Sloane Crosley on Chick Lit

Sloane Crosley, assoc. dir. of Publicity at Vintage and Anchor Books, talks about the importance of substance.

Question: Is the term chicklit offensive? Sloane Crosley: I think it’s misleading. I think there are people that want to write chicklit and it’s misleading on both ends. It’s misleading for people who hate it; I don’t think they quite know what they’re talking about when they say they hate it because it’s become such a huge genre that it’s impossible to pinpoint what exactly chicklit is. And then there are people who talk about wanting to become chicklit writers. And I think, “Well, what does that mean? You want to become plum sites?” More chickie? Less chickie? More fashion? Less fashion? It’s all just a big knob that you have to turn and it’s a big pink knob that I do try to avoid, not because I’m grossed out by it, but because it’s just not me and I don’t understand it. I think my biggest fear in labeling this chicklit is that someone would pick it up expecting one thing and be disappointed by it. If people read a review that I feel is really accurate and get it and then hate it, well that’s their right. It’s also their right to return the book. But if they were misled by a sort of kind of marketing scheme that seems unfair to everybody. Question: Are you looking forward to turning 30? Sloane Crosley: I am looking forward to turning 30 because I feel like I've spent all 29 kind of prepared for it. I’m excited to be like the base level of a decade again and to feel -- this is my theory, is that I’ll feel like a little bit younger at 30 than I will at 29 because I won’t be saying goodbye to something. And because I feel like, while I’m no longer youngest kid in the room, I feel like a lot of people have that experience of being 24 to 26, going to a party and realizing that maybe everyone’s a little bit older and everyone’s like constantly telling you how young you are or you're just a baby, don't worry about it. I don't have that anymore. I’m no longer the youngest kid in the room, but it’s kind of nice. I don't know if I’d want to be that person, but yeah, I’m looking forward to turning 30. I’ll actually be turning 30 in Alaska. That’s where I’m going to turn 30. That’s where the magic elves come out and they ordain you 30 years old and fully grown. I’m going to a wedding of a friend who is in Alaska. I’m actually in the wedding. She took a great leap of faith after reading the wedding essay in the book, which is rather vicious and asked me to be in her wedding and it’s actually to be totally hokey about it, but really a great experience and she wants me to do things for her. I suddenly feel that urge to do all of those sort of girlish things that I had sort of should in the past. I want to be there for her. I want to fold cards and make origami napkins. It’s just this weird desire. It’s like -- I don't know, my origami napkin is ticking. It’s amazing.