
707. RT Rewind: June 1997 Ads & Features
From Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast by Sarah Wendell
February 27, 2026 · 1h 28m · Episode 707
About this episode
Amanda and Sarah discuss various aspects of romance novel advertising and reader culture from June 1997.
Amanda and I are traveling back to June 1997 to discuss: Touring inside author’s homes and whether we think it’s kinda intrusive and uncomfortable Neverending reader hate for “the F word” The fans used to blow back cover models’ hair And speaking of, what’s on the Cover Model Pageant contestant’s heads? And more! We DO have a video episode for this one with images – you can find it on your YouTube channel . And you can find the visual aids for this one below. We have so many links! Are you ready! Mental Floss: The origin of “Live, Laugh, Love” Janelle James and Connor Storrie on the red carpet (Reddit link with video) Links from Steve Ammidown about Genesis Press: 1980-2000 Black Publishers – Black Romance Publishers: Representation vs. Exploitation by Sophie Kebret (Unsuitable/Duke University) Authors Cite Problems with Genesis Press by Calvin Reid | Sep 15, 2006, Publishers Weekly (Archive link) One Perfect Rose hardcover – eBay The Instagram account of Aureltattoo, who dances in front of a fan Visual Aids are at SBTB! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Topics covered
- 1997
- romance novels
- advertising
- reader culture
- cover models
Keywords
- author's homes
- reader hate
- back cover models
- Cover Model Pageant
- Live, Laugh, Love
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Cover Model Pageant, Mental Floss, Live, Laugh, Love
More episodes of Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast
- 722. RT Rewind: May 1996 Reviews · June 12, 2026 · 1h 8m
- 721. Exploring Platform Decay with Martha Wells · June 5, 2026 · 1h 2m
- 720. RT Rewind: December 2012 Ads & Features · May 29, 2026 · 1h 19m
- 719. Tropetails, Books and Drinky Chatting with Amanda · May 22, 2026 · 1h 5m
- 718. RT Rewind: December 2012 Reviews · May 15, 2026 · 1h 32m
- 717. Archangel’s Finale with Nalini Singh · May 8, 2026 · 1h 25m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast podcast page.