The Absolute Degeneracy of Modern Writing

The Second Story August 3, 2025
Video Thumbnail
The Second Story Logo

The Second Story

@hilarylayne

About

Hello, my name is Hilary Layne. I've been writing stories and studying stories as long as I've been able to read. With this channel I'll be examining the world of books and stories as well as the culture of storytelling itself.

Video Description

What's happening with "women's literature"? How has romantasy taken over the publishing industry? How did we get here? And what does it mean? My book recommendation list! This is also an affiliate link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hilarylayne (this is a link to my Bookshop storefront, where, if you'd like, you can purchase excellent books while also dropping Otto and me a few coins of support and thumbing your nose at Amazon) My website: https://www.hilarylayne.com/ 0:00 - Intro 2:37 - The Truth about "Women's Lit" 7:03 - Why Romantasy Is So Huge 13:07 - Countering the Defenses 22:45 - Do Women Dominate the Industry? 24:50 - Does Sex Dominate the Industry? 36:27 - What to do?

Unmissable Gear for Your Camera

AI-recommended products based on this video

Loading...
NEEWER Advanced 18 inch LED Ring Light for Phone, LCD Touch Screen, 2.4G Remote Lights Control, 3200-5600K, Tripod Light for iPhone Action Camera, for Studio Makeup TikTok YouTube Video Salon (Black)

NEEWER Advanced 18 inch LED Ring Light for Phone, LCD Touch Screen, 2.4G Remote Lights Control, 3200-5600K, Tripod Light for iPhone Action Camera, for Studio Makeup TikTok YouTube Video Salon (Black)

(2,807)
$181.49
FREE delivery Sun, Aug 10
Loading...
SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I Memory Card - C10, U3, V30, 4K UHD, SD Card - SDSDXXD-128G-GN4IN
Best Seller

SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I Memory Card - C10, U3, V30, 4K UHD, SD Card - SDSDXXD-128G-GN4IN

(71,074)
$29.99$26.61
FREE delivery Sun, Aug 10 on your first order
4K+ bought in past month
Loading...
COLORCORAL Car Cleaning Gel Universal Dust Cleaner Vehicle Auto Detailing Car Vent Keyboard Cleaning Putty Cars Interior Cleaner Dashboard Dust Remover Putty Duster Wipes Swaps Cleaning Kit 160G

COLORCORAL Car Cleaning Gel Universal Dust Cleaner Vehicle Auto Detailing Car Vent Keyboard Cleaning Putty Cars Interior Cleaner Dashboard Dust Remover Putty Duster Wipes Swaps Cleaning Kit 160G

(76,306)
$10.99
3K+ bought in past month
Loading...
KLONA Handheld Steam Cleaner, Steam Cleaner for Home with 10 Accessory Kit, Multipurpose Portable Upholstery Steamer Cleaning with Safety Lock to Remove Grime, Grease.

KLONA Handheld Steam Cleaner, Steam Cleaner for Home with 10 Accessory Kit, Multipurpose Portable Upholstery Steamer Cleaning with Safety Lock to Remove Grime, Grease.

(67)
$52.99
FREE delivery Sun, Mar 22
Loading...
KLONA Handheld Steam Cleaner, Steam Cleaner for Home with 10 Accessory Kit, Multipurpose Portable Upholstery Steamer Cleaning with Safety Lock to Remove Grime, Grease, and More

KLONA Handheld Steam Cleaner, Steam Cleaner for Home with 10 Accessory Kit, Multipurpose Portable Upholstery Steamer Cleaning with Safety Lock to Remove Grime, Grease, and More

(51)
$49.99
FREE delivery Mon, Jun 16
400+ bought in past month
Loading...
Portable Steam Cleaner, Hand Held steamers for cleaning house, Home Multi Purpose-10-Piece Accessory Kit for Sofa,Carpets,Upholstery,Car,Floor,Bathroom,Mattress and More

Portable Steam Cleaner, Hand Held steamers for cleaning house, Home Multi Purpose-10-Piece Accessory Kit for Sofa,Carpets,Upholstery,Car,Floor,Bathroom,Mattress and More

(145)
$52.99
FREE delivery Wed, Jan 7
Loading...
Anker USB C Charger Cable (6ft 100W, 2Pack), USB 2.0 Type C Fast Charging Cable for iPhone 15 / 15Pro / 15Plus / 15ProMax MacBook Pro 2020, iPad Pro 2020, iPad Air 4, Samsung Galaxy S23+/S23 Ultra ClimatePartner certified

