Without having read your stuff, I cannot presume to offer any sorts of advice or remedy. But it does occur to me that if I picked up a Robin Hood adaptation and it began with children, I would also (unfairly) assume it was for a different audience than for myself. And again I feel it’s wrong of me to suggest anything, but I do wonder if this is the sort of situation where a prologue would help—some in-world anecdote that may not really be a “beginning” but which would help set the more mature tone of the story before we go meet our young protagonists.
In any case I appreciated this read. Thanks for sharing TK, and congrats on your publications and your work so far. Persevere! I’ll look forward to more.
It's a really tricky one, isn't it? Having nearly finished reading Tim's book, the opening with the kids works very well: it deliberately has an innocence to it, but they're surrounded by threat and a sense of impending doom. The slipping away/destruction of the children's innocence is part of the story.
A prologue, or some sort of TV-style teaser scene, could help to set the tone up front, before rewinding for the stuff with the kids...a wink and a nod to the reader of what's to come. But, if that's not the way Tim wants to tell his story....
Exactly. And that’s precisely why I hesitated to even make the comment. It’s not my story and it’s frankly not my place. I meant it more to be me thinking aloud. Hoping Tim doesn’t mind.
Plus naturally any tone-setting prologue could very well undermine the intended innocence of the beginning which, if that’s the case, that would be asking the book to be a different book. That’s the least helpful sort of feedback possible. I don’t know. Hope I’m not out of line… This book sounds excellent, by the way…. I’m definitely squarely in the (actual) target audience.
I don't mind a bit, Eric, quite the opposite. All very constructive and much appreciated. It wasn't necessarily a case of not wanting to tell the story that way, but rather not being able to. It was a first novel, and I was very much learning on the job. Still am, of course, but I think I could probably have a better control over it now. In any case, as I say, it's all good lessons for the path ahead!
Had this newsletter queued up in my inbox to read properly for aaages, finally getting to it. Really interesting, thank you. I don't know why I feel compelled to write a massive comment, but here we go: I'm not a trad-pubbed author or anything but I think I suffer from this demographic/genre confusion too. I've tried to write (successfully) and sell (unsuccessfully) 'YA' novels (superhero, fantasy) for quite some time now, but only relatively recently i.e. a few years ago did I discover that 'YA' readers are mostly teen girls and women in their 20s-30s. Nothing against them at all, but they're prob not so interested in my juvenile male fantasy fantasies [sic]! I think the thing for me is going forward is going to be to aim just for a regular fantasy categorisation. Lots of classic-style fantasy seems to me to have something of a 'YA' flavour to it because it can be enjoyed by teenage boys (and girls, though perhaps less stereotypically), and yet it isn't categorised as such. This is maybe where I got confused. Also for years I thought one of my favourite series ever and biggest inspirations, The Chronicles of Prydain, was YA, but this was because I'd never considered it properly since learning about the different publishing demographics--of course in terms of length and maturity it's only middle grade! And what confused me also was that I first read and loved it in my early 20s! Categorisations are fluid... Ho hum. An author all this puts me in mind of, too, is Chris Wooding, another of my absolute favourites. He started out in 'proper' YA/middle grade, but now writes 'proper' fantasy novels (they're incredible)--yet though they are categorised as adult fantasy they have a definitive 'YA' flavour to them! So it sounds to me like The Blind Bowman already just *is* 'adult fantasy' and belongs on those shelves. I hope you manage to get it there. Maybe if your contract with DFB eventually lapses you can get it re-published somewhere with another house / put it out indie (as Chris Wooding has done with some of his older middle grade / YA fantasy, but now with adult covers! Check out his 'Broken Sky' ebooks--though his more recent stuff is far more successful). P.S. Have you ever been to the actual MCM comic-con, downstairs where you were? I have with my family a couple of times and it's awesome--highly recommended! The first time I went I saw Scott Lynch and Elizabeth Bear on a panel :)
Yes, it's a shame we can't just write our weird stories and be damned what niche they might or might not fit into. Well...I suppose we can, and should for that matter, but I find it hard to give myself permission to do that. Essential, though, so I'm working on it. As ever, you suggest some great sounding books - I'll have to go and check out Chris Wooding...
