At the risk of sounding like your mother, or worse a screeching harpy, I cannot impress upon you the importance of knowing your genre and selecting an appropriate faculty member for your critique.
There are several reasons this is VERY IMPORTANT.
1. Someone who does not know your genre cannot give you the best feedback. Translation: You are wasting your money if you select a faculty member who doesn't want to read, represent or publish your type of manuscript.
2. If you select an inappropriate faculty member, you run the risk of really ticking them off. Why does it matter? Say you're writing romance now and you select someone who represents mostly non-fiction. In two or three years, you may write a book that's non-fiction. And guess what? You've burned that bridge. Translation: People in this business have long memories. If you tick someone off by forcing them to read something they don't want to read, they won't look favorably on subsequent submissions.
3. The myth that if the writing is good enough ANYONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND would kill for the chance to represent or publish it is exactly that: A MYTH. Even if you're the next Hemingway or Faulkner, you shouldn't bank on the strength of your writing to persuade someone to ADORE your genre. Translation: Your book has to be well-written and well-represented. You want the agent you sign with to be ga-ga over your work. Forcing them to like it is not an option.
4. Publishing is a business. You want someone who's a good fit for your work to read, represent or publish it. Translation: You will be more successful if you don't try to cut corners, get an agent, editor and publisher who's right for your work. You will make more money and get more exposure this way.
In summary, do your homework. Make sure the person(s) you select for critique are appropriate and willing to read your genre.
Showing posts with label genre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label genre. Show all posts
Literary Fiction: We Have to GET IT
Let me start by saying I'm huge---HUGE--fan of literary fiction. Check out my bio and you'll see names like Anne Tyler and Robert Morgan in my favorites. But literary fiction is only good if it's done well. Well-written literary fiction makes you see the world in a different way, with a different set of eyes.
In general, literary fiction is more about character arc than plot. It moves a little slower, there's more subtlety. It's brain food, written with a deliberate purpose. One of my recent faves is MUDBOUND, by Hillary Jordan. It deals with racism and sharecropping in the post WWII Deep South. (If you haven't read this already, RUSH TO THE LIBRARY OR THE NEAREST BOOKSTORE NOW! You can read the blog later.) The novel is filled with evocative prose, tangible characters, and that indefinable 'something'. Jordan's style allows the reader to connect with all her characters---even the really mean ones. But stuff happens. Lots of stuff. There is a plot---there are even subplots. And there is a social purpose.
Literary fiction is NOT rambling, unconnected prose that goes nowhere. Even if it's beautiful prose. Even if the reader can taste the figs, and smell the fresh cut grass, it still has to go somewhere. The reader MUST see the evolution of at least one of your characters, and the only way to nudge a character into this metamorphosis is by using events---internal or external---to create that change.
And, the reader has to GET IT. You can't expect a sale, or a huge success, if your book is so erudite that only Ivy League professors get it. Most writers who are capable of this type of elevated writing are at Iowa Writers Workshop or in an MFA program. Not all, but most.
You're kidding yourself if you think you can pen a 80K novel where nothing happens, pawn it off as literary and make a big sale. Successful literary fiction often makes the transition to the CLASSIC SHELF. That's no easy feat. Did Harper Lee realize the social importance of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD? Would she have classified her work as literary fiction? Now, it's a classic. Every high school in America reads it. Most of us have seen the old black and white movie. Not only is it a BEAUTIFUL BOOK, it's an IMPORTANT BOOK.
If you think you write literary fiction, read or reread some of the contemporary greats: Louise Erdrich, Margaret Atwood, Anne Tyler, Robert Morgan, Ian McEwan, Cormac McCarthy, Richard Russo, Geraldine Brooks, Barbara Kingslover, . Make sure you're in the same ballpark. Not that you can write as well, but that you understand the genre well-enough to properly classify your work.
