Does the ‘chick lit’ label dumb down women’s fiction?

Earlier this week, Ms Courtney spoke out against what she described as sexist and condescending marketing, dramatically dropping her publisher HarperCollins at her latest book launch.

Speaking at the launch in London, Ms Courtney said: “For those of you wondering what’s next for Polly Courtney, I can promise you that there will be more books.

“I can also promise you that they will not be published by HarperCollins or any other large publishing house.

I’m really proud of what’s inside this book. I’d just say one thing: don’t judge a book by its cover. Polly Courtney

“I will be ‘taking things in-house’, so to speak, and returning to self-publishing.

“I’m really proud of what’s inside this book. I’d just say one thing: don’t judge a book by its cover.”

Complaining that the cover of her new book It’s a Man’s World was too racy and sexist, she said she wanted the novel to be taken more seriously.

In 2006, Ms Courtney self-published her first novel Golden Handcuffs, a fictional expose of her career as an investment banker in the Square Mile.

Her follow-up novel Poles Apart came in 2008, and helped her to win a three-book deal with Avon, a HarperCollins imprint.

The news follows a move from the book shop WH Smith to drop the shelf label Women’s Fiction after two customers complained to the chief executive about “condescending, pink fluffiness”.