Friday, May 10, 2013

Once more into the fray...


Today I got to thinking. Mainly about the many different genres that exist within the writing world. Nowadays, there seems to be a genre name for every imaginable type of novel – SteamPunk, Gothic Horror, Romance, Light sci-fi...you name it, there's a genre label for it. Whatever you've written, whether it's a straight genre piece or a genre mash-up, there's a niche for it in the market today, and nowhere more so than in the YA world.



With the fresh, young minds of today hungry to learn about their world through the words that they read, the YA market offers such a diverse opportunity for writers to explore their imaginations and put the fruits of their Muse onto the page. However, no matter how hungry the new generation of readers are for books of every kind, it still doesn't hide the fact that the publishing industry is still cautious about opening up to these new genres, and watches the market figures and trends carefully to see what's going to succeed and what's going to fail.

 

So where does this leave the new writer who is writing outwith the most popular genres? Mostly, hesitant about sending their romantic fantasy or post apocalyptic novels on submission when paranormal or alternate historical leads the charts.



However, does that mean we need to stick within the realms of only the genres currently selling well? The answer, for me at least, is a resounding NO!



While it is all well and good from a business point of view to follow the trends and watch the markets, it is never a good idea to write something solely for the market. If this is done, the novels begin to lack true imagination, emotion and power. And if you think a teenager lacks the depth of intelligence and creativity to notice a lack-lustre, half-hearted novel, then think again.



Despite having the scope and ability to encompass any type of tale, the YA genre is perhaps one of the toughest markets to convince. That's because of the honesty and truth that comes as part of being a teen. While you might be able to fool an adult into reading a well-written book without heart, you'll have no such luck with a teen, as they live, fully present, in the real world. Their emotions and feelings, so raw and unbridled at that age, means that they can spot a fake a mile off. So be warned...if you're going to dive in the YA fray, make sure your story comes straight from the soul.

1 comment:

  1. Great post! There are always going to be different problems and frustrations that come with writing in any genre. If you're writing in a genre that's not too hot, you might have trouble getting noticed. But if you're writing in a popular genre, you're going to have to deal with over saturation and having to work harder to stand out in the crowd. It's important to pay attention to the market, but sometimes it's best to focus primarily on the story you're writing.

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