Image: Painting by Berthe Morisot, “La Lecture” (“Reading”), 1888

When Publishers Marketplace retired women’s fiction from its deal and dealmaker categories, it was an “overdue change,” according to founder Michael Cader. But as Publishers Marketplace acknowledged, the term women’s fiction remains a BISAC subject code, and it continues to be used widely (though not overtly) by retailers and publishers. This article explores how women’s fiction differs from romance and book club fiction. It also delves into publishers’ current attitudes toward the term and how writers of women’s fiction should pitch their work.