Corina Diez on the Importance of Community & Cowboys When Marketing a Rom-Com
Corina Diez, Manager, Marketing, Random House Group.
OurHouse spoke with Corina Diez, Manager, Marketing, Random House about what goes into marketing romance titles! As an avid lover of the romance genre and a marketer behind the Rebel Blue Ranch series, we asked her: what sets a romance series apart?
She also divulged just how community and authenticity are the building blocks of the romance landscape.
Dive into her responses below.
Lyzbeth: When marketing a title, what’s the first step you’re taking to decide your approach?
Corina: I don’t know if this is specific to Random House Group, but we actually start with a brainstorming session between marketing and publicity. We have a really integrated department, which is really nice. We draft a creative brief and read the title information (TI), then discuss any thoughts, changes, or suggestions based on our reads. We identify the target audience or audiences as part of this process.
Lyzbeth: When marketing the Rebel Blue Ranch series, what struck you as unique about the series for marketing? What sets these books apart?
Part of the Rebel Blue Ranch series by Lyla Sage.
Corina: I think a big one was that this author started off as an indie author, self-publishing her work. Lyla Sage, the author, has such a big community, which is so important for rom-coms. It’s not just a campaign plan; it’s a community you’re building around the characters, the love, and the feelings. Lyla did a great job leveraging her platforms and existing relationships with readers. It’s a marketer’s dream to have that kind of foundation to work with. She’s very present with readers and connects with them, as well as other authors, promoting her work. It feels like a team effort.
And then, of course, cowboys! The cowboy romance is booming: the rich western landscapes, small-towns, characters that feel like family. But there’s so many other well-loved romance tropes interwoven throughout the series that we highlight for readers and that makes every book’s romance unique: best friend’s brother, workplace romance, enemies to lovers, second chance…”
Lyzbeth: Cowboys always make me feel like I could get into rom-coms!
“The covers tell you everything…”
Corina: Yeah, it’s the vibe. The covers tell you everything you need to know.
Lyzbeth: You obviously love rom-coms. What do you find most exciting about the romance landscape right now?
Corina: I think it’s the community. Not just the influencers, but also the readers. They resonate so deeply with the genre. I help manage the Dial Press Instagram account, which publishes the Rebel Blue Ranch series. The amount of mentions and stories we get tagged in for our rom-coms is amazing. These readers are very active and crave the emotional connection they find in books, both in person and on social media. It’s that passionate community of readers that excites me the most. They love social media discussions, sharing book recommendations, and attending author events. It’s exciting to see the space that’s being created for readers to share their excitement with one another.
Lyzbeth: What’s a project you’ve worked on recently that you’ve been really excited about or found really fun or successful?
Corina: I’m working on YOU ARE FATALLY INVITED by Ande Pliego which is out next week. It’s a thriller book, and thriller readers are also very passionate. This one is a locked-room murder mystery, very Agatha Christie-like, but it plays on often overused tropes and spins them on their head. It’s a book about books, and the author is a thriller lover.
We’re seeing a lot of early reader buzz for it. It’s Ande Pliego’s debut novel, and the consumer reviews are outstanding. It got Apple’s Best Debut of the Month pick, and we’re seeing a lot of early praise. I can’t wait for it to be out because I think we have a great author to build in the thriller space.
Lyzbeth: Very cool. It sounds a bit like Scream, taking all the tropes and spinning them on their head.
Corina: Exactly. It’s a thriller at the end of the day, but you can tell Andy is a thriller and mystery lover. This book feels like a love letter to everyone who loves those genres too.