Nora Roberts' Harlequin publishers report rising sales despite recession

Time magazine's Sept. 21, 2009 online issue features Harlequin Enterprises, the publisher of omnibus reprint editions of Nora Roberts' early Silhouette romances. Andrea Sachs' article, "The Global Boom in Bodice-Rippers,"  reports that Harlequin, like most other romance publishers, continues to prosper during the current economic downturn. Sales of romance novels, which account for one out of every four books purchased, netted almost $1.4 billion during 2008.

Time magazine features Harlequin Enterprises. (Screenshot taken
Sept. 22, 2009 by Carol Thomas)

Sachs sites the relatively low cost of paperback editions of romance novels as one reason why the market for them remains strong. Mass-market paperback romances are frequently an impulse buy for shoppers in supermarkets or drugstores, claims Sachs. Usually selling for less than $6.00, these items are easily added in with other purchases.

Toronto-based Harlequin Enterprises, the world's largest romance publisher, reported an 8.7% increase in revenue for the first half of 2009. In contrast, Random House suffered a 4% decline during that period. 

Donna Hayes, Harlequin's CEO, says that rather than harming sales, the recession has actually improved  the romance publishing market.  She credits the sales increase to the fact that romance novels feature happy endings, which people find increasingly reassuring during difficult economic times.

Diane Pershing, president of the Romance Writers of America, points out that romance readers quickly become "hooked" on the genre, which creates a continuing demand for futher novels. "It's a lovely addiction to have," remarks Pershing. "The average romance reader is such a loyal person that if she finds a new author she likes, she'll get the entire backlist. That helps sales."

Harlequin also relies heavily on the enduring popularity of Nora Roberts' novels in increasing its sales, a fact that is not included in the Time article. Since 1997 Harlequin has regularly issued omnibus reprint editions of the standalone and series novels Roberts originally wrote for Silhouette Romances, a company Harlequin acquired in 1984. Although Roberts ceased writing new titles for Harlequin in 2002, the company has continued to reissue her early works in its Harlequin Special Releases series.

During 2009 new Harlequin reprints of Roberts' works have appeared almost every month. The article Harlequin announces Forever as August 2009 Nora Roberts Silhouette reissue lists the seven Harlequin omnibus reprint editions of Roberts' works that were published beween January and August 2009.

Harlequin has scheduled four more  omnibus reprints to appear during the remainder of 2009. Windfall, to be released September 29, will contain Roberts' 1989 novella "Impulse" and the 1987 novel Temptation. Western Skies, containing Song of the West (1982) and Boundary Lines (1985), will follow on October 27. November 24 will see the release of Worth the Risk, Harlequin's reissue of Partners (1985) and The Art of Deception (1986). Finally, as the year draws to an end, Duets, containing The Name of the Game (1988) and Once More With Feeling (1983) will reach bookstores on December 29.