Do it! I bet someone will publish it. I think they already did? Chris Wooding--enjoy. At some point I will put out a listicle of my favourite / best fantasy books of all time / the biggest influences on SOTJ and he will be on it. The Darkwater Legacy is like a big multi-POV epic with old school values but for modern tastes. The two books so far are basically boys' 'YA' fantasy pushed to about 600,000 words, so potentially some genre resemblance to The Blind Bowman? Tales of the Ketty Jay is like a steampunk version of 'Firefly' but even that doesn't quite do it justice. A little less YA but still could get away with it I think. Broken Sky is action anime in book form and not quite as good because written earlier in his career; more middle-grade/YA crossover, but seems to have been re-issued by him independently with adults in mind. I need to read the other comments on this newsletter sometime lol as it looks like people had a party...
All I know is that I can’t wait to see what you write next! And if it’s not too presumptuous I personally have been wondering what type of story I would love to see your take on and I can’t get the idea of a dark retelling of Peter Pan out of my mind. Your take on Robin Hood has been my favorite I’ve seen so far and Peter Pan is next on my list of favorite characters and I can only imagine how cool it would be with the same vibe of Blind Bowman!
Wow - that is a great idea, not too presumptuous at all! I can definitely see the parallels and how a darker take on that story would be just ace. As with Robin Hood, there are unsettling aspects just below the surface which would be interesting to play with. I'd also like to try to reclaim King Arthur and Merlin, but there are so many entry points to those legends that I can't currently see where I'd begin. Hopefully one day, though. For now, my next project is going to be something original. I've been talking about it with my editors and an illustrator in recent days and I'll be able to say more about it soon! Thanks for your support as ever Kim, much appreciated
I think "market" and "readership" aren't necessarily the same thing. Your readers are those that connect with your books; the market is a genre or sub-genre within which the publishers hope a book will sell. But I can connect with books that aren't in my normal "genre" because of any number of factors: some quirk of setting or theme, the author's style, the presence of a certain story element. I don't read romantic fiction, but I did read Marian Keyes' "The Other Side of the Story" because it was about writing - and she's also a funny writer. I don't read horror, but I did read Michel Faber's "Under the Skin" because it has sci-fi elements, and Michel Faber is fantastic - I loved "The Crimson Petal and the White" (which is a completely different sort of book to Under the Skin). Maybe Faber is an example of someone whose success has earned him the right to write whatever he likes. Philip Pullman's books are aimed at younger readers but almost every adult friend I know has read them. But also look at Rebecca F. Kuang - I wonder how her agent took her decision to write "Yellow Face" after "Babel"! But isn't that what every writer wants? The freedom to write where the story takes them? At least, every writer who sees writing primarily as a craft rather than primarily a business.
I am against writing to market, because I think that a story should be an organic expression of a creative urge. Stories take us where they want, and we should follow. Your target readership will emerge naturally from that process - not the other way around. Writing to market takes something organic and squashes it to make it fit the formula, to whatever extent. Also, by the time you've decided to chase the latest trend (grimromantasy, or whatever), then the market is already flooded with people quicker to the punch than you - by which time things have already moved on.
Also, marketers have no integrity. The third book in the Dune series is currently number 10 in Best Sellers in Plant Sciences on Amazon (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/bestsellers/books/570610/). You might think this is some sort of glitch, but you see it so often. Amazon categories really are the Wild West!
So, I say, write whatever you like and let others worry about where to shelve it. We'd all like money and recognition, but personally I'd prefer something I knew was the best thing I could produce creatively. Good writing factors in the ideal reader - but not always the ideal "market". You can't control how the world reacts to what you do, only what you do.
