/2?accountid=10598. [DL]

———. “Articles of Incorporation of Romance Writers of America.” March 9, 1981. Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives. [DL]

———. “Bylaws of the Romance Writers of America, Incorporated.” Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives. [DL]

———. “First Annual National Conference Editors and Agents in Attendance.” June 27, 1981. Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives. [DL/MH]

———. “First Annual National Conference Schedule.” June 27, 1981. Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives. [DL]

———. “Historical Data Sheet for the Year of 1981.” 1981. Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives. [DL]

———. “It Was a Love Conference.” August 1981. Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives. [DL]

———. “Media Coverage.” Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives. [MH]

———. “Newsletter.” April 15, 1981. Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives. [DL]

———. “Newsletter.” February 15, 1981. Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives. [DL]

———. “Romance Writers of America Membership Statistics.” 1981-1987. Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives. [MH]

———. “Romance Writers of America Report.” August 1981. Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives. [DL/MH]

———. “RWA’s Origin Story.” Accessed April 2, 2022. https://www.rwa.org/Online/About/History.aspx. [DL]

———. “The Way We Were… Looking Back to the Founding of RWA.” Romance Writers’ Report, February 1987. Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives. [DL]

Salmon, Richard. “Transforming the Art of Fiction: Walter Besant, Professional Service and the Society of Authors.” Cahiers Victoriens & Édouardiens (Online) no. 89 (Spring 2019): 1-14. https://login.proxy.lib.duke.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/transforming-art-fiction-walter-besant/docview/2362895931/se-2. [DL]

Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. “History.” About SFWA. Accessed April 2, 2022. https://www.sfwa.org/about/who-we-are/. [DL]

Stephens, Vivian, Kate Duffy, Valerie Flournoy, Star Helmer, Fred Kerner, Carolyn Nichols, and Karen Solem. “Letter from Editors to Rita Estrada.” September 2, 1981. Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives. [DL/MH]

Swartz, Mimi. “Vivian Stephens Helped Turn Romance Writing into a Billion-Dollar Industry. Then She Got Pushed Out.” Texas Monthly, September 2020. https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/vivian-stephens-helped-turn-romance-writing-into-billion-dollar-industry/. [DL]

Walters, Ray. “Paperback Talk: Paperback Talk.” New York Times, June 21, 1981. https://www.proquest.com/hnpnewyorktimes/docview/121771174/1941B835A54A4E22PQ/2?accountid=10598. [DL]

Western Writers of America. “About.” Accessed April 2, 2022. https://westernwriters.org/about/. [DL]

Endnotes

[1] George Eliot, “Silly Novels by Lady Novelists,” in Women and Romance: A Reader, ed. Susan Ostrov Weisser (New York and London: New York University Press, 2001), 301–6.

[2] Lauren Cameron, “The Romance Publishing Industry and Its Reputation,” Publishing Research Quarterly 36, no. 1 (2020), https://doi.org/10.1007/s12109-019-09703-2, 4.

[3] Cameron, “The Romance Publishing Industry,” 5.

[4] Cameron, “The Romance Publishing Industry,” 10.

[5] Sarah Frantz Lyons and Eric Murphy Selinger, “Strange Stirrings, Strange Yearnings: The Flame and the Flower, Sweet Savage Love, and the Lost Diversities of Blockbuster Historical Romance,” in Romance Fiction and American Culture: Love as the Practice of Freedom? (Ashgate Publishing Co., 2016), 89–110.

[6] Jayne Ann Krentz, “Introduction,” in Dangerous Men & Adventurous Women: Romance Writers on the Appeal of the Romance (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1992), 3.

[7] Pamela Collof, “The Sighs of Texas; Why Are Romance Writers – and Readers – so in Love with Our State?,” Texas Monthly 26, no. 8 (August 1, 1998): 106–10.

[8] Collof, “The Sighs of Texas,” 109.

[9] Romance Writers of America, “The Way We Were… Looking Back to the Founding of RWA,” Romance Writers’ Report, February 1987, Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives, 24.

[10] Mimi Swartz, “Vivian Stephens Helped Turn Romance Writing into a Billion-Dollar Industry. Then She Got Pushed Out,” Texas Monthly, September 2020, https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/vivian-stephens-helped-turn-romance-writing-into-billion-dollar-industry/; Glenda S. Kachelmeier, “Romance Writers: Turning Fantasy into Fortune,” in Houston North Magazine, August 1981, Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives, 24.

[11] Swartz, “Vivian Stephens.”

