to concentrate on hardback romances, a policy which became increasingly successful. These titles were initially sold through weekly, two-penny libraries. There, they became known as 'the brown books', because of their distinctive binding. Mills & Boon's innovative marketing strategies also contributed to their novels' popularity. Since 1930, this was evident when the company sent a copy of a chapter (a souvenir chapter) of one of their books to whoever formally requested one. Furthermore, the company's innovative marketing extended to creating eye-catching covers (with attention-grabbing colours and "and romantic images of couples or the beautiful heroine") to display in store windows. During World War II, Mills & Boon created ads that notified the public that they could go to their bookseller and place a standing order on any of their books. This guaranteed that Mills & Boons would always keep their novels in stock in bookstores, despite the challenges to businesses (such as shortages) that resulted from the war. This marketing technique also created a sense of urgency, due to an implication that there was a limited supply for whoever didn't place a standing order. These ads significantly contributed to the company's expansion. With the decline of commercial lending libraries in the late 1950s, the company's most profitable move was to realise that there would remain a strong market for romance novels, but that sales would depend on readers having easy access to reasonably priced books. As a result, Mills & Boon romance became widely available from newsagents across the country. Also, beginning in 1958, they made an agreement with Harlequin in Canada to sell reprints of Mills & Boon titles, giving the firm access to the North American market and to make a major move into paperback publishing. Mills & Boon did not publish in paperback until the 1960s, most of its books were sold not to individuals but to commercial libraries. In 1971, the Boon family sold the company to Harlequin Enterprises of Canada. Harlequin, having made a great success out of selling licensed Mills & Boon titles in North America, wanted to secure the editorial source. John Boon, son of the co-founder, continued as head of the company while his brother, Alan, continued as head of editorial. Much of the company's success from the 1950s to the 1980s came from Alan Boon's editorial talent. A considerable portion of Mills & Boon sales were derived from export markets, particularly