🌸 Part 2. The Power of the Female Market 🌸

Slide: Justine Anweiler, The Female Market, 2024.

How Sarah J. Mass is Courting The Muse: A Journey Through Romantasy Book Covers, The Power of the Female Market, and Taylor Swift

So yesterday I left off at “Years later as the ACOTAR and Throne of Glass (TOG) series are having a MASSIVE moment – I understand what we did wrong . . .”

What the genre and the publishers missed back then.

Like much of marketing (until VERY recently), we left out 50% of the global market: women. Possibly assuming they couldn’t carry the sales in this genre.

Last year, 2023, we saw the Barbie movie crush that narrative.

Then we saw Stanley drinking cups sell out and re-establish themselves as a heritage brand that caters to women.

We saw Taylor Swift & Beyonce break record sales in their tours and attendance.

Women were the market and we continue to be the market.

This year we are even bigger.

With women dominating the charts in music (Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX, and Gracie Abrams), singing shamelessly about the female experience and headlining every major festival.

It's clear to say: we are the audience and we are just getting started.

So my personal regret is never taking the time to read Maas’ work, whilst I was at Macmillan. If I had, I would have immediately spotted the Venn diagram in her work and audience.

She is the best version of the following iconic series, all rolled into one:

🦉 Harry Potter
⛓️ 50 Shades of Grey
🧛🏻‍♂️ Twilight
🏹 The Hunger Games

Her now covers, speak to the sophistication of her writing and readership. The design is elevated, standalone, decorative, and iconic.

It doesn’t put Sarah or her work in a box, it instead defines a generation of readers and a genre of books!

At 38 she has published 24 books, including 3 bestselling series. I believe she is in the process of becoming the Taylor Swift of publishing.

In no way can one human be so tapped into their muse and be consistently striking gold; with women as her audience.

She sees us.
She gets us.
She is one of us.
She is one to watch.

Do yourself a favor and read one of her books.

P.S. Margo Robbie was spotted meeting Sarah at a cafe, presumably discussing movie rights, even Hula is already underway in the production of ACOTAR.

Come back tomorrow for a deep dive into 🐈‍⬛ Part 3. Why She is the Taylor Swift of Publishing 🐈‍⬛

Article FAQs generated by Chat GPT:
1. Why were women historically overlooked as a key market and what shifted to recognize their buying power?
Women were historically overlooked as a key market in many industries, including publishing, because of long-standing assumptions that men were the primary consumers of certain genres, such as fantasy, science fiction, or action-driven narratives. Marketing strategies were often built around these biases, leading to content and covers that catered to male interests, while the interests of women were either sidelined or misunderstood. The stereotype that women wouldn’t invest in these genres, or that their preferences were too niche to be profitable, perpetuated the lack of recognition of their buying power.

2. How does Sarah J. Maas’ books uniquely resonate with the female audience compared to other popular fantasy authors?
Sarah J. Maas’ work resonates deeply with women because her stories blend strong, emotionally complex female protagonists with romance, adventure, and personal growth—elements that reflect the desires of her audience. Her covers have evolved to reflect this sophistication, moving away from niche designs to iconic, decorative visuals that appeal to readers who value both aesthetic beauty and rich storytelling. Maas speaks to her female audience not just in her narrative themes, but also through the visual presentation of her books, creating a holistic experience that feels personal and empowering.

3. What is the connection between Sarah J. Maas and icons like Taylor Swift, and how does this comparison reflect broader trends in female-driven industries?
This highlights a broader trend of women dominating industries like publishing and music by understanding and speaking directly to female experiences. Both Maas and Swift have tapped into their "muse" to create content that resonates on an emotional and cultural level with women, building loyal, engaged fanbases. This parallel reflects how women, as both creators and consumers, are redefining what success looks like in creative industries by blending authenticity, relatability, and commercial savvy to create movements that transcend their individual art forms.