[12] Martha Lundin, “Romance Writers of America Annual Conference,” The Writer 125, no. 6 (June 2012), https://go-gale-com.proxy.lib.duke.edu/ps/i.do?p=CPI&u=duke_perkins&id=GALE%7CA289360447&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon, 46.

[13] Romance Writers of America, “The Way We Were,” 24.

[14] Kachelmeier, “Romance Writers: Turning Fantasy into Fortune,” 26.

[15] Romance Writers of America, “Articles of Incorporation of Romance Writers of America,” March 9, 1981, Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives.

[16] “About,” Western Writers of America, accessed April 2, 2022, https://westernwriters.org/about/; “History,” About SFWA, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, accessed April 2, 2022, https://www.sfwa.org/about/who-we-are/; “MWA History,” About MWA, Mystery Writers of America, accessed April 2, 2022, https://mysterywriters.org/about-mwa/mwa-history/; “RWA’s Origin Story,” Romance Writers of America, accessed April 2, 2022, https://www.rwa.org/Online/About/History.aspx.

[17] Romance Writers of America, “Bylaws of the Romance Writers of America, Incorporated,” Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives.

[18] Rita Estrada, “Welcome Letter to Members,” February 15, 1981, Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives.

[19] Richard Salmon, “Transforming the Art of Fiction: Walter Besant, Professional Service and the Society of Authors,” Cahiers Victoriens & Édouardiens (Online) no. 89 (Spring 2019): 1 https://login.proxy.lib.duke.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/transforming-art-fiction-walter-besant/docview/2362895931/se-2.

[20] Romance Writers of America, “Bylaws.”

[21] Romance Writers of America, “February Newsletter,” February 15, 1981, Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives, 6.

[22] Romance Writers of America, “February Newsletter,” 6.

[23] Romance Writers of America, “February Newsletter,” 4-5.

[24] Eliot, “Silly Novels by Lady Novelists,” 301; Romance Writers of America, “The Way We Were,” 27.

[25] Romance Writers of America, “April Newsletter,” April 15, 1981, Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives, 6.

[26] Mary Louise Oates, “Looking for Love, Fame, and Money in the Houston Sun: Writers of Romances at Convention,” LA Times, July 1, 1981, https://www.proquest.com/hnplatimes/docview/152873214/647F5F72B4C4F19PQ/2?accountid=10598.

[27] Romance Writers of America, “April Newsletter,” 6.

[28] Romance Writers of America, “April Newsletter,” 6.

[29] Romance Writers of America, “April Newsletter,” 6.

[30] Romance Writers of America, “Historical Data Sheet for the Year of 1981,” 1981, Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives, 1.

[31] Jill Bloom Mooradian, “Who Writes the Books of Love?” Boston Globe, December 6, 1981, https://www.proquest.com/usnews/docview/294089874/F336D673B62E41A1PQ/3?accountid=10598, 4.

[32] Romance Writers of America, “First Annual National Conference Editors and Agents in Attendance,” June 27, 1981, Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives.

[33] Romance Writers of America, “April Newsletter,” 16.

[34] Romance Writers of America, “First Annual National Conference Schedule,” June 27, 1981, Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives.

[35] Oates, “Looking for Love, Fame, and Money in the Houston Sun,” 6.

[36] Romance Writers of America, “April Newsletter,” 11.

[37] Romance Writers of America, “April Newsletter,” 24.

[37] Kachelmeier, “Romance Writers: Turning Fantasy into Fortune,” 26.

[38] Romance Writers of America, “April Newsletter,” 11.

[39] Rita Estrada, Letter to Editors and Agents, 1981, Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives.

[40] Romance Writers of America, “Romance Writers of America Report,” August 1981, Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives.

[41] Rita Estrada, Letter to Editors and Agents.

[42] Romance Writers of America, “Romance Writers of America Report,” 4.

[43] Mooradian, “Who Writes the Books of Love?” 2.

[44] Oates, “Looking for Love, Fame, and Money in the Houston Sun,” 1.

[45] Mooradian, “Who Writes the Books of Love?” 1.

[46] Mooradian, “Who Writes the Books of Love?” 1; Oates, “Looking for Love, Fame, and Money in the Houston Sun,” 6.

[47] Oates, “Looking for Love, Fame, and Money in the Houston Sun,” 6.

[48] Mooradian, “Who Writes the Books of Love?” 3.

[49] Mooradian, “Who Writes the Books of Love?” 4.

[50] Oates, “Looking for Love, Fame, and Money in the Houston Sun,” 8.

