Thursday, October 29, 2009

Tip O' the Week: Chasing Trends

Steampunk is the new vampire! Wait, no, it's apocalypse! Or is it Christian vampires? Perhaps zombies?

If you're currently penning a fantasy novel centering on a pious zombie vampire from an alternate 19th century in which science/alchemy/the Bible has predicted the earth's impending doom, uh, please send it to me, because that could be awesome. More importantly, though, stop doing it.

Everyone wants to be The Next Big Thing™, and no one's going to fault you for that. It's important to remember, however, that what's big now isn't necessarily what's going to be big in one to five years, which is probably the earliest any book you're currently writing/shopping to agents/editors is going to be published. I don't know about you, but I don't think vampires are still going to be cool in five years (at least, not as cool as they are now). Zombies will probably suffer a similar fate.

If you've got representation now and your novel seems to be along the same lines as other novels that are just starting to become big, that's great news, and you'll probably luck out and catch part of the wave of whatever craze is coming next. If not, then you may not. Luck is a big factor, friends. Talent and hard work are necessary, but can only get you so far.

The moral of today's post: write the best book you can, do everything you can for it if/when it's acquired, and don't worry about what the other kids are writing. Just like with stocks, trying to time the market is probably only going to get you burned.

Next week: Monday Mailbag, featuring responses to your questions!

23 comments:

  1. So true. Though I have to admit, it's hard not to feel like you have to write to these trends to help Lady Luck along a little. Especially when some agent/editor preferences state specifically: "I'm really looking for a great steampunk novel now..." and you're sitting on three (pick your genre) novels nobody wants.

    And you've got it wrong, you know. Apocalyptic Amish Steampunk Erotica is the next big thing.

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  2. Steampunk is the vampire of last month, Christians are the vampire of the afterlife, zombies are the vampire of right now, vampires are the vampire of last year, werewolfs are the vampire of five minutes ago, and apocalypse is the vampire of the day after tomorrow. OBVIOUSLY.

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  3. I like this talk, since I'm sitting on a zombie apocalypse novel...

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  4. Nobody hate me, but I'll be relieved when supernatural/paranormal in general starts to fizzle...though it seems like that's unlikely in, uh, my lifetime.

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  5. also, no more doing some weird thing for a year and then writing a book about it. although one could perhaps write a novel about a vampire who decides to drink the blood of every bird in roger tory peterson's 'field guide to birds of north america' and then write about it...

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  6. You forgot angels.

    Anyway will it really take five years to get something published? Hm...

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  7. Unless of course you're going to take so long that the fad you're chasing has become popular again. Then you've gone retro.

    And if you want to know what big thing is coming next, here you go: http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/10/12/

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  8. I have no vampires or steampunk (??)I don't even have a zombie... but I could squeeze in a decaying hand. I wonder if that would help?? I feel so demoralised.

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  9. This is one of the more terrifying aspects of the publishing industry for me. My book is already in my editor's hands and will be out next July. It's not a vampire book but still . . . I worry that I won't catch a wave to ride. It's so dang scary.

    Will people want to read my book because it's something new? Or will they still be looking for vampires and count my book out?

    These are the times I wish I had a magic 8-ball or something like that to tell me "Yes" my book will ride a wave all its own and be all the better for it.

    *sigh*

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  10. I think you'll find that what you really want to write is a furry steampunk secret-religious-society thriller, that maps perfectly onto the life of Mary Queen of Scots.

    They're going to be massive in about six minutes ago.

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  11. Greatest piece of writing advice yet, "don't worry about what the other kids are writing" -- kinda like car buying, shoe buying, having kids. Kinda like life.

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  12. We all got hosed when the Twilight series got wind. Now I have to read about them in real life. Sometimes I just prefer that crap remains on the page.

    Kinda like toilet paper.

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  13. So, I should be happy when I look on the shelf and see nothing like what I'm writing? Hmm . . . hope so!

    The real question is - what are publishers putting under contract RIGHT NOW? Isn't that what's going to be on the shelves in 1-5 years? Who knows which of those will catch the public imagination, though . . .

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  14. You definitely don't want to follow the market if you're looking for inspiration, but you do want to know what's out there. It's strange, you want your book to be different, but not too different, ya know?

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  15. Hi everyone

    I'm a new romance author. And its tough enough to get published but once the book is out, there's a lot of work to be done. Sometimes, I get so discouraged. And then, I get a flash. The new idea comes and I get on it before its gone.
    My book is a historical romance. Its a genre which it not all that popular yet. Its not a trend. I'm crossing my fingers and doing my best to get this genre known.

    Thanks for reading my comment
    Cheers
    MJ
    http://jmsmithromanceauthor.blogspot.com/

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  16. The Rejectionist is hilarious.

    While I'm grateful that my urban fantasy YA doesn't include any of the aforementioned creatures, it's conceivable that what it does include will be flooding the market long before my book does - which is why I just wrote the book that wanted to be written. I'll let the rest take care of itself.

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  17. What if my Amish vampire and her zombie sidekick are trying to save the family farm? Oh, and the werecoyote is barking to let them know the bad fairies dropped Timmy in the well.

    (I had way too much fun with last year's NaNo project.)

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  18. Yes, don't follow the market, you'll never catch up.

    It is good to know what is out there, to know where your book might fit on the shelf even it the shelf might look pretty different by the time your book sits on it.

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  19. So...if my squealing preteen cousin wants to read it, don't write it. Got it.

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  20. I'm in this situation now. I have a book under contract with angels. It's not due out until November 2010. When I wrote it, there were no YA angels books. But then . . . You just can't ever tell what's going to come out while or after your book is written.

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  21. And the whole Twilight thing wasn't Christian vampires? C'mon. Sure, it wasn't published by a "christian" publisher, but it's dripping with (pun intended) religion.

    How about zombie christian steampunk? Could that be the next big thing?

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  22. THanks for writing this post. I don't do vampires, were-wolves they aren't my thing. I have however, several completed manuscripts using Mythological characters, like Sirens, Banshee's, Sasquatch (Or are they a myth? hehehe) and others.
    Rhyanna

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  23. I kind of love the fact that you have "amish vampires" as a subject, and that you've found reason to use it more than once.

    That aside, I linked you in my latest blog post! 'Twould be lovely if you'd give it a read.

    http://trac-changes.blogspot.com/2009/11/what-can-job-interview-teach-you-about.html

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