The book market for young readers can change like lightning.
For a while they wanted vampires and zombies. Now it's mermaids, or is it something else already? Fantasy was all the rage, but now is science fiction on the rise? I've heard you can't sell plain old historical fiction these days, but it used to be a major staple.
The biggest problem with this is, books grow slow. If I start today to write a book that fits the latest trend, by the time it's ready to sell, the latest trend is over.
So how do I find the courage to move forward with a project, knowing full well that by the time it is done, the genre may be out of style?
I have to forget all of that and focus on writing the best book I can. And then if I can't sell that book, I move on and write another one. Someday, somehow, everything will come into alignment.
The world needs great stories of all kinds. Write what you love, and have faith that there will be a place for it.
Agreed, the world needs great stories, and the best ones come from those who write what they believe/feel inside.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rebecca. This is just what I needed today! :-)
ReplyDeleteAmen, Rebecca! Sometimes we overthink things. Besides, great stories are never outdated. Look at William Shakespeare and Jane Austin. Now, if only I could write one . . .
ReplyDeleteYes! And another thing: those books never go away. They may not be your ticket THIS TIME, but in the future, when suddenly SF is all the rage, you'll whip that bad boy out of your back pocket and say, Sure. Got one of those right here. :)
ReplyDeletep.s. I also like the idea of shorter publishing times!
I've often thought about that, Sue. Once a book is written it doesn't go away. I cook great food and it gets eaten. I clean the house, it gets dirty again. But once those words are just the way I want them, they stay that way.
ReplyDeleteSomeday I'd like to have a variety of books written, go to a writer's conference, ask some editor what they'd like to see, and be able to say, Sure, got one of those right here!
But I'm not sure about shorter publishing times. Not if it would compromise quality in any way. What's the time-consuming thing? Is it meaningless corporate red tape, or is it painstaking craftmanship and long-term cooperation between many talented people?
Most of the time between sale and publication is just plain waiting. Waiting for the editor to read your book, waiting for them to request changes (which you then have to do and return again in some ridiculously short period of time) and then waiting for the pub date to roll around. I think it would be quite possible to cut down on publishing times and preserve, or even improve quality.
ReplyDeleteI'm all for craftmanship, but I think the industry has used that concept for a looooong time to resist any change. Seriously, there are few industries that still operate on virtually the same business model as they have for the last 100 years. Surely, there's some trimming that could happen there. And being responsive to market is something every business out to try to do, not resist.
ReplyDeleteSo, Emily, what are the time scales we're talking about? Once a book is under contract, how long does it take for an editor to read it and request changes, and then how long does the writer have to make the changes and send it back?
ReplyDeleteLOTS of variation. I've seen books sit in the works for five years. Yes, literally, five years. The publisher bought it but can't calendar its release before then. Editors all read at different rates and in different ways; one well known one never reads a book from beginning to end but rather in little chunks in between chunks of other manuscripts. How long the writer has to make changes also depends on everyone else's timing - but it's not unusual for an editor to send to the author at the last minute and want changes in a few days. For my novel, the editor tried to skip having me review the book before it went to press - which was a blatant violation of the contract and one of the many reasons that, even three years on without another novel sale, I don't regret parting with that publisher.
ReplyDeleteBut there are worse horror stories than that. The publisher who releases two books of a series and then calendars the third one to come out after the first two are out of print, is a more common scenario than it ought to be.
On the other end of the spectrum are publishers that crank out books super fast - sometimes this is part of a viable business model, i.e. some romance publishers work the short term market very effectively, providing exactly what's hot right now in the moment. This means they do very little editing and slap a cover on it from their stock of random art they've got rights for.
Long way of saying: there is no normal. It's all over the map.
I just write the stories that won't leave me alone. The ones I must write. Maybe someday all the stars will align and it will be the right story at the right time. Here's hoping. :)
ReplyDeleteAs do I. No point trying to do something you can't you know? Some people can rattle off something new in a week and thus stay on top of current trends, but since I can't, I just pour my heart and soul into each piece and make it the very best I can, then wait to see if the market comes around. I've got a publisher looking at a book I originally wrote almost ten years ago right now (and it's time still may not have come.)
ReplyDeleteEmily, good luck! I hope it's time is here. I really, really do. *Crossing my fingers for you*
ReplyDeleteOh, Emily! GOOD FOR YOU! You stick up for your rights, girl! When you publish, you have to make sure it is going to be done right. The author is ultimately responsible for the work, not the editor, not anybody else. That's why YOUR name is on the cover. If you ain't happy with it, it had better not go to print.
ReplyDeleteBut that must be so hard. Close enough to the dream to bark your shins, and then... ah well. I hear that in the publishing game, another chance always comes along. Here's hoping yours comes soon.
And Leisha, how's Trin doing these days? Still got you on my calendar for June.
ReplyDelete@Leisha, thanks! This is the sixth manuscript the publisher has reviewed. The submissions editor and I are on a first name basis. I don't mean to brag, but I believe that if anyone tries to keep up with the number of unagented subs I do, they'll lose because they'll be agented and published and out of the game ;-)
ReplyDelete@Rebecca, thanks! Yeah, they were a small press publisher, and really it wasn't that hard to stand up to them. Given I'm a lawyer, and have seen quite a few publishing contracts from the bigger houses, I didn't have any patience for the silliness they tried to pull. Seriously, anyone who wants help navigating the legal/rights landscape, I am happy to share what I know.
Rebecca, Trin's done and sitting there. I need to start a new round of submissions. I've been lazy this last month. Ug. Back to the grindstone. AND I can't wait for June. *Grin* It snowed here today. Yuk. I'll just huddle in my blanket and dream of June.
ReplyDeleteOne thing... about genre. Some books are all about the milieu, but I think most are about the characters or the ideas explored. For me, when I'm tossing around a story idea, I often can imagine several settings that would change the genre -- fantasy to SF, urban to historical, etc. Even with a slight change in emphasis, adventure becomes romance, and even YA becomes adult.
ReplyDeleteSo I don't worry much about what's hot. Though I love the idea, Rebecca, of having a book in each of your fav genres ready to submit to the willing editor!
What's happening in June? You guys going to WIFYR? It turns out I may head down and do afternoons only, but outlook still uncertain. :)
I'm not going to WIFYR this year, but I've got the money stashed away to take the cabin girl in 2012. No, Leisha is coming to Oahu in June. I'm so excited!!!!
ReplyDeleteSo awesome!
ReplyDeleteAmber, that would be fabulous if you came to WIFYR! I think your outlook should clear up and become certain. As in come!
ReplyDeleteAND going to Hawaii will be awesome and I am counting down the days!!!!
Any trend is created by a couple of fabulous books that set it off :)
ReplyDeleteYou could write a fabulous book that starts a trend therefor!
Sylvia, that would be the best! I've always wanted to start my own genre.
ReplyDelete