Laura’s post about How to Choose the Best Story and a comment at my writer’s group last night about the genre of my WiP being (maybe) saturated, got me thinking again about trends, that nasty word that will either thrill or chill you (or possibly both) depending on whether you’re writing a trendy book or not.
Yes, I want to be realistic about the market.
Yes, I want to sell to traditional/indie/whoever will publish my book.
Yes, I want to write something that people are interested in reading.
But what if my great story idea is passé before I start? What if by the time I finish it, the trend will be so sizzling hot that no one will be buying those books anymore?
We’re not supposed to write to trends because by the time your book gets published, the trend of today is long gone.
But what if that’s all wrong?
There, I said it.
Amanda Hocking got rich off writing to a trend. Yes, the e-book phenomenon hit at just the right time, along with a bunch of other factors, but let’s face it: she wrote what was popular, published it herself, and zoom people ate it up. Because that’s what people want to read.
The key here was that she was able to get her book quickly to market, to benefit from the trend.
This is not rocket science, people (and I would know). Any business knows they have to get their product to market quickly, or risk being beaten by the competition, or just left behind by the public as hopelessly out of touch with the consumer desires of the day.
There’s no shame in writing what people want to read. The mere fact that I have to state that as some kind of defensive argument is indicative of how strange things are in this business.
Which of these statements makes the most sense?
Vampires are hot? Well, for heaven’s sake, don’t write about that!
Touch screen phones are hot? Well, for heaven’s sake, don’t make any of those!
Answer: neither one.
Maybe I’m just stubborn (it’s been known to happen). Maybe I’m just contrarian (that happens a lot too). Throwing down a gauntlet and saying “You can’t do that!” is just about a guarantee that I will try.
So, I’ll keep writing my Sekrit project even if it’s in the too hot genre right now. Mostly because my kids really want to read it. And, after all, isn’t that what this is all about?
I think paranormal romance will be around for a while. Would I write about vampires? Probably not after all the comments from agents that I read. But I might if I had such a creative different idea for it. There is nothing wrong with trends if that's what you want to write. Just don't choose to write it b/c it's a trend. Big difference! Good luck with the sekrit project.
blech. trends.
i love every word in this post!
especially the "it's not rocket science (i would know)" 🙂
@Laura I used to agree with "just don't choose to write it b/c it's a trend," but now I'm not so sure. Look at all the established, adult writers who have moved (successfully) into YA (a trend everyone is still waiting to die out). Although, I DO believe the rules are different for established authors vs. people still trying to break in (simply because they have a following, a track record, etc. Publishers would be willing to take a risk on them more, which makes sense). The writer who thinks "hey I'll write one of those too!" for their first book…well, it's still their first book, so not very likely with the success there.
@aspiring Ha! Sometimes I can't resist.
Write what you want to write – especially if it fulfills your own personal needs. If you want to write in a specific trend becasue it's hot, then I say go for it. None of us can predict this market and I've given up trying LOL:)
Pfft. You're so funny thinking you have some control over what you write. The characters are in control, don't you know.
But seriously, you're right. We can't/shouldn't write to trends. We should write our passions because trends come and go. When I first started writing ages ago vampires where hot. Then, they weren't. Now, they are again, even though people say they're on the way out.
What I want to know is WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE who decide what's trendy. I love vampires/werewolves/faeries no matter how 'trendy' they are.
@Lindsay You are so right not to try to predict. I need to stop trying too!
@Natasha LOL! Who are these people, indeed. 🙂
Maybe I'm spouting heresy here, but I think some writers are more gifted at writing fast and commercial and they should write to trends. It's the market niche they are equipped to fill. If you write slow and literary, then trends are your enemy. You'll never catch them and would do best coming up with the most true-to-yourself story you can.
I feel like there isn't much honesty on the interwebs about this–that some writers are commodity writers and others are craftspeople. There are distinct readerships for both.
@Laurel If you write slow and literary, I don't think trends are so much your enemy as irrelevant – your market is different, and will always be there. In a way, it's a smaller market, but more fervent. I agree that you have to know your strengths, and know why you're in the business. I'm not sure that there are commodity writers and craftspeople as much as a spectrum of writers where some are more concerned with literary aspirations and some are more concerned with getting stories out to the public. And I think both are completely valid. And necessary. Respect for writers of all stripes seems to come hard to a lot in this industry build on opinions and reviews (not to mention sales)! But I think we should strive for it.
I think if you already have something to work on and it happens to fit a trend, go for it! Especially since missing the boat might mean you have to shelve it for a while. I benched one of my projects to pick up another one that is more appropriate given the current trends.
