It's inevitable that, with the announcements on the street about erotica and paranormals being hot property, writers begin to think, “Shucks, I think I could write one of them there steamy vampire/werewolf/shapeshifter books.”
Don't. Oh please don't.
Not unless you love reading those books and want to write your own tale about the same things.
Believe me, more than once I've plumbed the depths of my brain and wondered if I had an erotic vampire book in there somewhere. Because those things are H-O-T. Nothing bubbles up from the cauldron, though, so I guess I'm still stuck with military romantic suspense.
Imagine my relief, however, to read this by Sarah Strohmeyer over at The Lipstick Chronicles:
Instead, I think what I'll do is learn from my mistakes. If there's any mistake I've made in this business, it has been to – at times, not always – concentrate too much on what sells versus what I love to write. Because in the end, the latter is all that matters. And though the industry will always, always push you to write yesterday's hit, don't let them. Stick to your guns. It could be tomorrow's phenomenal bestseller.
I often feel the temptation, though. I suppose it's inevitable that I'll keep casting the bait and looking for that hot vampire and his sex slave. I'll find them just about the time the market swings toward sweet close-the-door romances. It's just the way my luck runs……
What about you? Writing to trends, or just plugging away at what you love to write and read? Where do you think the market will go next?
[Bear in mind that I've never picked the winning horse or the winning LOTTO numbers, that my stock portfolio is solid but not astronomical, and that I sold my house in the months BEFORE the market took off and moved overseas where I missed out on several years worth of real estate appreciation. OTOH, I do believe the housing market is in a nosedive and this time I'm waiting it out. Time will tell if I've missed the boat again or if I'm hot on the tail of a new trend. Which is really kind of the way writing works too, I think.] 🙂
Lynn, did you write that blog just for me?
Yesterday I went to the library and tried to force feed Harlequin American Romances down my throat…I couldn’t do it.
Although I’d love a nice hefty contract…”I am what I am and that’s all that I am”…Could I have an affair with Popeye the sailor man? Dee, maybe a YA historical fiction writer?
I can’t imagine you writing Harl American Romances! Now, maybe historical romances. 🙂 Feel any vampires crawling around in your head? Ha!
OTOH, contemporary YA is pretty hot now too. But I don’t know about the historical YA. I’d say write what you love and hope the market swings around. It’s all I know how to do. Though I did get an idea for a, believe it or not, SF romance last night. I may play with it and see what happens. And I actually do have a paranormal that I started last year with what I thought was a kick butt premise. But no damn vampires, so I kind of lost my way. 🙂
I can’t say that I write to trend, I just write. I just sold a science fiction romance to a very small press, when I couldn’t get anyone to look at it a year ago, and now what do I hear? Scifi romance is what people are looking for…
figures..
Hi, Candace! Thanks for commenting. 🙂 Hmm, maybe I should pursue that SF romance. 🙂 It’s amazing how ideas just sort of show up, isn’t it? I am mostly a romantic suspense writer, with a military emphasis because that’s been my life for so long, but I do get these other ideas out of the blue sometimes. I think the SF was in response to hubby’s 100th viewing of his Firefly DVDs. 🙂
Congrats on your sale!!! Yippee!
Yikes.. I love paranormal mysteries, romances, literature.
And finally, I am seeing some big names write this type of stuff… i.e. Jayne Castle (JAK) so all of a sudden my type of stuff is here. Maybe it is my time to write .
LMAO ;-0
I have to say, your husband’s only on his 100th viewing? Tell him Chop-chop– mine’s well into his 200th, (with me close behind. 🙂
I love Firefly! I just bought him Serenity, so I’m sure he’ll watch that and then start Firefly again. 🙂 I don’t mind. Damn, I wish they’d bring that show back.