I actually don’t have any pompous writing tips or savories for this week. Rather, I have been contemplating a conundrum regarding genres and I’m just going to throw it out there to see if any of you fellow novelists will pick it up and get it rolling:
How important are trending subgenres in selecting the premise for the stories you write?
Allow me to explain a bit more on why this question has been niggling me. I have noticed more and more publishers these days send out CTA for romance novel submissions in very specific subgenres such as:
“Big high concept contemporary romance”
“Sexy alpha-alien science fiction romance”
“HEA or HFN erotic romances without major focus on character development, extreme conflict or drawn-out plots”
Not to sound like a genre snob or anything but I don’t actually know what the first submission call is asking for, haven’t ever read anything from the second one, and regarding the third, well, really? But whatever these subgenres are, they seem to be selling like hotcakes. Somewhere along the lines of Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey, my commune with the genre of romance picked up a crossed connection.
Of course, because I write romances, I searched out CTAs for romance novel submissions but I get the feeling that authors from other genres must face similar dilemmas: to succumb to the trend or write what holds meaning for me as a storyteller?
Any advice, authors?
The Romantic Quill 
#1 by raimeygallant on June 28, 2017 - 1:22 am
I think the first one means, can hook you with the high concept or 1-sentence hook.
#2 by lupa08 on June 29, 2017 - 12:35 am
Hmm… Could be. Will have to get my research glasses on 🤓
But really, did the book industry always follow trends this diligently?
#3 by Louise@DragonspireUK on July 2, 2017 - 2:38 pm
I ignore trends and write what I want to. If I were to pursue traditional publishing that would probably be a big issue, since publishers want whats trendy.
I plan to self publish though. If I sell less copies, that’s okay 🙂 I just want to write the stories I want to write for the readers that want to read them, even if that happens to be a small minority!
(Plus by the time I finish writing anything chances are the trends would have changed anyway!)
#4 by lupa08 on July 2, 2017 - 7:00 pm
It’s good to see you be so confident in dancing to your own tune. Don’t ever get jaded.
#5 by Louise@DragonspireUK on July 2, 2017 - 10:18 pm
Thanks 🙂 I will do my best!