Online Romance? Avon Books Starts E-Romance Imprint

LOS ANGELES (AP) — There's a new romance in publishing -- and it's happening online.

Avon Books announced Monday that it has set up a digital romance imprint, Avon Impulse, where books by new and established authors will be released electronically, with paper editions available on demand. The imprint begins next week with an e-novella by Katherine Ashe, "A Lady's Wish," and "multiple titles" are planned each month. Avon Books is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

The digital market has been especially strong for romance fiction, in part because fans can read e-editions in public without fear of embarrassment. Avon also cited decreased shelf space in physical stores as a reason for starting Avon Impulse.

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