Abstract
Eliza Haywood was one of the most popular and prolific writers of the early eighteenth century, and in the 1720s her output alone accounted for a significant percentage of all writing being published in English by women.She achieved a high profile presence, became an example that women’s writing could be a lucrative product, and moved into a position to interpret and produce popular tastes about sexuality, the body, gender, and social behaviours. Haywood’s writing reflected and responded to this popular interest in bodies, while it also capitalized on the opportunities the changing marketplace allowed new writers, especially novelists, to engage with and influence a reading public.