--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I started out writing romance novels, and…" description: "\"I started out writing romance novels, and that's a side of publishing that's very female oriented. 99.9% of the writers are women, most of the editors ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da9/marjorie-m-liu-13742_book_i-started-out-writing-romance-novels-and_2129470.jpg" --- # I started out writing romance novels, and that's a side of… ![“I started out writing romance novels, and that's a side of publishing that's very female oriented. 99.9% of the writers are women, most of the editors are women, and these are books written for the female gaze. And so my point of view - the way I looked at fandom and publishing and writing - was…” quote by Marjorie M. Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da9/marjorie-m-liu-13742_book_i-started-out-writing-romance-novels-and_2129470.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da9/marjorie-m-liu-13742_book_i-started-out-writing-romance-novels-and_2129470.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da9/marjorie-m-liu-13742_book_i-started-out-writing-romance-novels-and_2129470.jpg) > “I started out writing romance novels, and that's a side of publishing that's very female oriented. 99.9% of the writers are women, most of the editors are women, and these are books written for the female gaze. And so my point of view - the way I looked at fandom and publishing and writing - was all about women. So for me that's what was natural, that's what was comfortable. And then I moved over to comics. And all of a sudden it was... Pardon the expression, it was a sausage fest.” [Marjorie M. Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-m-liu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author describes transitioning from a female‑dominated romance publishing world to a male‑dominated comics industry, highlighting gender imbalance. **In simple terms:** She moved from romance to comics and noticed a gender shift. Key Takeaway Recognize and address gender disparities in creative fields. Themes gender industry creativity diversity career transition Mood reflective critical observational Type observation analysis commentary When to use this quote - publishing - comic book creation - career change - diversity initiatives - advocacy Key Concepts gender dynamics representation industry culture Questions to Reflect On - How does gender composition affect creative output? - What steps can balance representation? A Different Perspective The term "sausage fest" may oversimplify complex demographic factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Fandom Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fandom-publishing-4382237/) [Female](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/female/) [Male Gaze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/male-gaze/) [Moved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moved/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Point of view](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-of-view/) [Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing/) [Publishing Female](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing-female-4382236/) [Romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romance/) [Romance novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romance-novel/) [Romance Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romance-novels-2/) [Writers Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-women-1191501/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-romance-1004131/) [Written Female](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written-female-1619292/) ## Related quotes > [Many of my books are written from a female perspective. 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She writes stories like I approach "Land…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/now-i-can-tell-you-about-some-women-writers-who-truly-are-fantastic/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [The appeal of writing a romance was that I'd never written one before the The Thorn and The Blossom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodora-goss/the-appeal-of-writing-a-romance-was-that-i-d-never-written-one-before/) [Theodora Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodora-goss/) > [My favorite thing to do is rip the covers off a script when reading for writers to hire and make everybody read without names…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/my-favorite-thing-to-do-is-rip-the-covers-off-a-script-when-reading/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [I love writing romance, along with science fiction and fantasy - and my books usually meld all three to some degree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-liu/i-love-writing-romance-along-with-science-fiction-and-fantasy-and-my/) [Marjorie Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-liu/) > [I think it's not an accident that you don't have that many Asian American women writers who are breaking out. I don't think it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/min-jin-lee/i-think-it-s-not-an-accident-that-you-don-t-have-that-many-asian/) [Min Jin Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/min-jin-lee/) > [When I'm writing, the romance is always the most important thing to me, but I really love adding in slices of real life, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-shalvis/when-i-m-writing-the-romance-is-always-the-most-important-thing-to-me/) [Jill Shalvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-shalvis/) > [I