This is a really useful perspective, Gareth, thank you. Particularly your distinction between readership and market. Many of the people who've written to say they loved Shadow of the Wolf wouldn't usually be the target audience of any kind of fantasy. They connect into it through the legend and the genre becomes irrelevant. I read Jilly Cooper's Riders and loved it even though I'm not ordinarily on the lookout for bonkbusters!
I haven't seen Rivals yet, but I do hear it's very good. Riders is an interesting case because the actual book doesn't bear much relation to the way it's marketed. It's just a great story with fully rounded characters and gripping drama. I suppose a bit like A Game of Thrones - no matter what your preferred type of story, I deny anyone to start reading and being able to stop!
They bought your work because they loved it, even though it doesn’t fit what they usually sell, your writing was THAT compelling, now they need to figure out how best to support it. I’m not sure it’s your job to pick a side/niche. Letting your editor know that you felt like you belonged downstairs with the superheroes would be helpful to them, I think. Maybe they need to make a new line or imprint of sweeping grimdark fantasy (and i’m going to go see if I can find your book!), or just up their marketing to booksellers on this.
That's very kind of you to say, Leanne. One of the reasons I have great respect for David Fickling Books as a publisher is that they are less inclined than most to chase trends. Over the years they've published some highly original books that don't fit any particular niche. But yes, at the moment, if we're all completely honest, giving The Blind Bowman the right support is proving a challenge. But as the head of sales said to me: it isn't through lack of trying! I trust that. They believe in the series and are doing all they can
Yes, it is, and I'm endlessly grateful for it. DFB believe in making good things, and keep their fingers crossed it's enough, which is really all any of us can do!
I did spot Shadow of the Wolf in the YA section of the Norwich Waterstones, and thought it was a bit odd. There's a harder edge to the story that I think moves it away from that readership, both in the violence and its sensuality.
The one reader thing, and/or writing for yourself, makes sense. But it only actually helps with one half of the equation. Christopher Nolan and Stephen King are talking about making great books and great films - and the quality of something is quite separate to its reception and success.
That's where the 'write for yourself' argument falls down slightly. If you want people to read it, and I think most of us want our stuff to be read, then you still need to have one eye on the audience / market / business. I don't think that needs to affect the substance of the book, but it does play into its presentation and positioning.
Writing for that One Reader is all well and good, but if that One Reader is never able to find the book, it's a problem.
The mistake traditional publishers sometimes make is to change the book itself, in order to fit the market. That seems like a recipe that will disappoint everyone. The book is the book: but the way it is presented and introduced to the world is the really hard bit, and the part that needs to flow with the market and trends and so on.
I write fairly weird speculative fiction, and I've always struggled with how to present it. Again, it's that positioning thing. I'm very confident in the quality of my writing, but actually communicating that is endlessly hard....
Yes, Simon, this is all very true. In many ways, when it comes to the story the weirder the better - because weird equates to original and arresting. But 'weird' isn't currently one of the shelves in the bookshop. I mentioned China Mieville earlier. He has done very well, of course, but even he I think deserves to be better read than he has been. The fact is, his novels aren't at all like anybody else's, and that makes him more difficult to market
I’m reading a book called Obviously Awesome at the moment for the day job. It’s very corporate, very American, but also really quite interesting. It’s all about positioning of products, and how sometimes we (the creators of the thing) make assumptions about what it is, and who it is for, and that can create an awkward mismatch.
I’m only a little way into it, but I’m hoping I’ll pick up some useful tips that can also be applied to writing/books/newsletters. When there’s clearly nothing wrong with the product itself — the actual book — it so often ends up being how it is then represented to the wider world where things go a bit awry.
That sounds really interesting and very relevant - I'll look forward to you sharing more from the book in a future post. Ultimately, there are so many unknowns, so much of an X-factor when it comes to a book finding its place in the world, that ultimately it's self-defeating trying to work it all out. When I first met my publisher he said 'make good things and good things will follow.' I'm going to choose to believe that!
