Avon Books - A Brief History

Avon Publications was founded in 1941 by the American News Company as a paperback publisher. The company began by focusing on comics, Avon Book Online but later expanded to other genres, including romance.

Today, Avon is an imprint of HarperCollins which also owns Harlequin. Their Diamond Anniversary is currently underway.

Avon Publications

Avon Books was a major competitor to the more literary Pocket Book Company in the beginning of the paperback publishing industry. Avon published romances, westerns and mysteries with colorful covers. The books were less expensive than the more expensive Pocket books and were aimed at housewives, who would have time to read between cooking and cleaning.

Avon published digest-format paper (the size of magazines for short stories today) in series like Murder Mystery Monthly, Avon Fantasy Reader and many more. These publications contain a variety of authors who are sought-after by collectors. They include A. Merritt and James M. Cain, as well as H. P. Lovecraft.

Avon sold more than 20 million books a year until the mid-1950s. The 25-cent "G' series included the popular genres such as westerns, whodunits, and boy-meets girl stories. Avon had a 35 cent "T" series that included the usual suspects like science fiction, mystery and other similar genres.

In its early years Avon's emphasis on popularity led to the publication of fantasy novels and ghost stories, as well as sexually suggestive love stories. These were far from the more literary Pocket competition. In 1959, Avon was bought by the Hearst Corporation and the focus shifted toward more mainstream literature.

Avon is the largest women's beauty and novel company around the globe with representation on every continent. They also have offices in over 100 countries. Avon is the leading publisher for Sunday Times and Kindle bestsellers. They focus on crime, thrillers and suspense. The company is proud of its female-focused roots and has paved the way for female entrepreneurs worldwide. It is a global leader in marketing, sales and innovation, making an impact across the globe in communities.

Avon Impulse

Avon was founded in 1941 as the publisher of paperbacks and comics. They later shifted their focus to romance novels. Joseph Meyers and Edna Meyers Williams founded the company. Meyers hired his brothers and sisters as employees. He wanted to create a rival to Pocket Books. They created this by printing low-cost paperbacks with a mass appeal with lurid cover designs.

In the 1970s, Avon was at its peak as a romance publisher. They published Kathleen Woodiwiss's sexy novel, The Flame and the Flower which stayed for 33 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. They also published the sexy novel of Rosemary Rogers, including Sweet Savage Love and Wicked Loving Lies. These were the first times that a single novel topped the chart for this genre.

The company was purchased by Hearst Corporation in 1959. Hearst would put a focus on the romance offerings of the company and it grew into one of the biggest publishers of this genre. The company continued to release inexpensive paperbacks that featured popular themes like whodunits and westerns, but the focus on romance led to them becoming more profitable.

Avon still publishes romance novels today. The company recently launched a digital imprint called Avon Impulse, which publishes ebooks and paperbacks. The imprint accepts unagented submissions from authors who are amateurs. It also allows authors to test their limits without worrying about the reaction of the publishing industry.

Avon Impulse offers 25 percent of royalties on the first 10,000 downloads, and then 50 percent on all copies sold there after that. The publisher also edits the work and offers a sexy cover. The book is available in ePub and Kindle formats, and in other formats as well.

Avon Women's Fiction

In 1941, Avon Books began life as an imprint of the American News Company and quickly increased its catalogue to include paperback novels as well as comic books. Its early titles were similar to Pocket Books, resulting in an immediate lawsuit brought by the competitor, but from the beginning, Avon distinguished itself by the emphasis on appeal to the masses and the use of evocative covers.

Katina's Ding Dong! Avon Calling may not be what you expect. It examines how cosmetic advertisements enslaved women, but it also analyses the ways in which Avon sales agents tried to transcend the role of females in 19th and early 20th century America. The author treats the Avon agents with respect and dispassion and, even though she argues that they were mostly white middle-class women who lived in suburban areas however, she does not fall into the trap of dismissing them as mere clones of corporate culture.

Lucia Macro, executive editor at Avon Impulse is always on the lookout to find new modern, fresh, and innovative works in the romance genre which publishes two digital originals every week. She talks about her experience in the publishing industry and the philosophy behind Avon's Impulse. She also discusses the changes she has seen in the romance genre as well as the publishing industry as a whole. She is particularly interested in erotic fiction with a hefty and enlightening text, as opposed to a straightforward and explicit one. The UCLA Library Special Collections houses the Avon Books Collection. This is an archive of bibliographic information that includes all works published after 1960 by the Avon Book division, part of the Hearst Corporation. It is arranged by alpha-numeric series designations, but it also includes many Avon books acquired from other sources prior to 1960, including some that date back to the 1930s.

Avon Thrillers & Suspense

In the world of commercial fiction, Avon Books publishes thrillers and suspense as well as a range of the saga genre, which is a good feeling general fiction and romance. Avon Books is home to top authors like C.L Taylor and Katerina Diamond as well as a growing number of new talents.

Avon was founded in 1941 by the American News Corporation to create a rival to Pocket Books. Joseph Meyers, Edna Meyers Williams and their brother Edna Meyers Williams founded the avon book May company in the year 1941, with a focus on paperback Reprints. Meyers hoped to distinguish Avon from other publishers by emphasizing popular appeal and not the more lofty notions of literary merit. Avon books were initially priced at 25 cents to $50 and included an alpha-numeric price tag. In 1953, Avon introduced the 35-cent "T" series, which included numerous westerns and whodunits. The Flame and the Flower, a 1972 release by Kathleen Woodiwiss, launched the modern romance subgenre. This was the first single-title romance published in a paperback original edition, and it went on to sell over two million copies.

Avon continued to dominate the romance market during the 1970s. The 1970s saw the rise of stunning cover artwork and the bodice-ripping. At the time, Avon published a stable of writers dubbed Love's Leading Ladies, which included Kathleen Woodiwiss, Rosemary Rogers, Johanna Lindsey and Laurie McBain.

In 1999, Avon merged with Harper Collins. Avon's non-romance and hardcover paperback lines were moved to the imprint of Harper Collins' sister company Morrow and left Avon as a publisher of romance novels. Eventually, the publishing house was changed to Avon Books and today is still a significant part of the HarperCollins family. Their catalog has grown to include more than the classic romance titles but also women's fiction, saga, and an ever-growing selection of suspense and thrillers.

Avon Paranormal

avon book online (Designlight Co says), Ohio is home to many bizarre and intriguing stories. Avon is a great spot to get a good ghost story or scare. Eagle County is full of activities, from haunted restaurants and hotels to rumored Bigfoot sightings. There are also numerous activities that are more earthy than mystical.

The Avon theater is haunted by the ghost of Gust Constan. He was a patron and a businessman of the theater. He passed away in the latter half of the 20th century. It is said that he is still haunting the grounds and the building.

According to legend Constan was wealthy and invested in Avon. He often bought tickets to the newest films for his friends and family. He also liked to attend fashion shows and music concerts in the theater.

In 1941, Avon was founded by the American News Corporation as a rival to Pocket Books, Avon was recognized for its more "popular" pulp fiction than its more literary rivals. In its early days, Avon published ghost stories romantic love novels, sexually-suggestive love stories and fantasy fiction that were far removed in terms of audience appeal from the more traditional offerings of the larger Pocket Books.

Avon is currently unable to accept proactive submissions. Authors are advised to keep an eye out for future submission deadlines. You can read about the seven most common mistakes that authors make when they submit manuscripts.