What Color Is My Parachute

For more than a decade, Jimmy Thomas, a fitness model with the swarthy physique of a gladiator or lusty pirate, has been a romance cover model and estimates he has been on thousands of covers. In 2008, he decided to start his own full-service stock-image website, called Romance Novel Covers, which he hoped would become a clearinghouse for not only his own photographs but also those of other models.

Given the interest in romance, the idea seemed like a good one. But as self-publishing took off, a wave of new models stepped in, and the price of stock images plummeted. At the same time, self-published authors couldn’t afford the prices paid by established companies.

Today, a stock image of Mr. Thomas for an online book sells for about $10. A premade cover costs $45. Special orders tally about $300.

“My stock site basically pays my bills,” said Mr. Thomas, who is 45.

In 2013, with his photo business slowing, Mr. Thomas had a new idea: start his own convention. Fan conventions have long been a prized source of revenue for publishers, the granddaddy hosted by RT Book Reviews, a magazine for and by romance-book lovers who want to connect with authors. Conventions attract a steamy knot of admiring fans, and they want to meet the models. Next month, at the RT Booklovers Convention in Las Vegas, activities include “America’s Next Top Cover Model” and “Kickass Cowboys, Cops & Kisses,” where fans can take photos with their favorite models.

Mr. Thomas’s more practical approach plays up sessions like taxes and self-publishing, and he concedes it hasn’t actually taken off. But he knows his audience. This year, he has added a cover model search and “The World’s Best Male Exotic Dancer Competition.”