'Falling between the shelves' because your writing doesn't fit with current market segmentation or publisher account management pitches or even being just down to seller shelving and book category metadata sounds a dreadful problem. The cries of 'we want something groundbreaking and different' ring somewhat hollow with your post.
Don't get me wrong, there are far worse problems, and I'm extremely grateful for my lucky breaks. And I can't blame publishers for following the sales. I'm really just trying to figure out where the author fits in this machine, and what we need to do to get our work seen
It's a very good question. Having an 'author brand' in trad pub seems to be currently a front-end for more profit, but which increasingly doesn't profit the author.
I have the same problem, though, unlike yours, it is not a commercial one yet. I write fantasy like you, but my characters tend to be a little older than teenagers. It also veers into so-called cozy fantasy (rather than your grimdark). Where do I fit? I want to attract younger readers, but so far, most of my readers are middle-aged or older. I guess I need to pick a sub-genre, too.
I hadn't even heard of 'cozy fantasy'. The more you think about this question, the more complicated it gets! There are subgenres of subgenres. I suppose that's what I'm wrestling with: how much should we be trying to navigate all this? It occurs to me that many of my favourite storytellers, from Hayao Miyazaki to Ursula Le Guin, have told stories that are wide open to anyone, regardless of age or gender or any other metric. But those are grandmasters. I'm not sure their model is applicable to the rest of us!
Yeah, cozy fantasy is a thing, a response to grimdark. But I believe you're right: I think we've overly complicated matters. Each author must do himself/herself to be truly authentic. Otherwise, we get something like "The Sword of Shannara," which everyone considers to be a Tolkien clone. When Terry Brooks wrote as himself, we got "The Elfstones of Shannara," probably his best book and something a little bit different from Tolkienian epic fantasy. Ultimately, the readership will define the author's genre.
I have some firsthand experience with this. I too have been suggested topics, and I've seen other writers around me get similar suggestions. Here's the thing: publishers, editors, and agents are there to tell you what is selling and what is not. I agree, it can seem limiting. And, there was a point way back in the salad days where things like "artistic integrity" was something I would have fought for with guns blazing.
But, here's another thing: you can run with those suggestions AND keep your integrity. Take writing prompts. You give 30 writers the same prompts, and you'll still get 30 different stories. What matters is how *you* write it. Keeping it within parameters is relatively easy, and may actually make plotting, character development, etc. easier. And hey, free advice on what the market wants right now? Lots of writers would kill for that info!
Plus, if you write to the market at least somewhat, you boost your chances of getting your next book/series published.
I'm not trying to tell you what to do by any means! I'm simply pointing out that there are other ways to look at it. (I took the long way 'round to learn THAT lesson... lol)
As to Stephen King -- yeah, he thought about his reader for sure. In the early days, you could certainly group his books into one general genre. But the reason he was able to branch out and write different novels was *because he was already Stephen King*. I suspect something magical happens when you start selling millions of books -- you get to call the shots more!
Hopefully, you picked up some new readers at YALC. Sounds like you could have easily been a crossover author to attract the downstairs folk. I also hope you were able to take some moments to enjoy it all!
You raise some very good points here, Graham. Particularly about the prompts. You're absolutely right, I think you can write to a readership (a.k.a a market) without 'selling out'. Plenty of scriptwriters, for instance, have written brilliant films to a strict set of parameters. And like you say, sometimes having some limitations or guidelines in place can in fact make the whole thing easier. I've just finished ghostwriting a fantasy book to very tight criteria and it was actually quite refreshing and reassuring to have someone else decide who it was for and what the tone should be! I think in the article above, when I say I was dispirited, I think I'm mostly talking about being disappointed with myself that I didn't know anything about any of this when I started writing the series. Or I didn't have enough skill to control the variables. I think with what I know now I definitely will keep a closer eye on who the stories might be for. And yes, I definitely did enjoy being at YALC, no matter my misgivings!