I agree with you completely on the specturm idea and with knowing why you're in the business. I didn't mean for my original comment to come off as judgmental of one kind of writing over another–I simply meant there are a broad range of reading likes, and we need to know where we fit and write accordingly. Some niches expect books to come out fast, others not so much.
@Sierra How cool is it to have another project in reserve! Best of luck!
@Laurel I went back and read my comment – I didn't mean you were one of the judgmental ones! But I have run across a few of those in the last couple years. Knowing where we fit, without having to think less of those who fit differently, is something I think MOST writers do intuitively. We are, actually, a pretty open minded bunch!
I say write what you want to write. Although I have a WIP that fits a MG trend toward contemporary. It pulls at me to finish it before polishing my other story (non-trending) that has a request for a partial. Weird. I'm polishing but still it eats at me. Great post.
@bfav I hate it when stories compete for my affection! 🙂 Good luck with your partial!
Wait… I thought it was about fame and fortune. We're all going to get stinking rich from this, right?
@Bryan I would settle for money that doesn't stink.
I TOTALLY agree, I write what I love, what makes me go zing inside, because otherwise, without the passion, it wouldn't be worth it for me, and without the passion it probably wouldn't interest anyone else, either.
But, BUT! (there's always a but with me! can't help myself! I was born with an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other)
I truly believe you can take the idea you are passionate about and put just enough of a twist on it that it's still your same idea, but might also have that "stand out" quality that publishers are always looking for. And it is so much FUN to brainstorm a twist! I've heard a few agents say they will even still consider vampires if there is a cool new twist they haven't seen yet!
I agree with the comment to write what you want to write. If you're passionate about an idea and you write a stunning book, it will most likely be published/hopefully read by many. Trying to outguess "trends" doesn't work; at least, I think it doesn't. Think To Kill A Mockingbird. I would call that a YA novel. If I could write one book that's as good as that one, I'd be happy!!
Ann Carbine Best’s Long Journey Home
and a wise woman once said "you're writing for your readers." It was my agent, and I think I'm quoting her correctly. I always say write what's in your heart, regardless of what it is.
so go for it!!! :o) <3
LOVED THIS POST!!!
There are so many rules to follow and at the beginning I used to find it hard to breathe but then I broke my first rule and the flood gates opened.
It isn't about the rules to follow in writing, it's about following your own rules (or as I refer to it… my heart). If I want to write about vampires then I write about vampires because it's what I want.
Stephen King says that you first write for yourself and then you write for others. Spread your wings, it might just be the book that breaks the mold and takes us to the next JK Rowling.
@Margo I totes agree with everything you said! 🙂 (For the record, I'm not writing about vampires.) 🙂
@Ann There's so many books out there that don't get published, simply because the "market" isn't "ready" for them, I am sure some are getting overlooked. I'd like to think it wasn't true, but I don't really. And I agree about writing one book that was as-good-as (fill in your favorite)!
@Jen I love your comment! 🙂 And I DO write for myself, although I claim to write for others. Mr. King, as usual, had it exactly right. (And you make me blush with the JK Rowling comment!)
Just write! Anything that takes your fancy… I so agree with King… Keep true to yourself! Never mind about trends – no one knows what they will be anyway.
@Pat So true. 🙂
I agree with Laura. If it is in the too hot category, it simply has to be really different from what I hear agents saying. Vampires have and will still be around for a while and so will paranormal romance and dystopian etc.
@Bekah Freshness is the key ingredient, I agree! 🙂
I say – write what "moves you" – what you are jazzed about – don't try to time the market or chase trends…as long as you're not writing to too small an audience that your chances of making any serious money is essentially nill.
@Robin I think writers should write what moves them, or else they won't make it through the process of finishing a novel. (On the other hand, I know writers who are quite successful writing on spec or ghost writing, and that isn't necessarily what moves them, it's just what the market wants.) But I think of this more about not writing what you want, just because it's a trend – like the example with Susan Ee, who had written a great book, only to find that it was too "trendy" to get published in trad. publishing. That's where self-publishing I think frees the writer to write what they want, even if it's following a trend. If you normally write mysteries and switch to vampire novels because it's a trend, you're likely to write a bad novel. On the other hand, it might just stretch you as a writer, and you may write the best thing you've ever done (I've seen adult writers – like Westerfeld – move into YA with great success, writing to the market). I'm willing to predict that writing to the market is something that will happen more and more in the future. We'll see if I'm right! 🙂