Romance novels enable readers to indulge in escapism, vicariously experiencing passion and lust with a guaranteed happy ending that real life doesn’t always offer. But what if you simultaneously gave those same readers products to help them explore their own physical pleasure? Now you’ve got a novel concept.
Bawdy Bookworms is a subscription box service that bundles individual romance novels with a mix of pleasure products and sensual accessories, delivered to doorsteps on a quarterly basis. Listed by Cosmopolitan as the best book subscription box “For the Naughty Librarian,” Bawdy Bookworms is the brainchild of founder Thien-Kim Lam, combining her experience as a sex toy expert with her personal penchant for the steamy written word.
I don’t believe in hustle culture and have worked hard to create boundaries between work and family time.
An avid romance reader since the ’80s, Lam eventually ventured into the pleasure industry and spent 13 years as a pleasure products party consultant. In 2015, she launched her business, Bawdy Bookworms, hoping to elevate the experience for fellow romance genre fans.
Committed to making Bawdy Bookworms a catalyst for both sensual exploration and empowerment, Lam also uses the subscription-based service and ecommerce shop to spotlight underrepresented voices, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA, neurodiverse folks, people with disabilities and those from historically marginalized backgrounds. Subscribers also get access to a private forum that serves as a “virtual book club.”
A sexy, original concept and a business model that cultivates diversity — not to mention her personal literary achievements — make Lam’s venture an inspiration to fellow entrepreneurs, readers, writers and pleasure seekers on and off the page. In this exclusive interview, she tells XBIZ more about her journey so far and her future goals.
XBIZ: What inspired you to launch Bawdy Bookworms?
THIEN-KIM LAM: I’ve been a reader of romance books since fifth grade because I enjoyed the sex scenes and the feisty heroines. However, I got tired of reading about white women falling in love. When I returned to them as an adult, I sought out more inclusive romances that also had spicy scenes.
Friends asked me for book recommendations, and then advice about different toys or kinks portrayed in the book. That’s when the lightbulb went off! “What if I created a subscription box with pleasure product pairings, where I featured inclusive romances matched with sex toys so readers could explore their fantasies?” Seven years later, here we are.
XBIZ: How do you deal with the demands of entrepreneurship?
LAM: I don’t believe in hustle culture and have worked hard to create boundaries between work and family time. I can be a terrible workaholic. As other entrepreneurs can attest, we spend more hours on our business than we would in a full-time job.
I’ve taken classes and read books that imply we’re not passionate enough to succeed if we’re not constantly working on our business. What’s the point of working so hard if I don’t have time to spend with my family or do other things that bring me joy?
XBIZ: Are you celebrating any recent business achievements or milestones?
LAM: My first novel, “Happy Endings,” recently earned out its advance. That means it’s sold enough copies to cover the advance from my publisher and is now earning me royalties. It’s a huge milestone as many novels don’t earn out. As for Bawdy Bookworms, we’re celebrating seven years in business. I wasn’t sure if we’d make it past the first year, but we’re doing it!
XBIZ: Some may perceive the romance genre as an outdated niche, but it is a major industry. How does the romance novel business differ from popular perceptions?
LAM: Yes, the romance industry is extremely lucrative and successful, yet the media and many people look down on the books as bad or unimportant. Writing an emotionally satisfying romance novel, especially one with love scenes, is not easy. Just look at all the literary fiction that gets nominated for the Bad Sex in Fiction Award.
Our society looks down on anything that prioritizes the pleasure and independence of women and people from marginalized backgrounds. How dare we find joy in love and sex? No one gives James Patterson or Dan Brown a hard time for writing similar stories over and over.
Romance novels have changed a lot since I started reading them in the 1980s. Most romance authors started off as avid romance readers first, so I’ll include myself in this category.
While the genre expectations of a “happily ever after” remain, readers’ expectations have changed. Readers today want books that have explicit consent and are more inclusive — but we don’t want inclusivity in order to check off a box. We want good representation from books that feature characters from underrepresented backgrounds.
XBIZ: Would retailers benefit from stocking romance novels?
LAM: Yes. There’s a huge market for “spicy” romances because readers enjoy fantasizing about different kinks and want to explore them. I’m happy to consult with retailers who want to add a spicy romance and sex toy pairing displays for their shop.
XBIZ: Is Bawdy Bookworms’ target audience new to pleasure products?