Without having read your stuff, I cannot presume to offer any sorts of advice or remedy. But it does occur to me that if I picked up a Robin Hood adaptation and it began with children, I would also (unfairly) assume it was for a different audience than for myself. And again I feel it’s wrong of me to suggest anything, but I do wonder if this is the sort of situation where a prologue would help—some in-world anecdote that may not really be a “beginning” but which would help set the more mature tone of the story before we go meet our young protagonists.
In any case I appreciated this read. Thanks for sharing TK, and congrats on your publications and your work so far. Persevere! I’ll look forward to more.
It's a really tricky one, isn't it? Having nearly finished reading Tim's book, the opening with the kids works very well: it deliberately has an innocence to it, but they're surrounded by threat and a sense of impending doom. The slipping away/destruction of the children's innocence is part of the story.
A prologue, or some sort of TV-style teaser scene, could help to set the tone up front, before rewinding for the stuff with the kids...a wink and a nod to the reader of what's to come. But, if that's not the way Tim wants to tell his story....
Exactly. And that’s precisely why I hesitated to even make the comment. It’s not my story and it’s frankly not my place. I meant it more to be me thinking aloud. Hoping Tim doesn’t mind.
Plus naturally any tone-setting prologue could very well undermine the intended innocence of the beginning which, if that’s the case, that would be asking the book to be a different book. That’s the least helpful sort of feedback possible. I don’t know. Hope I’m not out of line… This book sounds excellent, by the way…. I’m definitely squarely in the (actual) target audience.
I don't mind a bit, Eric, quite the opposite. All very constructive and much appreciated. It wasn't necessarily a case of not wanting to tell the story that way, but rather not being able to. It was a first novel, and I was very much learning on the job. Still am, of course, but I think I could probably have a better control over it now. In any case, as I say, it's all good lessons for the path ahead!
Had this newsletter queued up in my inbox to read properly for aaages, finally getting to it. Really interesting, thank you. I don't know why I feel compelled to write a massive comment, but here we go: I'm not a trad-pubbed author or anything but I think I suffer from this demographic/genre confusion too. I've tried to write (successfully) and sell (unsuccessfully) 'YA' novels (superhero, fantasy) for quite some time now, but only relatively recently i.e. a few years ago did I discover that 'YA' readers are mostly teen girls and women in their 20s-30s. Nothing against them at all, but they're prob not so interested in my juvenile male fantasy fantasies [sic]! I think the thing for me is going forward is going to be to aim just for a regular fantasy categorisation. Lots of classic-style fantasy seems to me to have something of a 'YA' flavour to it because it can be enjoyed by teenage boys (and girls, though perhaps less stereotypically), and yet it isn't categorised as such. This is maybe where I got confused. Also for years I thought one of my favourite series ever and biggest inspirations, The Chronicles of Prydain, was YA, but this was because I'd never considered it properly since learning about the different publishing demographics--of course in terms of length and maturity it's only middle grade! And what confused me also was that I first read and loved it in my early 20s! Categorisations are fluid... Ho hum. An author all this puts me in mind of, too, is Chris Wooding, another of my absolute favourites. He started out in 'proper' YA/middle grade, but now writes 'proper' fantasy novels (they're incredible)--yet though they are categorised as adult fantasy they have a definitive 'YA' flavour to them! So it sounds to me like The Blind Bowman already just *is* 'adult fantasy' and belongs on those shelves. I hope you manage to get it there. Maybe if your contract with DFB eventually lapses you can get it re-published somewhere with another house / put it out indie (as Chris Wooding has done with some of his older middle grade / YA fantasy, but now with adult covers! Check out his 'Broken Sky' ebooks--though his more recent stuff is far more successful). P.S. Have you ever been to the actual MCM comic-con, downstairs where you were? I have with my family a couple of times and it's awesome--highly recommended! The first time I went I saw Scott Lynch and Elizabeth Bear on a panel :)
Yes, it's a shame we can't just write our weird stories and be damned what niche they might or might not fit into. Well...I suppose we can, and should for that matter, but I find it hard to give myself permission to do that. Essential, though, so I'm working on it. As ever, you suggest some great sounding books - I'll have to go and check out Chris Wooding...