In general, literary fiction is more about character arc than plot. It moves a little slower, there's more subtlety. It's brain food, written with a deliberate purpose. One of my recent faves is MUDBOUND, by Hillary Jordan. It deals with racism and sharecropping in the post WWII Deep South. (If you haven't read this already, RUSH TO THE LIBRARY OR THE NEAREST BOOKSTORE NOW! You can read the blog later.) The novel is filled with evocative prose, tangible characters, and that indefinable 'something'. Jordan's style allows the reader to connect with all her characters---even the really mean ones. But stuff happens. Lots of stuff. There is a plot---there are even subplots. And there is a social purpose.
Literary fiction is NOT rambling, unconnected prose that goes nowhere. Even if it's beautiful prose. Even if the reader can taste the figs, and smell the fresh cut grass, it still has to go somewhere. The reader MUST see the evolution of at least one of your characters, and the only way to nudge a character into this metamorphosis is by using events---internal or external---to create that change.
And, the reader has to GET IT. You can't expect a sale, or a huge success, if your book is so erudite that only Ivy League professors get it. Most writers who are capable of this type of elevated writing are at Iowa Writers Workshop or in an MFA program. Not all, but most.
You're kidding yourself if you think you can pen a 80K novel where nothing happens, pawn it off as literary and make a big sale. Successful literary fiction often makes the transition to the CLASSIC SHELF. That's no easy feat. Did Harper Lee realize the social importance of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD? Would she have classified her work as literary fiction? Now, it's a classic. Every high school in America reads it. Most of us have seen the old black and white movie. Not only is it a BEAUTIFUL BOOK, it's an IMPORTANT BOOK.
If you think you write literary fiction, read or reread some of the contemporary greats: Louise Erdrich, Margaret Atwood, Anne Tyler, Robert Morgan, Ian McEwan, Cormac McCarthy, Richard Russo, Geraldine Brooks, Barbara Kingslover, . Make sure you're in the same ballpark. Not that you can write as well, but that you understand the genre well-enough to properly classify your work.
Genre Spotlight: Romance
Here's what Romance Writers of America (RWA) has to say about what defines romance:
Two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying and optimistic ending.
A Central Love Story: The main plot centers around two individuals falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. A writer can include as many subplots as he/she wants as long as the love story is the main focus of the novel.
An Emotionally-Satisfying and Optimistic Ending: In a romance, the lovers who risk and struggle for each other and their relationship are rewarded with emotional justice and unconditional love. Romance novels may have any tone or style, be set in any place or time, and have varying levels of sensuality—ranging from sweet to extremely hot. These settings and distinctions of plot create specific subgenres within romance fiction.
Romance Novel Formats
There are two formats for romance fiction:
Series or "category" romances: books issued under a common imprint/series name that are usually numbered sequentially and released at regular intervals, usually monthly, with the same number of releases each time. These books are most commonly published by Harlequin/Silhouette.
Single-title romances: longer romances released individually and not as part of a numbered series. Single-title romances may be released in hard cover, trade paperback, or mass-market paperback sizes.
If you want to read more, check out the RWA site at
http://www.rwantional.org/
Tomorrow, let's talk about subgenres and how to figure out where to classify your novel.
Two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying and optimistic ending.
A Central Love Story: The main plot centers around two individuals falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. A writer can include as many subplots as he/she wants as long as the love story is the main focus of the novel.
An Emotionally-Satisfying and Optimistic Ending: In a romance, the lovers who risk and struggle for each other and their relationship are rewarded with emotional justice and unconditional love. Romance novels may have any tone or style, be set in any place or time, and have varying levels of sensuality—ranging from sweet to extremely hot. These settings and distinctions of plot create specific subgenres within romance fiction.
Romance Novel Formats
There are two formats for romance fiction:
Series or "category" romances: books issued under a common imprint/series name that are usually numbered sequentially and released at regular intervals, usually monthly, with the same number of releases each time. These books are most commonly published by Harlequin/Silhouette.
Single-title romances: longer romances released individually and not as part of a numbered series. Single-title romances may be released in hard cover, trade paperback, or mass-market paperback sizes.
If you want to read more, check out the RWA site at
http://www.rwantional.org/
Tomorrow, let's talk about subgenres and how to figure out where to classify your novel.
