Expanding on a comment from yesterday’s blog…Jeanne said: “It’s a shame authors have to try and write something that truly isn’t their desire to write.” Jeanne hit on a pet peeve of mine. What she says is what a great many authors feel: write to the market trend or you won’t get published, be successful, etc. I truly believe this is backwards. The idea that all books need to look the same way or be of the same subgenre is – in my view – what gets us in trouble.
The cycle looks like this: Romantic suspense sells so everyone rushes out to write romantic suspense because that’s what publishers are looking for and want to see, and writers want to get their foot in the door, so… Then the market gets flooded. All of the publishers are putting out romantic suspense. Many of the works aren’t that good. Many authors who don’t write romantic suspense try it. Many of the books start to sound and look the same. The majority of what is on the shelves for readers to choose from is romantic suspense in some form. Readers get bored. Readers step away from romantic suspense. Readers look for something new and interesting.
The cycle applies to chick lit. Happened with historicals, westerns and paranormals in the past. I think it will hit erotic romance soon. If this is how it works, then to break out and rise above everything else by writing to your strengths, by strengthening craft, by highlighting your unique voice,by having a hook or that something that sets your book apart from the others – isn’t this the real secret? And, yes, there isn’t a secret, but you get my point.
Diana Gabaldon is an example of this theory. No one else writes what she writes. She didn’t write to the market when she started. She seems to be doing fine. Yesterday I mentioned Stephanie Bond and Jennifer Crusie and pointed out that they write what they write and haven’t started writing really hot single titles in order to appeal to what’s “in” right now. Not to be naive, but it seems to me if you really want to capture an editor’s attention you don’t write what everyone else is writing and write it the same way everyone else is writing it.
As I said, this is a pet peeve. The rush to be like everyone else has always escaped me. In the context of writing, it makes even less sense. Readers only have so much money to spend. Readers have author favorites they buy first. Maybe, just maybe, an author becomes an author favorite by not writing what everyone else is writing just because they’re writing it.
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I think writing to the market, especially in the case of aspiring authors trying to make that first sale, can be compared to our culture of instant gratification. Just like people put big purchases on high interest credit cards just so they can buy that big screen TV *now* instead of later, it’s tempting to write what’s hot to sell ASAP instead of going in for the long haul by writing something that’s unique and wholly your own and then fighting for it or perhaps even having to try again a few times before it sells.
I’m guilty of subscribing to that mentality, but it didn’t work for me. My muse went on strike. There are some writers who are just that versatile, though. They can write on demand, write whatever’s selling, and craft a solid and readable story out of it. I envy those writers! But the ones who don’t have that skill and are trying to do it, anyway… They usually don’t last very long.
by Emma August 19th, 2006 at 1:08 pmI agree with you completely. I buy because I like an author, not because the jump on every bandwagon that passes by.
by Estella Kissell August 19th, 2006 at 2:18 pmI agree with you and Jeanne, too. I like what I like and there are enough of us buying books that authors should be able to write what they want to write. I blame the publishers because they won’t accept the books that aren’t “IN” at the moment so the authors don’t have much of a choice in the matter.
by Carol August 19th, 2006 at 2:33 pmYes, I buy what I want; authors should be able to write what they want. If everyone wrote the same thing, it would a very boring world – everyone likes different types of books. Some people read everything; I am fussy – I like contemp and am very particular within that genre too.
by Pat August 19th, 2006 at 3:06 pmMaybe I’m naive too, but what you said makes complete sense to me. I think the authors that stand out are the ones that write what they want vs. what’s popular. Those are the types of books I’m looking for. And obviously, so are readers.
Though not being a writer, I don’t know what it’s like to write for a living and the need to support a family with that type of job, where many authors explain that they write what’s popular because that’s how they get paid. It could be the market is so competitive that if people were writing for a genre that wasn’t currently “it”, then they don’t get a contract. I’ve heard a few authors give this argument as to why they’ve changed genres.
by Stacy ~ August 19th, 2006 at 7:53 pm[...] That said, Vanessa Jaye has a “Field of Dreams” concept on how authors can get readers to buy their books new rather than used. And this is a concept I think needs to be addressed just as strongly – writing the best books possible, not jumping the gun in order to sell now, but taking whatever time is needed to hone their craft. Why write a book that is going to blend instead of standing out if time spent studying deeper levels of craft will make the difference? I made mention previously of a comment about apprenticeship in one of Joe Konrath’s posts where the commenter said: For the OVERWHELMING MAJORITY of decent career options out there, you need to go to school. To study. To learn. Maybe do an apprenticeship or practicum. (…) If your dream was to be a lawyer, you might not be happy about the price of education, but if that’s what you really wanted to do, you’d suck up the expense. Thousands do. Why? They know there will be a return – and they know they can’t get there without the investment. But writers seem to think they’ll send off the manuscript and get the 6-figure advance immediately. [...]
by Alison Kent » Blog Archive » The Secret: Getting Readers to Buy New! August 20th, 2006 at 12:01 pm