March Editorial
PHS Founder and Editor, Trish Wylie, is talking about change as we set forth with the first issue of the new look Pink Heart Society...
A lot can happen in ten years. You could meet someone, fall head-over-heels in love, make a commitment, build a home together and start a family. You might lose loved ones, face challenges which test you and by making it through the tough times, discover inner strength you didn’t know you possessed. None of us know what’s around the corner but one thing is certain: Things change.
I’m one of those people who is naturally resistant to change. I dig my heels in and must be dragged forcibly over the ledge before I look at the opportunities change can offer me. But, at the same time, I know I’m not the same person I was a decade ago, when the Pink Heart Society was born. I’m older for starters; my face has more wrinkles, my body is stiffer in the mornings and I have pre-ordered menopause for the winter so the hot flushes can save money on heating bills. I’m more mule-headed, too (I know, right?! I didn’t think that was possible either!) and, thanks to an emotional battering and a bout of deep depression, much thicker skinned – something I sorely needed during my early days as a published author.
Deciding whether to talk about the dark days was a source of great debate and is the subject of our #FromTheWristDown article this month. Do we paint a rosy picture of happiness, contentment and success online or share every gory detail of our daily battles? Do we stick to the same author pic from more than a decade ago so we can remain eternally young or reveal what those hard times have done to our face and wear the aging process like a badge of honour? *cough* Not that I’m guilty of the former *cough* Personally, I think there’s middle ground in there and if sharing our experiences helps someone else…
You see, that’s the thing about the romance community. It’s always welcoming, supportive and empowering and is a constant we can rely on in changing times. By relaunching the PHS on #InternationalWomensDay, we have the perfect opportunity to celebrate the women in romance with some powerful testimonials. So, from now on, if anyone tries to belittle the romance genre in front of you, point them in this direction!
Of course, the biggest change since I sold my first book is to the publishing industry and with that in mind, the PHS has expanded to welcome more authors and publishers to the site. Since the very beginning, when the Little Pink Heart Guy made his first bounce, we have proudly stood up for category/series romance. But how those books are published and where readers can find them is a whole new world.
Our aim is to keep you informed of those changes and to broaden your reading horizons. We fully and whole-heartedly endorse the campaign for more diversity in romance with our monthly #ViveLaDifference article. We introduce you to fellow readers with our #ReaderoftheMonth and to dedicated, passionate reviewers with the #BookTalk feature. We even go through the keyhole and spend some time #AtHomeWith favorite authors who have surfed the winds of change and gone on to do bigger and better things. And if that's not enough, we also go behind the scenes with #IndustryInsights to learn about the people who put our books on shelves!
So, what I’m saying, dear PHS friends, is change may be inevitable and it might be hard to face but change can be good. Better than good. It can be great. We like to think this shiny new site is proof of that and honestly, hand-on-heart, working with Ali and Christy to set it up has been the most fun I’ve had in ages. So, here’s to the next decade of the PHS and all the exciting changes we'll see along the way!