Writing Trends: Hummers and Hybrids
As an aspiring author, it's important to keep a keen eye on the "NEW" bookshelves in both bookstores and libraries. By keeping your reading list current, you're keeping your finger on the pulse of the market. Just as in fashion, there are trends in the book world. If you're writing a book you intend to sell, especially if it's one you've had on your desk for a while, you need to make sure that manuscript would be marketable in today's world.
Don't delude yourself. Reading someone else's work, even if it's similar to yours, WILL NOT pollute your writing. It will enrich it. Don't get me wrong---you should never copy or plagarize in any way. But you should read the kind of books you write. Note the elements that pop up in every title. And then note the new trends---new styles, new types of characters, etc.
Take the romance genre for example. Gothic tales filled with brooding heros, dark dungeons, and isolated castles were all the rage in the 60's and 70's. The eighties were all about sucessful business men, the boom of the comtemporary romance, and money. Lots and lots of money. We we all watching Dallas while we read Jackie Collins. And remember all those great Judith McNaught novels? And who can forget Jayne Ann Krentz's eighties books? The last few years have been all about the paranormal. And paranormal likely wouldn't have sold in the days of Boy George and WHAM!. And even if it did, it would have been to a smaller audience. Who knows what the newest trend will be?
Ever notice how lots of best-selling authors start writing different kinds of books, even after major successes? Sandra Brown now writes romantic suspense---not short categories. Brenda Joyce is concentrating on paranormals instead of historicals. Even established authors have to follow trends sometimes.
Sometimes, writing for pleasure is a different game that writing for commercial success. Sure, you should write books you would like to read. But don't kid yourself either. Be honest with yourself when you reflect on WHY you write. And if you're writing to become the next top-seller, you need to know the market inside and out. I'm not suggesting that you "write for the trend" because you may be too late to catch it. What I am suggesting is that you read widely and figure out the baseline of your genre. Once you know that, you can easily spot what's new and hot and marketable.
Writing a manuscript fitting the expectations of today's reader goes a long way in getting it published.
In short, nobody wants to buy a Hummer right now. We're all thinking about Hybrids and MiniCoopers. Make sure your book is not a Hummer. Who knows when they'll be back en vogue?
Don't delude yourself. Reading someone else's work, even if it's similar to yours, WILL NOT pollute your writing. It will enrich it. Don't get me wrong---you should never copy or plagarize in any way. But you should read the kind of books you write. Note the elements that pop up in every title. And then note the new trends---new styles, new types of characters, etc.
Take the romance genre for example. Gothic tales filled with brooding heros, dark dungeons, and isolated castles were all the rage in the 60's and 70's. The eighties were all about sucessful business men, the boom of the comtemporary romance, and money. Lots and lots of money. We we all watching Dallas while we read Jackie Collins. And remember all those great Judith McNaught novels? And who can forget Jayne Ann Krentz's eighties books? The last few years have been all about the paranormal. And paranormal likely wouldn't have sold in the days of Boy George and WHAM!. And even if it did, it would have been to a smaller audience. Who knows what the newest trend will be?
Ever notice how lots of best-selling authors start writing different kinds of books, even after major successes? Sandra Brown now writes romantic suspense---not short categories. Brenda Joyce is concentrating on paranormals instead of historicals. Even established authors have to follow trends sometimes.
Sometimes, writing for pleasure is a different game that writing for commercial success. Sure, you should write books you would like to read. But don't kid yourself either. Be honest with yourself when you reflect on WHY you write. And if you're writing to become the next top-seller, you need to know the market inside and out. I'm not suggesting that you "write for the trend" because you may be too late to catch it. What I am suggesting is that you read widely and figure out the baseline of your genre. Once you know that, you can easily spot what's new and hot and marketable.
Writing a manuscript fitting the expectations of today's reader goes a long way in getting it published.
In short, nobody wants to buy a Hummer right now. We're all thinking about Hybrids and MiniCoopers. Make sure your book is not a Hummer. Who knows when they'll be back en vogue?