had a very realistic expectation of the level of success that it was possible to attain writing romance novels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-day/i-had-a-very-realistic-expectation-of-the-level-of-success-that-it/) [Sylvia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-day/) > [What I realized halfway through writing romance is that you start out intuitive, and you make all these choices mostly based on yourself and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/what-i-realized-halfway-through-writing-romance-is-that-you-start-out/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) ## More by Marjorie M. Liu > [“But focus always on your shame, and your shame will eat you. It will become you. That is the coward's way. A coward never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-m-liu/but-focus-always-on-your-shame-and-your-shame-will-eat-you-it-will/) [Marjorie M. Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-m-liu/) > [“Only she who trusts nothing can know real peace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-m-liu/only-she-who-trusts-nothing-can-know-real-peace/) [Marjorie M. Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-m-liu/) > [Nice characters are boring!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-m-liu/nice-characters-are-boring/) [Marjorie M. Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-m-liu/) > [“He was young, no older than fifteen, pale and dark-haired, wearing jeans and a soft white T-shirt that had SHAKESPEARE HATES YOUR EMO POEMS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-m-liu/he-was-young-no-older-than-fifteen-pale-and-dark-haired-wearing-jeans/) [Marjorie M. Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-m-liu/) > [How's his appendix?""Like crap. They almost didn't catch it in time, and he's still doing the ass-plant in a hospital bed, beingdoted on by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-m-liu/how-s-his-appendix-like-crap-they-almost-didn-t-catch-it-in-time-and/) [Marjorie M. Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-m-liu/) > [“Come on. Let’s go and sit down. I need to have a beer and a nervous breakdown.” “Talk first, then breakdown. I want answers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-m-liu/come-on-let-s-go-and-sit-down-i-need-to-have-a-beer-and-a-nervous/) [Marjorie M. Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-m-liu/) > [In real life, I knew that fandom was made up of women, and women of color, and women of all ages. But on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-m-liu/in-real-life-i-knew-that-fandom-was-made-up-of-women-and-women-of/) [Marjorie M. Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-m-liu/) > [“Miri forced herself to remain very still. Never run from immortals, she remembered; her favorite line from a favorite movie. Never run.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-m-liu/miri-forced-herself-to-remain-very-still-never-run-from-immortals-she/) [Marjorie M. Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-m-liu/) > [When I first started out in comics they would put me on these Women of Marvel panels, and these young women would come up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-m-liu/when-i-first-started-out-in-comics-they-would-put-me-on-these-women/) [Marjorie M. Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-m-liu/) > [“I’m too much a man for hysterics.” Liu, Marjorie M. (2009-01-20). Hunter Kiss: A Companion Novella to The Iron Hunt and Darkness Calls (A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-m-liu/i-m-too-much-a-man-for-hysterics-liu-marjorie-m-2009-01-20-hunter/) [Marjorie M. Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-m-liu/) > [“I learned how to play poker from a one-eyed giant with no teeth and breath that smelled like a box of rotting armpits.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-m-liu/i-learned-how-to-play-poker-from-a-one-eyed-giant-with-no-teeth-and/) [Marjorie M. Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-m-liu/) > [I've been going to San Diego's Comic-Con every year since 2007 or 2008. The first time I went it was an overwhelming experience because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-m-liu/i-ve-been-going-to-san-diego-s-comic-con-every-year-since-2007-or/) [Marjorie M. Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-m-liu/) > [“I am not a total pervert. Although, to be honest, consider the night we’ve been having. First handcuffs, and now this? Way more kinky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-m-liu/i-am-not-a-total-pervert-although-to-be-honest-consider-the-night-we/) [Marjorie M. Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-m-liu/) > [Moscow was, as some said, the most beautiful mistress a man could ever want, but never cross her: like any good woman, she might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-m-liu/moscow-was-as-some-said-the-most-beautiful-mistress-a-man-could-ever/) [Marjorie M. Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-m-liu/) > [“Just because you are afraid you won't have anything tomorrow doesn't mean you shouldn't help people today.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-m-liu/just-because-you-are-afraid-you-won-t-have-anything-tomorrow-doesn-t/) [Marjorie M. Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-m-liu/) [Explore all 49 Marjorie M. Liu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-m-liu/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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