Do it! I bet someone will publish it. I think they already did? Chris Wooding--enjoy. At some point I will put out a listicle of my favourite / best fantasy books of all time / the biggest influences on SOTJ and he will be on it. The Darkwater Legacy is like a big multi-POV epic with old school values but for modern tastes. The two books so far are basically boys' 'YA' fantasy pushed to about 600,000 words, so potentially some genre resemblance to The Blind Bowman? Tales of the Ketty Jay is like a steampunk version of 'Firefly' but even that doesn't quite do it justice. A little less YA but still could get away with it I think. Broken Sky is action anime in book form and not quite as good because written earlier in his career; more middle-grade/YA crossover, but seems to have been re-issued by him independently with adults in mind. I need to read the other comments on this newsletter sometime lol as it looks like people had a party...
All I know is that I can’t wait to see what you write next! And if it’s not too presumptuous I personally have been wondering what type of story I would love to see your take on and I can’t get the idea of a dark retelling of Peter Pan out of my mind. Your take on Robin Hood has been my favorite I’ve seen so far and Peter Pan is next on my list of favorite characters and I can only imagine how cool it would be with the same vibe of Blind Bowman!
Wow - that is a great idea, not too presumptuous at all! I can definitely see the parallels and how a darker take on that story would be just ace. As with Robin Hood, there are unsettling aspects just below the surface which would be interesting to play with. I'd also like to try to reclaim King Arthur and Merlin, but there are so many entry points to those legends that I can't currently see where I'd begin. Hopefully one day, though. For now, my next project is going to be something original. I've been talking about it with my editors and an illustrator in recent days and I'll be able to say more about it soon! Thanks for your support as ever Kim, much appreciated
I think "market" and "readership" aren't necessarily the same thing. Your readers are those that connect with your books; the market is a genre or sub-genre within which the publishers hope a book will sell. But I can connect with books that aren't in my normal "genre" because of any number of factors: some quirk of setting or theme, the author's style, the presence of a certain story element. I don't read romantic fiction, but I did read Marian Keyes' "The Other Side of the Story" because it was about writing - and she's also a funny writer. I don't read horror, but I did read Michel Faber's "Under the Skin" because it has sci-fi elements, and Michel Faber is fantastic - I loved "The Crimson Petal and the White" (which is a completely different sort of book to Under the Skin). Maybe Faber is an example of someone whose success has earned him the right to write whatever he likes. Philip Pullman's books are aimed at younger readers but almost every adult friend I know has read them. But also look at Rebecca F. Kuang - I wonder how her agent took her decision to write "Yellow Face" after "Babel"! But isn't that what every writer wants? The freedom to write where the story takes them? At least, every writer who sees writing primarily as a craft rather than primarily a business.
I am against writing to market, because I think that a story should be an organic expression of a creative urge. Stories take us where they want, and we should follow. Your target readership will emerge naturally from that process - not the other way around. Writing to market takes something organic and squashes it to make it fit the formula, to whatever extent. Also, by the time you've decided to chase the latest trend (grimromantasy, or whatever), then the market is already flooded with people quicker to the punch than you - by which time things have already moved on.
Also, marketers have no integrity. The third book in the Dune series is currently number 10 in Best Sellers in Plant Sciences on Amazon (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/bestsellers/books/570610/). You might think this is some sort of glitch, but you see it so often. Amazon categories really are the Wild West!
So, I say, write whatever you like and let others worry about where to shelve it. We'd all like money and recognition, but personally I'd prefer something I knew was the best thing I could produce creatively. Good writing factors in the ideal reader - but not always the ideal "market". You can't control how the world reacts to what you do, only what you do.
This is a really useful perspective, Gareth, thank you. Particularly your distinction between readership and market. Many of the people who've written to say they loved Shadow of the Wolf wouldn't usually be the target audience of any kind of fantasy. They connect into it through the legend and the genre becomes irrelevant. I read Jilly Cooper's Riders and loved it even though I'm not ordinarily on the lookout for bonkbusters!
