Guest Author Janice Cole Hopkins and a Giveaway

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Dime Novels

Dime novels came on the scene in America around the time of the Civil War. By then, printing technology had advanced, so it became feasible to produce cheaper books to sell in larger quantities. New York publishing firm, Beadle and Adams, published the first ones, calling them “Beadle’s Dime Novels.” Because of this and the fact that the books cost ten cents, dime novels became the term for all of them. In England, they were called “penny dreadfuls” with the first one being published in 1836.

These books were usually around a hundred pages long and had bright, colorful covers. The ones set in the West quickly became some of the most popular, but mysteries, military feats, explorers and adventurers, and romances had their niche. As you might guess, not all these writers were men. It’s estimated that from twenty-five to thirty percent were women. You might recognize some of the names among the dime novelists: Horatio Alger, Upton Sinclair, Jack London, Bret Harte, Zane Grey, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Max Brand, and Louisa May Alcott. Some used their real names, and some used pen names when writing dime novels. Often, this was how they got their start. Prentiss Ingraham, who made Buffalo Bill even more famous, completed more than 6oo novels.

The invention of the first practical typewriter in 1868 made it easier to write these short novels. An author could make up to $1,000 per book, which was a lot of money in the 1800s. One thousand dollars in 1870 would equal almost $25,000 today, and most writers could write a book a month. These books normally had a single plot and targeted the “common” class.

That’s what happened to my hero in The Writer’s Rescue. A debilitating accident on the ranch leads Wade Easton to become a wealthy Western dime novelist, but also a recluse. When he loses yet another housekeeper, he has no other option but to accept a woman he feels is too young for the job. However, she starts changing him without even trying. Can his own story perhaps be written with a different ending than he thought?

 

What do you find most fascinating about dime novels or novelists?

A name will be drawn from the comments to win a free Kindle copy of The Writer’s Rescue.

 

 

Check out The Writer’s Rescue at Amazon.

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56 thoughts on “Guest Author Janice Cole Hopkins and a Giveaway”

  1. Good morning Janice! Your book sounds good! Dime novelists are pretty much what had me reading at age 11. I did read a few Zane Grays, but my favorite was Louis L’Mour! I ran through those Sacketts pretty quick!

    Best wishes to you Janice!

    • Most research says that dime novels ended in 1920, but I agree with you. I bought books as a child about Davy Crockett, etc. that I consider to be dime novels.

      Louis L’Mour is my husband’s favorite author. He has over 100 of his books and rereads them. I’m not a rereader unless there’s a special reason. There are too many good books out there, and I want to experience as many of them as possible.

      Thanks for joining us today and for reading Westerns. May you be blessed.

  3. I have been an avid reader since I was 5 years old and had to read (and re-read, over and over) out loud my Dick and Jane book as we traveled from New York to Alabama. I was in first grade and my Mom wanted to make sure I didn’t get behind as I had to switch schools. After that, I read any and every book that came along. The most fascinating thing about dime novels to me is how many women had to use a male pseudonym and sometimes even hide the fact that they were female from the publishers. We’ve come a long way! Your book sounds like one I will really enjoy.

    • I began reading when I was five, too, and also became an avid reader. I’m glad you like the sound of my book and hope you will check it out.

      Yes, women often had to use male pseudonyms to get published in the beginning. However, many of the dime novelists, both male and female, used pseudonyms because the market didn’t have a reputation for being notable literature. Yet, it could be lucrative.

  4. Thanks for sharing. Your book sounds great and can’t wait to read it. I haven’t read many dime novels but they were mostly westerns. I love to read.

  5. I think the ability to have readily available and for many affordable would have many having the ability to read and escape their normal life.

    • Those are very good points. It was the beginning of popular literature as opposed to literary works.

  6. I remember reading my grandfather’s collection ofZane Gray when i was young. I became an avid reader and I still love to read. I was in the 5th grade when I first went to a library. It was eye-opening experience. I was fascinated with all the choices.

  7. I loved reading Louis L’Mour and Zane Gray’s books. Even though I knew real men could not possibly deal with all the things the heroes did in those books, I loved them just the same.

  8. It’s fascinating to me that authors could write so many novels so quickly. Of course, if I was making $25,000 for each one, I could probably do the same thing! They made reading affordable for the general public, and that’s always a great thing.