[51] Oates, “Looking for Love, Fame, and Money in the Houston Sun,” 8.

[52] Oates, “Looking for Love, Fame, and Money in the Houston Sun,” 8.

[53] Kachelmeier, “Romance Writers: Turning Fantasy into Fortune,” 26.

[54] Oates, “Looking for Love, Fame, and Money in the Houston Sun,” 6.

[55] Oates, “Looking for Love, Fame, and Money in the Houston Sun,” 6.

[56] Romance Writers of America, “April Newsletter,” 17.

[57] Mooradian, “Who Writes the Books of Love?” 2.

[58] Kachelmeier, “Romance Writers: Turning Fantasy into Fortune,” 26.

[59] Kachelmeier, “Romance Writers: Turning Fantasy into Fortune,” 26.

[60] Romance Writers of America, “It Was a Love Conference,” August 1981, Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives, 3.

[61] Mooradian, “Who Writes the Books of Love?” 5.

[62] Romance Writers of America, “Romance Writers of America Report,” 4.

[63] Romance Writers of America, “April Newsletter,” 1.

[64] Romance Writers of America, “It Was a Love Conference,” August 1981, Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives, 3.

[65] Ray Walters, “Paperback Talk: Paperback Talk,” New York Times, June 21, 1981, https://www.proquest.com/hnpnewyorktimes/docview/121771174/1941B835A54A4E22PQ/2?accountid=10598.

[66] Romance Writers of America, “Media Coverage,” Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives.

[67] Mooradian, “Who Writes the Books of Love?” 5.

[68] Romance Writers of America, “April Newsletter,” 17.

[69] Harlequin Enterprises, “Harlequin American Romance Advertisement,” The Baytown Sun, March 6, 1983, 78; Glenda S. Kachelmeier, “A Little Romance in Your Own Backyard,” Houston North Magazine, August 1981, Volume 5, No. 11 edition, Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives, 27-29; Collof, “The Sighs of Texas,” 108.

[70] Romance Writers of America, “Romance Writers of America Membership Statistics,” 1981-1987, Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives.

[71] Romance Writers of America, “Romance Writers of America Membership Statistics.”

[72] Romance Writers of America, “Romance Writers of America Membership Statistics.”

[73] Romance Writers of America, “Romance Writers of America Report,” 4.

[74] Rita Gallagher, “Resignation Letter to Members,” August 20, 1981, Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives.

[75] Glenda Kachelmeier, “Impatient for Fame,” Houston North Magazine, August 1981, Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives.

[76] Romance Writers of America, “It Was a Love Conference,” 4.

[77] Sara Fitzgerald, “Letter from the RWA: Love for Sale,” Washington Post, August 2, 1992. https://www.proquest.com/hnpwashingtonpost/docview/140719041/ABC45C3C403C4B52PQ/5?accountid=10598.

[78] Vivian Stephens et al., “Letter from Editors to Rita Estrada,” September 2, 1981, Bowling Green State University Romance Writers of America Archives, 2.

[79] Vivian Stephens et al., “Letter from Editors to Rita Estrada,” 2.

[80] Oates, “Looking for Love, Fame, and Money in the Houston Sun,” 6.

[81] Romance Writers of America, “Romance Writers of America Report,” 4.

[82] Kachelmeier, “A Little Romance in Your Own Backyard,” 29.

[83] Romance Writers of America, “First Annual National Conference Editors and Agents in Attendance.”

[84] Kachelmeier, “A Little Romance in Your Own Backyard,” 28.

[85] Kachelmeier, “A Little Romance in Your Own Backyard,” 29.

[86] Mary Tate Engels, “My Books,” Mary Tate Engels, accessed April 3, 2022, http://www.marytateengels.com/.

[87] Collof, “The Sighs of Texas,” 108.

[88] Engels, “My Books.”

[89] “Harlequin American Romance,” Harlequin Enterprises, accessed April 23, 2022, https://www.harlequin.com/shop/brand/harlequin-american-romance.html.

[90] Harlequin Enterprises, “Harlequin American Romance Advertisement,” The Baytown Sun, March 6, 1983, 78.

[91] Gleason and Selinger, “Postbellum, Pre-Harlequin: American Romance Publishing in the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century,” in Romance Fiction and American Culture: Love as the Practice of Freedom? (Ashgate Publishing Co., 2016), 67; Krentz, “Introduction,” 3.

[92] Gleason and Selinger, “Postbellum, Pre-Harlequin,” 68.

[93] Collof, “The Sighs of Texas” 108.