Kat Harlton
Brain Power Studio’s new LUV app is a dedicated social media app for the romance community. The app was created and developed by the female led studio, which has adapted over 20+ Harlequin books for Netflix, Lifetime, Hallmark and UPtv.
The aim of LUV is to connect romance authors, filmmakers, publishers, actors and entertainment executives in an easy-to-use app. LUV is the first dedicated digital platform that brings together romance creators and fans from both the entertainment and publishing industries.
We had the opportunity to chat with Brain Power Studio CEO and LUV app creator Beth Stevenson about the app’s experience, how it’s bringing together the romance community and what’s next.
Kat: Where did the inspiration for the LUV app come from?
Beth: As movie producers, we had been collaborating with many authors to adapt their novels into rom-com movies. Once we started to notice how wide spread the whole romance industry was, we realized that many creators were working within their medium and not having an opportunity to meet, share and network with other creators. We also started to realize that there was a huge curiosity from rom-com movie and romance publishing fans to understand the behind the scenes process, and to share their own thoughts, opinions and stories.
Kat: Who is the LUV app for, and why is it important for the romance community?
Beth: The LUV app is a sharing tool that allows active romance creators to post and connect with other creators and fans. It also has great information for fans who want to follow authors and filmmakers, and to keep up on general romance release news. There is in-depth insider information for those fans and creators who want to learn more about the workings of the romance industry. This includes interviews with broadcasters, actors, publishers and filmmakers. Topics include – “How to market your own brand” and “What books make great movies?”.
Kat: Can you talk about the experience of the app, and what users can expect?
Beth: Users can customize their own profile, then follow or post about their personal connection to romance in the daily feed. This use is very similar to mainstream social media platforms. In addition, there are original LUV videos and publishing content that they can view and read. An articles section offers up to date release schedules of romance books and movies as well as in-depth interviews with romance creators.
Kat: What was the most challenging aspect, and what did you learn from the process?
Beth: Usability was the focus during our beta testing. We initially had a few more offerings but we will add as the community grows. The important thing is to make it easy for new users to join the conversation and be heard and to find content easily.
Kat: Any hints on how you think the app might evolve in the future, or how you see the LUV app community growing?
Beth: We believe that many successful collaborations will come out of this platform. We see LUV as a gathering place for those who make and love the romance genre. There are a lot of content sharing opportunities and stories to come!
The LUV app is free, and available on both the Google Play and Apple stores.
Editor’s Note: I’ve already signed up and have been sharing content. It’s been a great experience so far!