You're welcome - it just occurred to me. Though I've never really been a fan of "genres". They're all just books.
Did you see the adaptation of Rivals? Like you, I wasn't expecting to enjoy it, but it was great!
I haven't seen Rivals yet, but I do hear it's very good. Riders is an interesting case because the actual book doesn't bear much relation to the way it's marketed. It's just a great story with fully rounded characters and gripping drama. I suppose a bit like A Game of Thrones - no matter what your preferred type of story, I deny anyone to start reading and being able to stop!
Challenge accepted! :) Wow, that's quite an endorsement. I shall have to check it out.
They bought your work because they loved it, even though it doesn’t fit what they usually sell, your writing was THAT compelling, now they need to figure out how best to support it. I’m not sure it’s your job to pick a side/niche. Letting your editor know that you felt like you belonged downstairs with the superheroes would be helpful to them, I think. Maybe they need to make a new line or imprint of sweeping grimdark fantasy (and i’m going to go see if I can find your book!), or just up their marketing to booksellers on this.
That's very kind of you to say, Leanne. One of the reasons I have great respect for David Fickling Books as a publisher is that they are less inclined than most to chase trends. Over the years they've published some highly original books that don't fit any particular niche. But yes, at the moment, if we're all completely honest, giving The Blind Bowman the right support is proving a challenge. But as the head of sales said to me: it isn't through lack of trying! I trust that. They believe in the series and are doing all they can
It is so amazing to have that much publisher support, let me tell you! Especially in this day and age.
Yes, it is, and I'm endlessly grateful for it. DFB believe in making good things, and keep their fingers crossed it's enough, which is really all any of us can do!
I did spot Shadow of the Wolf in the YA section of the Norwich Waterstones, and thought it was a bit odd. There's a harder edge to the story that I think moves it away from that readership, both in the violence and its sensuality.
The one reader thing, and/or writing for yourself, makes sense. But it only actually helps with one half of the equation. Christopher Nolan and Stephen King are talking about making great books and great films - and the quality of something is quite separate to its reception and success.
That's where the 'write for yourself' argument falls down slightly. If you want people to read it, and I think most of us want our stuff to be read, then you still need to have one eye on the audience / market / business. I don't think that needs to affect the substance of the book, but it does play into its presentation and positioning.
Writing for that One Reader is all well and good, but if that One Reader is never able to find the book, it's a problem.
The mistake traditional publishers sometimes make is to change the book itself, in order to fit the market. That seems like a recipe that will disappoint everyone. The book is the book: but the way it is presented and introduced to the world is the really hard bit, and the part that needs to flow with the market and trends and so on.
I write fairly weird speculative fiction, and I've always struggled with how to present it. Again, it's that positioning thing. I'm very confident in the quality of my writing, but actually communicating that is endlessly hard....
Yes, Simon, this is all very true. In many ways, when it comes to the story the weirder the better - because weird equates to original and arresting. But 'weird' isn't currently one of the shelves in the bookshop. I mentioned China Mieville earlier. He has done very well, of course, but even he I think deserves to be better read than he has been. The fact is, his novels aren't at all like anybody else's, and that makes him more difficult to market
I’m reading a book called Obviously Awesome at the moment for the day job. It’s very corporate, very American, but also really quite interesting. It’s all about positioning of products, and how sometimes we (the creators of the thing) make assumptions about what it is, and who it is for, and that can create an awkward mismatch.
I’m only a little way into it, but I’m hoping I’ll pick up some useful tips that can also be applied to writing/books/newsletters. When there’s clearly nothing wrong with the product itself — the actual book — it so often ends up being how it is then represented to the wider world where things go a bit awry.
That sounds really interesting and very relevant - I'll look forward to you sharing more from the book in a future post. Ultimately, there are so many unknowns, so much of an X-factor when it comes to a book finding its place in the world, that ultimately it's self-defeating trying to work it all out. When I first met my publisher he said 'make good things and good things will follow.' I'm going to choose to believe that!
