books . . . for women

One of the unfortunate side effects of being female is the constant marketing of products as specifically “for women.” It’s not just deodorant and cheap pink razors. There are books, and then there are books for women.

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Seal Press defines women as tattooed 20- and 30-somethings who use alternative menstrual products and think that working in the sex industry imbues you with Wisdom.

from Women's Studies by Jessica Crispin

I suppose that's one way to look at it. Another way would be that Seal Press gives a voice to those who have had marginalized experiences and perhaps even to those who dare to think unconventionally. I mean their subtitle is Groundbreaking Books. By Women. For Women. I think it's self explanatory enough. Seal Press has created a niche in this very competitive publishing market and they are smart to target a specific audience. It sets them apart from the bigger publishing houses and makes them competitive. That just sounds like smart business to me. There are other publishing venues who target specific markets. Hazelden publishes books on recovery. There are a dozen small presses that publish books aimed at Christians. There are several that target the gay and lesbian audience. Seems if you're going to make a point about it being somehow wrong to target books at women, than you should also feel the same way about presses who target their specific audience. I mean, after all, if women don't need "special" books about their experiences, than why does anyone else? And what about "Women's Fiction"? Isn't Women's Fiction targeted at women? The fact is, How To books and other books targeted at women are nothing new. The major publishing houses have been cashing in on these books too. It's not just Seal. The difference is Seal often offers an edgier narrative, something a little less vanilla and more provacative. Am I not going to read a good book because it's categorized as "women's fiction?" Of course not. Am I not going to read a good book because it has the word "woman" in the subtitle? Of course not.

Here's another excerpt from the article:

A large percentage of the books Seal publishes are how-to guides. How to run the marathon, as a woman. How to grieve, as a woman. How to save money, as a woman. How to be a creative spirit, as a woman. How to find balance, as a woman. How to choose which books to read, as a woman. How to find “your true self,” as a woman. How to buy a house, as a woman. How to masturbate, as a woman. OK, actually, that last one is fine.

How many How to Run a Marathon books have been published? A quick search on Amazon tells me quite a few. If sorting by relevance, the first page has 12 titles. Of the 12 titles, only two have been authored by women exclusively. A few women coauthors, but largely the books have been authored by men. The two books authored by women are also specifically aimed at women. One of those books was published by Seal Press, and I assume is the book Crispin is referring to. It's called The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women: Get Off Your Butt and On with Your Training by Dawn Dais. The other book is Runner's World Complete Book of Women's Running by Dagny Scott Barrios. Barrios is a professional athlete. Dais is not. So the question is not whether Dais' book is aimed at women because Runner's World has one too. The question is, can Dais add anything new to this subject and do women face different challenges as runners? I would say yes on both a physical and social level. I mean, when the majority of Americans think of athletes and athletics, women aren't the first people to pop in their heads. So can Dais offer something new on the subject? I would say yes, she can. Her book is different from Barrios because she's not a professional athlete. She offers her audience the "fish out of water" experience, and some women might be more comfortable with that approach because they don't have a background in marathons or professional training. In other words, they can relate to Dais. I see absolutely no problem with that.

Any thoughts?