Also from the peanut gallery . . .
Kathleen Bolton on Jun 22 2010 | Filed under: Business
Last week I blogged about my three tidbits of advice for writers. The first bit was to listen to your gut, not the market.
“Now I’m not saying ignore market trends or the industry. Novelists have to be business people too, and this IS a business as well as a vocation. But if you, for example, really want to write a simple story about two country teens who fall in love when the market is screaming for gritty urban fantasy, you should do that. You’ll give that story your best effort, the magic will come. If you try to wrestle your simple love story into a hot market segment when it doesn’t belong there, the reader will know.”
I’ve thought a lot about this since, and it isn’t entirely true. Yes, writers should listen to their hearts, always. But those who wish to become published must write a story that is saleable for their target genre.
I don’t mean to chase the trends. But I do mean to write smart. And that means keeping an eye on the market and putting yourself in the place of the editor or agent. If you chase a trend, chances are it’s already gone by the time you’re finished with your project and shopping it around. But each segment of genre fiction has different needs. Sending your murder mystery to a SFF editor is like serving a vegetarian a steak for dinner.
Designer Michael Kors tells aspiring designers on Project Runway to “know their girl.” Writers need to “know their girl” (target consumer) and appeal to them, even if “their girl” is themselves.
For example, if you wanted to write the story about the country teens falling in love, think about where your story fits in the publishing landscape. Is this going to be a mystery? A 10 – 14 year old YA? A fantasy novel? Be clear about the vision. Hone into it and keep your target reader in your sights. It may be that in the actual writing of the story you realize that your target reader is someone else, but that’s okay. That’s what the writing process is all about.
What is the tone of this story? Lighthearted? Unless you’re going for dark humor, maybe having a decayed corpse show up during the funny dialogue isn’t the way to go on this one. Literary? Are four-syllable words a good choice for a book you want to sell to fourth-graders?
Is your book current? By current, I mean appealing to today’s readers. For example, if you are writing in the historical romance genre and your heroine is a virginal girl from the country coming to London for the Marriage Market, your book had better have one hell of a twist. Readers (and editors) have been there, done that. Ditto vampires.
Please note that I’m in no way advocating that writers subvert their artistic visions for commerical purposes. Many, many books are written from the heart, are outside of market norms, and set trends. That is admirable and lucky. But if your heart happens to coincide with what editors (and their readers) are looking for, so much the better for your publishing prospects.
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I don’t disagree with you, but my question is: How does the market shift then, if writers don’t write something that’s different than what is currently in the bookstores?
For example, the virginal heroine in the historical romance was the norm at one point, whereas now a courtesan heroine seems to be the norm. So somebody stretched the boundaries along the way — I’m sure it couldn’t have been easy to sell a “courtesan book” during the “virginal” days. LOL
But somehow things changed, because editors and readers wanted something “fresh” or “different”, and their tastes changed. I suspect at some point the virginal heroine will be considered fresh and different, because readers will tire of the current offerings.
Anyway, thanks for the thought-provoking post. And thanks for indulging my mental meanderings on the topic!
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We all wonder, is this book it, or in? Will it ever sell? Is there an audience for what I want and like to write? You may find the niche for your writing is different than what you first thought after a little exploration. I agree that if you force yourself into a trend, that will reflect in your writing. Thank you for a thoughtful, timely post.
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This is a tuffy.
I’m currently looking for an agent who represents contemporary YA romance, and it seems like nearly everyone has paranormal at the top of their “want” list. I know that’s the hot trend right now, but surely there is still a place for contemporary YA in today’s market. (Sarah Dessen? Simone Elkeles? Ally Carter? They’re bestsellers.) Not all teens are into vampires and witches and murder. I’m not going to add paranormal elements just to sell the book–that would make it a completely different story–but at the same time, I do want to *sell* it.
Excellent post. These are some really good points to consider. :)
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Very sage advice. I wish I had more to say than that, but I don’t, because I simply agree.
As for the questions about how does the market evolve if we all have to write to it somewhat… well, a lot of small subtle shifts will eventually produce a great difference. Also, one risky book (beloved by agent, editor, etc.) can become a magnet, and draw the market its way. There are all sorts of ways to change the game. But really, if you want to play, you have to know the rules first, before you can try to bend or break them.
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if only i had a crystal ball!! good advice, kath
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Kathleen, this is an excellent point, and so true! It’s really all about balance, isn’t it? Yes, we pour our hearts and souls into the books we write. But after that, we sell them. For money. We have to, otherwise we’d never be able to eat and sleep under a roof and send our kids to college–and have the time to write more stories.
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Kathleen. You are right. And there’s always the WAY a story is written, too, to bear in mind. For example, I’ve heard a lot of buzz recently that flashbacks are out, dramatic present is in. And I wonder: what writer wouldn’t tweak their artistic vision if it meant better chances of getting published?
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There does have to be a balance, I think, if one wishes to improve their batting average at the publishing house. I know an author who always thinks high concept. I see her eyes come alight as she brainstorms, so her heart’s engaged even while she demonstrates business acumen. I think she’s even trained herself to work this way.
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