    • I agree that it was great to make books more affordable to everyone. There are still many authors out there who write quickly. The story takes over, and they scramble to get it all written down. However, I would be happy to make 25,000 dollars on each one since I have 79 on Amazon.

    • I think dime nivels may have led to comic books when the days of dime novels ended. I loved Little LuLu and Popeye. I wish I still had my collection because they are very valuable today!

  9. Thanks for sharing the history behind dime novels. 🙂 I knew some, but had no idea how much money they could make! How wonderful for them!

  12. I read my first real dime novel by accident last year! I was co-hosting an episode on my podcast and as part of it, we were reading a book published in 1891 called The Crime of Hallow-e’en by Laura Jean Libbey and realized it was actually a dime novel when it was published. I thoroughly enjoyed the over-dramatization and constant dire predictions that never came true.

  13. My dad used to read a lot of Louis L’Mour and Zane Gray’s books. I can remember seeing them around the house. He was a big western fan. I can’t believe how much money they were making on their dine novels.

      • Ophs. Somehow, the one comment got recopied. LOL. I get into a flow of writing and have a great time with it.

  15. The book sounds good! I grew up reading Louis L’Mour, Harlequins, and Barbara Cartland! I also read Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, and others, but started reading the first ones I mentioned as a teenager. I loved Jack London’s White Fang!

  17. How amazing that the writers were paid so much to write these Dime Novels. Do you know the size they were originally published in? Just wondering if they were like small paperbacks or more magazine sized? My husband and I are both avid readers and have read most of Louis L’Amour’s books and still have them in paperback. He still reads westerns only on his kindle now. My favorite are Christian romance or mysteries. I see some dime novels for sale on ebay but not sure if they are originals. Thank you for this interesting article.

    • Not all dime novelists were paid the top price. It depended on how many books the publisher could sell by them. Most of the dime novels were small books, 4-5 inches wide and 6-7 inches long, about the size of a Love Inspired paperback. I’ve enjoyed sharing today, and thank you for your comment.

    • You’re right. They were the first real affordable books, and they were very popular right off the bat. The first dime novel sold 300,000 books in its first year.

  19. What a very interesting article. I was greatly surprised that they made $1000 per book. Just
    Sounds like a great book. Love the adventure of dime novels, so exciting. I didn’t read until my 20s,I have a reading disability and I read all sci-fi books I did read Western historical romance about 15 yrs ago,my twin got me reading them and now I’m always reading them.

  20. Hi everyone!!!!!!
    The Dime Novels sound like an amazing thing of their time. If they were called Dime Novels, how did they cost $1,000 when the typewriter was “advanced”? Seems to me that that much money would keep most of the population from being able to buy them. If they were written with mostly commoners within their pages, why would the rich that could afford them want to read them?

    Your book sounds amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • The books didn’t cost $1,000. They were a dime each. The top-paid authors could make as much as $1,000 on each book they published.

  21. I wonder if Audrey Couloumbis wrote “The Misadventures of Maude March or Trouble Rides a Fast Horse” intending it to be an homage to dime novels? It’s an upper grade novel for elementary school students and is hysterically funny in parts. My husband laughed through a stop sign (without stopping – it was the audiobook we were listening to on a long car drive). Give it a try if you’re not familiar with it.

    “The Writer’s Rescue” sounds interesting.

    • That’s an interesting question, and it sounds like a good book. Thank you for sharing, and I hope you’ll check out The Writer’s Rescue.

    • You are right. They were sometimes considered low-class, but they were extremely popular. I think there must have been a lot of closet dime novel readers. LOL

  26. Dime novels were a good place for an aspiring writer to try their hand at the craft. If the stories they wrote appealed, they could acquire a loyal following, assuring them of a career and income. Using a pen name would allow someone to improve their writing skill and branch out to serious books under a different name with out any stigma that may be attached to the dime novels.
    Aside from giving authors an opportunity, dime novels made books more available to the public. Their relatively inexpensive price made them easier for the average person to afford. Also, since they were not a big investment, people would be more likely to share them. Not every place had a library, so access to books was limited. I am in favor of anything that encourages reading and makes it easy for people to get their hands on books. They may not have been great literature, but people enjoyed them and they were reading.

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