Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: While most consider the act of reading to be a solitary event, romance readers have formed online communities that allow them to discuss their enjoyment of the romance novel genre. This study examines one particular community, Smart Bitches who Love Trashy Novels. It uses ethnography of communication, focusing on two speech events within the community. These speech events are contests to gain 'titles' and 'covers gone wild'. Both examination of these speech events through discourse analysis and interviews took place. It is clear that these events create a sense of community for posters on the site through their shared enjoyment and knowledge of the romance genre. These can also be seen as rituals for the community. Limitations and directions for further research are discussed.