'Falling between the shelves' because your writing doesn't fit with current market segmentation or publisher account management pitches or even being just down to seller shelving and book category metadata sounds a dreadful problem. The cries of 'we want something groundbreaking and different' ring somewhat hollow with your post.
Don't get me wrong, there are far worse problems, and I'm extremely grateful for my lucky breaks. And I can't blame publishers for following the sales. I'm really just trying to figure out where the author fits in this machine, and what we need to do to get our work seen
It's a very good question. Having an 'author brand' in trad pub seems to be currently a front-end for more profit, but which increasingly doesn't profit the author.
I have the same problem, though, unlike yours, it is not a commercial one yet. I write fantasy like you, but my characters tend to be a little older than teenagers. It also veers into so-called cozy fantasy (rather than your grimdark). Where do I fit? I want to attract younger readers, but so far, most of my readers are middle-aged or older. I guess I need to pick a sub-genre, too.
I hadn't even heard of 'cozy fantasy'. The more you think about this question, the more complicated it gets! There are subgenres of subgenres. I suppose that's what I'm wrestling with: how much should we be trying to navigate all this? It occurs to me that many of my favourite storytellers, from Hayao Miyazaki to Ursula Le Guin, have told stories that are wide open to anyone, regardless of age or gender or any other metric. But those are grandmasters. I'm not sure their model is applicable to the rest of us!
Yeah, cozy fantasy is a thing, a response to grimdark. But I believe you're right: I think we've overly complicated matters. Each author must do himself/herself to be truly authentic. Otherwise, we get something like "The Sword of Shannara," which everyone considers to be a Tolkien clone. When Terry Brooks wrote as himself, we got "The Elfstones of Shannara," probably his best book and something a little bit different from Tolkienian epic fantasy. Ultimately, the readership will define the author's genre.
I have some firsthand experience with this. I too have been suggested topics, and I've seen other writers around me get similar suggestions. Here's the thing: publishers, editors, and agents are there to tell you what is selling and what is not. I agree, it can seem limiting. And, there was a point way back in the salad days where things like "artistic integrity" was something I would have fought for with guns blazing.
But, here's another thing: you can run with those suggestions AND keep your integrity. Take writing prompts. You give 30 writers the same prompts, and you'll still get 30 different stories. What matters is how *you* write it. Keeping it within parameters is relatively easy, and may actually make plotting, character development, etc. easier. And hey, free advice on what the market wants right now? Lots of writers would kill for that info!
Plus, if you write to the market at least somewhat, you boost your chances of getting your next book/series published.
I'm not trying to tell you what to do by any means! I'm simply pointing out that there are other ways to look at it. (I took the long way 'round to learn THAT lesson... lol)
As to Stephen King -- yeah, he thought about his reader for sure. In the early days, you could certainly group his books into one general genre. But the reason he was able to branch out and write different novels was *because he was already Stephen King*. I suspect something magical happens when you start selling millions of books -- you get to call the shots more!
Hopefully, you picked up some new readers at YALC. Sounds like you could have easily been a crossover author to attract the downstairs folk. I also hope you were able to take some moments to enjoy it all!
You raise some very good points here, Graham. Particularly about the prompts. You're absolutely right, I think you can write to a readership (a.k.a a market) without 'selling out'. Plenty of scriptwriters, for instance, have written brilliant films to a strict set of parameters. And like you say, sometimes having some limitations or guidelines in place can in fact make the whole thing easier. I've just finished ghostwriting a fantasy book to very tight criteria and it was actually quite refreshing and reassuring to have someone else decide who it was for and what the tone should be! I think in the article above, when I say I was dispirited, I think I'm mostly talking about being disappointed with myself that I didn't know anything about any of this when I started writing the series. Or I didn't have enough skill to control the variables. I think with what I know now I definitely will keep a closer eye on who the stories might be for. And yes, I definitely did enjoy being at YALC, no matter my misgivings!