We’re thrilled to bring you this exclusive interview with Melissa Saavedra, founder of subscription romance novel service The Steam Box, which launched in 2021, and Steamy Lit Con, an event with over 150 attending authors including Olivia Dade, Lucy Eden, Adriana Herrera, Julie Murphy, Farrah Rochon, Kennedy Ryan, and many others, being held August 18-19, 2023 in Anaheim, California to celebrity diversity in romance.
How long have you been reading romance, and how did you get into the genre?
I’ve been reading romance novels for over 10 years now but my love for books started long before that. I’ve always been a reader and from a young age I would constantly find myself drawn to books that had any kind of romance- related plot. This is something that has developed and evolved over time and is now one of my greatest passions as an adult.
What led you to start The Steam Box subscription box, and how does it work? How do you select the titles that you send out?
Every time I would finish a romance novel I’d find myself wanting to have conversations with like-minded people about the books, the characters and the plotlines and then one day I casually mentioned to a friend that someone should create a box with both romance books and sex toys. To which she replied, “You should do it!” and the rest is history!
The Steamy Lit model is a subscription service where our users are able to pay either yearly, twice a year or quarterly. They can also purchase a one off Steam Box if they don’t want to commit to a subscription. Each Steam Box purchase includes three novels, a series of self care items and a vibrator to enjoy along with the novels.
When it comes to picking the titles, the Steamy Lit team read A LOT of books to try and pick our next Steam Box title. We’re always on the lookout for new options, researching what’s coming out, what’s our favorite author releasing next, what’s our friends recommending to us and most importantly what do our subscribers want. We want to pick titles that interest our readers while also representing our ethos of promoting and celebrating diversity.
Steamy Lit celebrates diversity in romance. Why is this important to you personally and to your customers?
Growing up, seeing myself or my culture represented in the media or in books was something that didn’t happen very often so on the rare occasion that it did, it made me feel seen.
There’s something so powerful about seeing yourself reflected in the pages of a book, especially because romance novels have this beautiful ability to significantly impact the readers’ perceptions of love, relationships, and personal identities. Therefore when diversity is represented in these narratives, it not only helps foster a sense of validation, acceptance, and belonging for the reader but it also helps promote positive self-image among individuals who may have felt marginalized or underrepresented in traditional narratives.
Which Steamy Lit boxes have been most popular, and why do you think that is?
The Steam Box, which launched in 2021, is our most popular box and I think it’s loved so much because of its unique approach to embracing not just the romance genre but also sexuality and self-love. Each Steam Box includes three romance novels, all of which usually follow a specific theme, a variety of self care items and a vibrator.
We also just launched our first Swoony Lit box. This is our YA box that is geared more towards younger readers and it’s something that is really starting to gain some traction so we’re excited to see where that will go.
How do you define “steamy” within the romance genre?
I believe ‘steamy’ is a spectrum. People experience and enjoy romance, attraction, and sexuality differently and therefore it’s really important to me that Steamy Lit represents all areas of that spectrum so there is something for everyone to enjoy.
What trends have you noticed within romance since starting Steamy Lit?
Even in just the last couple of years since Steamy Lit first launched I’ve noticed people opening up and being more eager to have conversations about sexuality, their kinks and preferences and self-pleasure. This is a trend I love to see and look forward to watching developing and evolve further.
You’re also hosting The Steamy Lit Con in August in Anaheim, California with over 150 authors. What made you want to create an in-person event, and what can attendees expect from the event?
Aside from my enthusiasm for the romance genre as a whole, a huge part of Steamy Lit is the community we’ve built amongst our subscribers and this was something we wanted to strengthen. We wanted to bring together readers and writers of the genre to enjoy a two-day event filled with book signings, panel discussions, Q&A’s, keynote speakers and more. Attending romance fans will also have the opportunity to meet their favorite authors and discover new writers, all while celebrating the genre they love.
What are two or three romance titles you’d recommend to someone new to the genre, and why are these particularly good picks?
- The Kingmaker series by Kennedy Ryan. This is a real page turner that is the perfect mix of romance while also creating space to talk about some really important topics. Kennedy Ryan is a really beautiful writer and once you’re hooked by her work there’s no turning back!
- The Worst Best Man or The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa are both excellent books that not only offer a great romance plot but are also really funny. They’ll both have you coming back for more!
What’s next for Steamy Lit?
We’d love to launch a brick and mortar store in the future but for now we plan to continue growing our community, creating more Steam Boxes and special edition covers and putting our efforts into hosting the best Steamy Lit Con that we can!
Visit the Steamy Lit site to find out more about the Steam Box and the Steamy Lit Con site for details on attending.