What's your Genre?
This shouldn't be a trick question. While there are some of cross-over authors that can, and sometimes are shelved in more than one place in your neighborhood bookstore, you really NEED to know where your manuscript fits into the big scheme of things. Most cross-overs, like Diana Gabaldon, are big sellers making the use of space profitable.
Why is genre-labeling so important? Think about it this way: A bookstore has a finite amount of shelf space. They want to stock it with titles that will sell, thus making that space profitable. If you're predominatly a horror reader, and you go to this section and don't find what you're looking for, you might pick up something similar. The bookstore has made a sale and you've tried a new author or a new title. If everything is all jumbled together, you may or may not find something that fits your taste. And that's bad for merchants and authors.
If you're in the process of trying to sell your first book, this is an especially important question. You want to make sure you can answer the above question without a lot of waffling. Agents and editors want to know where you fit. If you don't know what you write, and you're not able to pinpoint it in a sentence or two, the agent or editor surely can't tell you. And it's nearly impossible (if not totally impossible) to sell your book to someone who doesn't represent or acquire your genre. It's not that they don't like you or even that they're making any judgement of your work. They simply don't deal with your kind of book. Not to mention it wouldn't be in your own best interest to sign with someone who doesn't know your market.
Let me give you an example: I.M. Gonna Beanauthor has a critique appointment with Stellar Agent who represents only mystery. Beanauthor writes fantasy. The critique is a waste of time for both people. Stellar can't speak to the marketability of the book and Beanauthor gets no valueable feedback. If Beanauthor had done a little research and a little reflection on his work, he might have chosen someone better qualified to critique him. And Stellar Agent might have found an author that better fit his agency.
How do you figure out where you fit? It's simple. Read. Read widely from several genres. Figure out what the common thread is in each one. Then it's an easy question to answer. Just because two people fall in love in your book, it isn't necessarily romance. And just because there's an unsolved murder, it doesn't mean it's a mystery. Consider all the elements of your manuscript and then call it. Call it something! And be able to explain your label.
Once a week for the next few weeks, I'll focus on each major genre, one blog at a time, so that you can consider all this before you choose your faculty critique.
Why is genre-labeling so important? Think about it this way: A bookstore has a finite amount of shelf space. They want to stock it with titles that will sell, thus making that space profitable. If you're predominatly a horror reader, and you go to this section and don't find what you're looking for, you might pick up something similar. The bookstore has made a sale and you've tried a new author or a new title. If everything is all jumbled together, you may or may not find something that fits your taste. And that's bad for merchants and authors.
If you're in the process of trying to sell your first book, this is an especially important question. You want to make sure you can answer the above question without a lot of waffling. Agents and editors want to know where you fit. If you don't know what you write, and you're not able to pinpoint it in a sentence or two, the agent or editor surely can't tell you. And it's nearly impossible (if not totally impossible) to sell your book to someone who doesn't represent or acquire your genre. It's not that they don't like you or even that they're making any judgement of your work. They simply don't deal with your kind of book. Not to mention it wouldn't be in your own best interest to sign with someone who doesn't know your market.
Let me give you an example: I.M. Gonna Beanauthor has a critique appointment with Stellar Agent who represents only mystery. Beanauthor writes fantasy. The critique is a waste of time for both people. Stellar can't speak to the marketability of the book and Beanauthor gets no valueable feedback. If Beanauthor had done a little research and a little reflection on his work, he might have chosen someone better qualified to critique him. And Stellar Agent might have found an author that better fit his agency.
How do you figure out where you fit? It's simple. Read. Read widely from several genres. Figure out what the common thread is in each one. Then it's an easy question to answer. Just because two people fall in love in your book, it isn't necessarily romance. And just because there's an unsolved murder, it doesn't mean it's a mystery. Consider all the elements of your manuscript and then call it. Call it something! And be able to explain your label.
Once a week for the next few weeks, I'll focus on each major genre, one blog at a time, so that you can consider all this before you choose your faculty critique.
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