Reading Glasses: Episode 421 - Avocados are Romantasy: How to Avoid Bad Book Marketing

Release Date: July 24, 2025

In Episode 421 of Reading Glasses, hosts Brea Grant and Mallory O’Meara delve into the frustrating world of book marketing missteps, particularly focusing on the mislabeling of genres like "cozy fantasy" and "romantasy." Alongside this central discussion, they engage with listener feedback, address a book tech dilemma, and fulfill a recommendation request centered on empowering motherly adventures.

1. Introduction to the Episode

The episode kicks off with Bria Grant and Mallory O’Meara sharing their current reads, setting the stage for the episode's theme.

• Bria's Pick: Murder on Sex Island by Joe Firestone—a humorous mystery novel featuring a divorce social worker turned P.I., navigating the challenges of a reality show setting.

  Bria Grant ([02:22]): "But it really is a mystery novel treated quite seriously... it's laugh out loud funny."

• Mallory's Choice: Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before by Kristen Arnett—a literary exploration of a professional clown's life in Florida, blending humor with introspective themes.

  Mallory O’Meara ([04:16]): "It's very introspective, but also very funny. It's great."

2. Listener Feedback: Enhancing Your Reading Life

Mallory and Bria take time to acknowledge listener contributions, highlighting useful tools and heartfelt messages.

• Library Thing App:

  Mallory O’Meara ([04:55]): "Library Thing allows you to make a digital catalog of your home book collection... it pulls information from Amazon so you can easily and quickly see information about the book in the app."

• Appreciative Messages:

  <blockquote> <p>*Hannah ([05:55]):* "Your show has made me a happier reader, a better library patron, and somewhat sane human in these shitty times."</p> </blockquote>

• Sharon's Recommendation:

  Mallory O’Meara ([08:35]): "I highly recommend it for anyone struggling with this concept or even for those who haven't considered it before."

3. The Crux: Problems with Book Marketing

The heart of the episode addresses the frustrations surrounding inaccurate book marketing, particularly the misuse of genre labels that mislead readers.

• Listener Julia's Concern:

  Julia points out the misclassification of "cozy fantasy" and "romantasy," where books labeled as such often contain unexpected violence or dark undertones, diverging from the traditional cozy genre.

  Mallory O’Meara ([13:09]): "This week we're talking about book marketing. Has it become unreliable? How can you find books if you don't trust the marketing around them?"

• Misuse of "Cozy" and "Romantasy":

  Both hosts express frustration over the overuse and dilution of genres. "Cozy" is traditionally associated with mild mysteries or romantic narratives without graphic content, yet modern marketing often slants this term towards any low-stakes fantasy with personal drama.

  Bria Grant ([13:40]): "Cozy location does not equal cozy. Fantasy murders can happen in coffee shops all the time and in books. They do happen in books all the time."

  Mallory O’Meara ([14:17]): "Publishers have muddled the word cozy with low stakes... it's not the same thing."

• Impact on Authors and Readers:

  The hosts discuss how this trend not only confuses readers but also puts authors in a bind, forcing them to align with marketing categories that may not accurately represent their work.

  Mallory O’Meara ([16:02]): "It's frustrating for readers, it's annoying for authors."

4. Navigating the Marketing Maze: Tips and Solutions

To combat misleading marketing, Mallory and Bria offer practical advice for discerning readers.

• Read Detailed Reviews:

  Encouraging listeners to delve beyond blurbs and publisher descriptions to gain a true understanding of a book's content.

  Bria Grant ([18:03]): "You have to read the reviews. And not just what is on the back. Not just...the blurbs may be helpful, but you need to find out what that book is about."

• Utilize User Tags on Platforms:

  Leveraging community-driven tags on platforms like StoryGraph and Goodreads to get a clearer picture of a book’s themes and content.

  Mallory O’Meara ([20:57]): "Check the tags. Oh, like what people are tagging it as on StoryGraph and Goodreads."

• Consult Genre-Savvy Friends:

  Recommending seeking opinions from friends who are well-versed in specific genres to better assess a book's fit.

  Bria Grant ([21:43]): "Ask your pals if they love cozy, if they love romantasy, and say, hey, is this a good romantasy book?"