Anker USB C Charger Cable (6ft 100W, 2Pack), USB 2.0 Type C Fast Charging Cable for iPhone 15 / 15Pro / 15Plus / 15ProMax MacBook Pro 2020, iPad Pro 2020, iPad Air 4, Samsung Galaxy S23+/S23 Ultra ClimatePartner certified

(44,904)
$17.99
FREE delivery Wed, Aug 20 on your first order
6K+ bought in past month
Loading...
Anker USB C Cable, [2-Pack, 6 ft] Type C Charger Premium Nylon USB Cable, USB A to Type C Charging Cable Fast Charge for Samsung Galaxy S10 S10+ / Note 8, LG V20 and Other USB C Charger (Black)

Anker USB C Cable, [2-Pack, 6 ft] Type C Charger Premium Nylon USB Cable, USB A to Type C Charging Cable Fast Charge for Samsung Galaxy S10 S10+ / Note 8, LG V20 and Other USB C Charger (Black)

(103,365)
$13.49
5K+ bought in past month
Loading...
Anker Nano USB C Wall Charger,45W Fast Charging Smart Display Charger,with 180°Foldable Plug,Smart Recognition,Built-in Care Mode,for iPhone17/16/15 (Non-Battery,One USB-C Port,No Cable Included) ClimatePartner certified

Anker Nano USB C Wall Charger,45W Fast Charging Smart Display Charger,with 180°Foldable Plug,Smart Recognition,Built-in Care Mode,for iPhone17/16/15 (Non-Battery,One USB-C Port,No Cable Included) ClimatePartner certified

(698)
$39.99
FREE delivery Wed, Mar 4
1K+ bought in past month
Loading...
NEEWER Advanced 18 inch LED Ring Light for Phone, LCD Touch Screen, 2.4G Remote Lights Control, 3200-5600K, Tripod Light for iPhone Action Camera, for Studio Makeup TikTok YouTube Video Salon (Black)

NEEWER Advanced 18 inch LED Ring Light for Phone, LCD Touch Screen, 2.4G Remote Lights Control, 3200-5600K, Tripod Light for iPhone Action Camera, for Studio Makeup TikTok YouTube Video Salon (Black)

(2,807)
$181.49
FREE delivery Sun, Aug 10
Loading...
koolehaoda L Shape Camera Bracket, Video Vertical Shooting Quick Release Plate L Stand Arca Swiss Compatible for Tripod Head Ballhead DSLR Camera

koolehaoda L Shape Camera Bracket, Video Vertical Shooting Quick Release Plate L Stand Arca Swiss Compatible for Tripod Head Ballhead DSLR Camera

(87)
$23.98
FREE delivery Thu, Jun 19 on your first order
Loading...
ANXRE 71" Phone Tripod, NT79 Extendable Selfie Stick for Cell Phone&Camera Photo Video Kits, Travel Tripod Stand with Remote for Video Recording, Phone Holder Tripod Compatible with Phone Camera Gopro

ANXRE 71" Phone Tripod, NT79 Extendable Selfie Stick for Cell Phone&Camera Photo Video Kits, Travel Tripod Stand with Remote for Video Recording, Phone Holder Tripod Compatible with Phone Camera Gopro

(752)
$23.99
FREE delivery Tue, Aug 19 on your first order
2K+ bought in past month
Loading...
NEEWER Advanced 18 inch LED Ring Light for Phone, LCD Touch Screen, 2.4G Remote Lights Control, 3200-5600K, Tripod Light for iPhone Action Camera, for Studio Makeup TikTok YouTube Video Salon (Black)

NEEWER Advanced 18 inch LED Ring Light for Phone, LCD Touch Screen, 2.4G Remote Lights Control, 3200-5600K, Tripod Light for iPhone Action Camera, for Studio Makeup TikTok YouTube Video Salon (Black)

(2,807)
$181.49
FREE delivery Sun, Aug 10
Loading...
SmallRig ZV-E1 Camera Baseplate for Sony ZV-E1, Built-in Cold Shoe Mount and QR Plate (for Arca) Quick Switch Between Tripod and Stabilizer for DJI RS 2 / RSC 2 / RS 3 / RS 3 Pro - 4314

SmallRig ZV-E1 Camera Baseplate for Sony ZV-E1, Built-in Cold Shoe Mount and QR Plate (for Arca) Quick Switch Between Tripod and Stabilizer for DJI RS 2 / RSC 2 / RS 3 / RS 3 Pro - 4314

(3)
$44.99
FREE delivery Thu, Jun 19