Genre Sales 2: Women's Literature (Part 7 of 8)

So here's the deal with chick lit/women's literature, cats & kittens: first, there's the somewhat viable argument that general fiction is women's fiction (and vice versa), and second, this category isn't well broken out in BookScan, so the numbers are more than a little fuzzy.

That said, it seems like the general market is a pretty good barometer for the state of chick lit/women's fiction, which is to say: flat or a little down, but since the market as a whole is flat or a little down (down chiefly in hardcover), it's not really that bad. This genre still comprises a sizable component of all adult fiction sold in the United States, so if you're writing it, you're probably in decent shape.

Reasons and theories, you ask? Why, certainly:

Most book readers are women. In one sense or another, most books published in this country are marketed toward and sold to women (especially fiction). For this reason, whatever the overall fiction market is doing is a decent proxy for how women's fiction is doing.

Most general fiction débuts in hardcover. While this is changing somewhat (trade paper originals are becoming more commonplace), the fact that most fiction (and most women's fiction) starts out in the hardcover $20-ish price range means that, in this economic climate, initial orders are smaller, gross sales are smaller, and the amount of cash flowing back to the publisher is—you guessed it—smaller.

That said, the market is large—and growing. If you're writing fiction for women, you're already writing for the largest reading demographic in the country. General women's fiction has broad appeal, relatively high breakout potential, and offers a very wide range of subject matter in which to find one's niche. While there's no guarantee of bestsellerdom (there never is), you're more likely to achieve it writing women's fiction than, say, science fiction or literary fiction.

Finally, as the e-book market continues to grow and e-reader prices continue to come down, look out for sustained major growth in electronic sales for mainstream genres like this.

Therefore, mes auteurs, in mainstream, commercial Bullet-O-Vision™:

• Women's fiction/chick lit sales are flat or down, but only because the overall market is flat or down.

• The market is a large one, so while it will be harder to get your individual voice heard or to really break out in a major way, it won't be as hard as with other genres to establish yourself as a midlist presence.

• As e-books go more and more mainstream, expect electronic sales of women's fiction to go right along with the overall market. Again, my guess is that e-books will comprise 50% of the market by late 2013 or 2014.

Tomorrow—last, but certainly not least—romance!

Genrification

It's been awhile since I've run a poll, and since 1.) I've noticed several new followers as of late, and 2.) I'm gearing up for another round of genre-specific sales smackdowns, I figured I'd offer you, gentle readers, the following poll:



Have at it!

Genre-Specific Sales, Part 7 of 8: Women's Fiction

Once more, a quick note before I get started: it seems I've been nominated for a BBAW Award (Best New Blog), so if you've found PMN helpful to you, I'd be eternally grateful if you'd cast your vote for yours truly. Check out the awards timeline here and remember to cast your vote between September 7th and September 12th; I'll be sure to remind you come 9/7.

Now: Women's fiction!

I seem to recall that during my initial call for feedback, one or two of you wanted an explanation of the difference between women's fiction and chick lit. In my preferred format (i.e. bullets):

• Women's fiction is more of an umbrella term, encompassing chick lit, most romance, most erotica, and "mainstream" women's fiction (think Carol Goodman rather than Jennifer Weiner). Historical fiction often overlaps considerably (think Philippa Gregory).
• Women's fiction is as old as, well, women (or at least as old as women writers), whereas chick lit is a relatively more recent phenomenon (early to mid-1990s).
• Women's fiction is aimed at women in general, whereas chick lit is aimed at women in their 20s or early 30s, often unmarried, and often trying to juggle their careers, love lives, and social (mis)adventures as they learn to navigate their way in the world.

Still confused? Well, it turns out it's just kind of tricky to define women's fiction, and even Jessica over at BookEnds has said as much. I tend to subscribe to the Potter Stewart school of thought (i.e. I know it when I see it).

And speaking of bestselling author Jennifer Weiner—who, having graduated summa cum laude from Princeton, is no intellectual slouch—she has her own ideas on the subject, as well as the sales to back them up. As you may have noticed from Ms. Weiner's sales—and, indeed, the recent trends in major retailer co-op and various bestseller lists—both women's fiction and chick lit are selling well. (If you're curious, the BookScan numbers generally confirm this, with titles like Best Friends Forever, The Help, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society selling exceptionally well.) Recognize those last two from yesterday's post? Well, I'd classify them as women's fiction as well as historical fiction. After tomorrow's post, I'd wager you'll find the historical romance gets you the most bang for your buck, so stay tuned.

In the way of advances, I really don't have much for you; while I tend to think the average women's fiction/chick lit advance is slightly higher than the average advance for a novel nowadays (somewhere in the $5,000 - $7,500 range), I really couldn't tell you with any certainty. My advice? Ask your agent!

A summary for you, then:

• There are subtle differences between women's fiction and chick lit: in short, chick lit is a sub-genre of women's fiction.
• Both women's fiction and chick lit are selling well right now, particularly if they happen to also fall under the categories of historical fiction, fantasy, or romance. I sort of see the genre developing away from chick lit in the next year or two (that is, I agree with Jessica—or at least, what Jessica said a couple of years ago). I don't expect this to be a handicap for those currently writing chick lit, however.
• The average advance is likely in the same ballpark as the average advance for any debut novel today ($5,000 - $7,500), but I don't have much data in this area and really advise you to ask your agent about this one.
• Again, with all the usual caveats and disclaimers, my theory: historical romance (itself a manifestation of women's fiction, though certainly not chick lit), especially if there are steampunk/vampire/fantasy elements involved, is where it's going to be at in the next six to twelve months. Keep an eye out for tomorrow's post on romance.