• Research Before Visiting Bookstores:

  Advising listeners to familiarize themselves with desired genres through curated lists from reputable sources like Book Riot to navigate bookstores more effectively.

  Mallory O’Meara ([22:17]): "Come to a bookstore with stuff you already know is cozy. That is tried and true."

5. Book Tech Feature: Creative Book Sharing

Listener Sophie presents a book tech challenge focused on personalizing the experience of lending books to friends by leaving personalized messages or signatures.

• Sophie's Dilemma:

  Sophie loves lending books but struggles with how to encourage friends to leave meaningful notes without it being too restrictive.

  Sophie ([28:33]): "I want more personalization than just writing your name. My other thought is simply asking people to write a message somewhere inside the book that can be as short or long as they want."

• Hosts' Creative Solutions:

  • Custom Checkout Cards: Suggesting attaching personalized checkout cards inside the book for friends to sign and leave messages.

    Bria Grant ([30:07]): "You could just do a lint two on the front and, and then like the date of the person and their name."

  • Recommendation Bookmarks: Utilizing pre-designed bookmarks that include sections for ratings, favorite quotes, and personal messages.

    Mallory O’Meara ([30:49]): "There's so many places that sell...bookmarks... they have a form that's like title of the book, star rating, favorite quotes, slots."

  • Shelf Talkers: Implementing external notes or recommendations attached to the book's spine to guide future borrowers.

    Bria Grant ([31:24]): "They could put something on the outside and, like, make people pick up that book. They're like, oh, I want this."

6. Reader’s Request: Celebrating Moms on Adventures

Paris reaches out with a heartfelt request for book recommendations featuring mothers embarking on adventures, aiming to diversify the typical portrayal of maternal roles in literature.

• Paris's Wishlist:

  Seeking stories about human moms going on adventures, preferring sub-genres like magical realism, climate fiction, and immigrant narratives over anthropomorphic tales.

  Paris ([32:53]): "There are more stories about stressed out moms or silently and bravely persevering moms... but not what I'm here for."

• Recommended Reads:

  • Bria's Suggestion: All Fours by Miranda July—a contemplative narrative about a woman balancing motherhood with personal journeys, though noting it only partially meets the adventure criteria.

    Bria Grant ([34:12]): "She sets out to go on a journey... she ends up living this whole different life for a little while."

  • Mallory's Choice: Adventures of Amina el Sarafi by S.A. Chakraborty—a spirited pirate adventure featuring a retired pirate mother seeking her family's future through daring exploits.

    Mallory O’Meara ([35:01]): "It's about this retired pirate... she's trying to sell... settle into a peaceful mom life... she gets the band back together for one last lucrative adventure."

7. Final Thoughts and Community Engagement

As the episode wraps up, Mallory and Bria encourage listeners to engage with the community through their Discord server and Facebook group, promote their merchandise, and invite ratings and reviews to support the show’s growth.

Mallory O’Meara ([36:34]): "If you like the show, please rate and review us on the podcast listening app of your choice. We're already kicking around ideas for it and we're getting close."

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Bria Grant ([02:22]): "But it really is a mystery novel treated quite seriously... it's laugh out loud funny."

• Mallory O’Meara ([13:09]): "This week we're talking about book marketing. Has it become unreliable? How can you find books if you don't trust the marketing around them?"

• Mallory O’Meara ([14:17]): "Publishers have muddled the word cozy with low stakes... it's not the same thing."

• Bria Grant ([18:03]): "You have to read the reviews. And not just what is on the back. Not just...the blurbs may be helpful, but you need to find out what that book is about."

• Bria Grant ([21:43]): "Ask your pals if they love cozy, if they love romantasy, and say, hey, is this a good romantasy book?"

• Mallory O’Meara ([35:01]): "It's about this retired pirate... she's trying to sell... settle into a peaceful mom life... she gets the band back together for one last lucrative adventure."

Conclusion

Episode 421 of Reading Glasses offers a comprehensive exploration of the challenges posed by misleading book marketing, providing listeners with actionable strategies to navigate genre mislabeling. Additionally, the hosts foster community interaction through addressing listener feedback and creative solutions to common book-related dilemmas, all while advocating for more diverse and empowering narratives for mothers in literature.