LAM: Bawdy Bookworms’ audience is mostly women in their late 20s through 50s. Most are avid romance readers who prefer books with spicy love scenes, though they may be either a longtime reader or new to the genre. I’d say a majority of our customers are at the beginning of their pleasure product journey, but everyone finds us because they want more adventure on the page and in the bedroom.
XBIZ: What types of products do your recurring subscribers really enjoy? Are they swayed by viral product trends?
LAM: The most popular items in our boxes and online shop are glass toys! It probably helps that I’m a big advocate and tell my community how great they are. Most of our customers are vulva owners so they gravitate towards clitoral stimulators such as wands, bullets and suction toys. Anal plugs and dual-stim toys are also popular.
Discussions about viral products come up in our community Facebook group. I talk often about finding toys that work for each person’s particular needs and preferences, so our community doesn't always jump on trends right away. They’re looking for others’ experiences before trying them out.
XBIZ: What brands do you regularly include in your subscription boxes?
LAM: Bawdy Bookworms features a wide range of brands, but we do have our favorites: System JO, Blush, CalExotics and Classic Brands make frequent appearances in our boxes, though we’re always open to others. Each box includes four or five items, including the spicy book and pleasure products.
XBIZ: What is the biggest challenge of running a subscription box company?
LAM: Curating a box takes longer than you’d think. I aim for the pleasure products to fit the theme of the book, which means we can’t make any decisions until the book has been finalized with the author and/or publisher. The most frustrating part for me is finding the perfect toy but learning that the packaging is too big for the box. With the amount of boxes that we ship, removing them or changing the packaging is not a cost-effective option. I always celebrate when everything comes together!
XBIZ: What is something that would have helped you with your business if you had learned it earlier in your career?
LAM: Just launch the damned thing! It’s easy to overthink your products but the best test is to launch and see if it sells. If it doesn’t sell, you can always tweak things or pivot. If it does well, great job. You did it!
XBIZ: Please share some of your wisdom for aspiring romance novelists or solo femmepreneurs who are just starting their business.
LAM: First of all, congrats on taking the first step. You don’t have to do this alone. Build your “boss babes” squad who will support you, yet aren’t afraid to call you out when you’re doing something wrong. I want more women entrepreneurs to succeed and more BIPOC writers to publish books. There’s always room for more of us.
XBIZ: How do you reach your target market, or how do they find you?
LAM: We want customers who value diversity, so we created a free Inclusive Romances & Sex Toy Pleasure Pairings Guide for those who join our newsletter. We send a newsletter every week and more often during promotions. I tried purchasing advertising early on, but my ads weren’t approved by Facebook. They didn’t even allow me to promote our book articles from our blog! We’ve found better results via our new brand ambassador program and from word of mouth.
I find my target market in various online communities geared towards romance readers like myself. We’ve had great success collaborating with romance authors and podcasts.
XBIZ: Do you think a niche business needs to be visible on every social media platform?
LAM: Short answer is no. Social media is great, but it’s fickle and we can’t control who sees our posts. We’re most active on Instagram and in our private Facebook group, but we focus on our newsletter and private community.
XBIZ: What romance series would you recommend for a first-time romance reader?
LAM: Everyone’s tastes are different so it’s hard to recommend just one book or series. Romance has something for everyone. If you like sexy rom-coms, try Jackie Lau’s “Holidays with the Wongs” series. For lovers of the supernatural, check out Heather Novak’s “Love Me Dead” series of books with queer characters. If you want your heart wrenched in two and sewn back together, the “Kingmaker” series by Kennedy Ryan will hit the spot.
XBIZ: Do you plan to release any new books in the near future?
LAM: Yes. I love writing. “Full Exposure” is my sexy, Mardi Gras romance and will be released on February 21, 2023. I’m currently writing my third book, which is planned for a late 2023 release.
XBIZ: What defines your idea of personal success?
LAM: To me, success is being able to change the world by doing what I love and making a living from it. I’m writing novels that smash people’s stereotypes of Vietnamese Americans, and I’m running a business that lifts up authors from underrepresented backgrounds while encouraging readers to prioritize their pleasure. So I’m already successful, but there’s nothing wrong with being even more successful!
XBIZ: What is the most rewarding or fulfilling part of owning and operating Bawdy Bookworms?
LAM: Every time a customer tells me how a book or a pleasure product from our boxes has given them more confidence in their body, I jump for joy. Pleasure is a human right and I want to do my part to encourage people to explore that.
