Is the Harry Potter-esque success of the ‘Fifty Shades’ novels anything to do with the Author’s decision to brand herself through initials? If sales are anything to go by, ‘E L’ could be the new ‘J K’. They also both specialise in fantasy, though the tools of the protagonists’ trades are somewhat different.
From a packaging perspective I was interested to see that a certain type of cover design has become de rigeur for this new ‘erotic chick-lit’ genre. Influenced by both title and content, it’s… er… fifty shades of grey, but elegantly and provocatively overlaid with silver details. The formula has been unashamedly copied by other Authors keen to board the submissive heroine gravy train (four words never before seen together, I guarantee).
So there we have it, the bookshelf obeys all the same rules as the supermarket shelf: Standing out, followed by fitting in.