Write what you love...unless nobody wants to read it?

[Teresa Edgerton]

I think that for most of us there is a book the heart tells us we have to write, that we must write, and I think it is important to write that book. For some of us (like me, for instance, with my first book) it's impossible not to.

(It looks like you've already done that amw, so now you can only keep submitting it and see what happens.)

But ... in my experience, most writers have more than one idea that they really want to write about, more than one idea they can fall more and more in love with as they get further into it and get to know the characters.

So once the "have to write it' book is out of our systems (or put aside until we feel we can do it justice), I think the practical thing to do is to choose from among those other ideas the one that is most likely to find a publisher and a host of loyal fans. Of course, it's impossible to know for sure what readers and publishers will want by the time the book is written, but it's usually possible to make a pretty good guess.

 

[Warren_Paul]

A Science Fiction about footie might be hard to sell for instance!

Might not be a book, but the game Final Fantasy X had no issues selling a science fiction story based around football - of course they called it blitzball and is was played in a floating bubble of water like substance. In fact, it became one of the best games in the series. I'm sure if it had been made into a book, it would sell very well.


I would have though the subject matter would be very much in vogue at the moment, AMW? Try literary agents who have published other novels with gay characters.

 

[Kissmequick]

Thinking about it, there is Unseen Academicals...but then it's Pratchett. He could write about egg nog and people would buy it, so it's a safe bet for the publisher!

 

[Erin99]

If you had asked that six months ago, I'd have said write what you love.

Now, though, I think slightly differently. Firstly, what's your motivation behind writing? To have it as an interesting hobby, or to become a writer. Because that motivation significantly changes things. If it's a fun thing to do at the end of the day, a distraction from work and college, that you'd hope one day to get something published in, then write what you love.

The couple of weeks I've spend working on queries etc has changed my mind a little.

I want to be a writer. I didn't when I first got here, but I've got the bug, it's the one thing I truly love doing. Having made that decision, my motivation has changed. The bottom line is if I want to be a writer, then I need to sell something. And if I want to sell something, I need to be marketable.

So, what do you want to be? What's your motivation to write? That might be where the answer lies?

Brilliant post! You've summed it up well, Springs. Always be aware of your market - and of your future plans.

And I think most people know whether their true calling is to be a writer. If you can't think of doing anything else, and any other task in life feels secondary, you need to get sharpening your skills and upping your game so you can put your all into fulfilling your dream of writing for a living.

 

[allmywires]

I would have though the subject matter would be very much in vogue at the moment, AMW? Try literary agents who have published other novels with gay characters.

You'd think, wouldn't you? I might try and find some that do sport fiction, that way they might understand the topicality better. I guess just because it's topical doesn't mean people are going to buy it, of course.

Thinking about it, there is Unseen Academicals...but then it's Pratchett. He could write about egg nog and people would buy it, so it's a safe bet for the publisher!

Ha! Funny thing is, as much as I love football and Pratchett separately, I really couldn't get on with UA.

 

[Tecdavid]

Seems like the mood's kicked up a bit since post one. Here's a famous example for you though, AMW: J K Rowling. She's spoken of how long it took her to find publication. Dozens of agents and publishers to hear rejection from, apparently, and... well, just look how it turned out for her, in the end.
You mentioned that a story has an expiration date. This isn't really true, now is it? As has been said before, markets will come and go, as will trends. It's just a matter of keeping your work comfy on the shelf, ready for its next chance, while you get to work on Novel Two! (And, going by what we've gathered so far, your story will likely find quite an audience should it be published any time soon. )

 

[Tecdavid]

Are you getting readthroughs from the query? If not, does it need dissected? Have you - gasp - taken on QLH? (Hands shake at the memory and she slopes off to have a short lie down. )

QLH? What's this, then?

 

[allmywires]

Thanks Tecdavid Yeah, I'm terrible for getting myself into a tizz about things. (Almost as bad as a certain rodent on here ). I've done a bit of planning for Novel Two (or the Epic Fantasy Trilogy That Will Destroy My Puny Brain) so yeah. Bit more positive.

edit: I think springs said before but it's Query Letter Hell on absolute write...peruse it if you dare...

 

[Mouse]

Hey! You are way worse than me.

 

[allmywires]

Hey! You are way worse than me.

I'm young and foolish. You've got no excuse

 

[Tecdavid]

Nervousness has its uses, you know. Do a little fretting, and you take the time to really consider your work. Get overconfident, and any mistakes will pass you right by.

"Query Letter Hell" ... Sounds peachy.

 

[Kissmequick]

"Query Letter Hell" ... Sounds peachy.

Wouldn't have snagged my agent without it.

 

[SciFrac]

Whee is "Query Letter Hell"? None of my searches show it.

 

[allmywires]

I believe you have to be logged in to AW, it's in a password-protected subforum called 'Share Your Work' that you only get access to if you're a logged-in user.

 

[Kissmequick]

absolutewrite.com/forums

It's in a password protected area in the Share Your Work forum(though the password is freely available) so that crawlbots won't see it.

ETA: amw ninja posted!

 

[Jo Zebedee]

It has transformed not only my current query, but how i will approach them in the future. Painful, yes, worth it... Yes, now.

 

[allmywires]

ETA: amw ninja posted!

 

[Fishbowl Helmet]

The problem is that it's a story with an expiration date. And it's genre-crossing in possibly the least marketable way possible. I knew it when I wrote it, but it was the story I wanted to tell, and I'm proud of it. So for me the wanting to get published isn't so much that I want to be a writer - I'm not doing this ridiculously hard degree for nothing! - but because I want my story to be told, and other people to read it, before it becomes irrelevant. I want to prove to myself as well that I am good enough. Selfish and arrogant reasons they may be, but it's what I want. And having feedback that proves I'm so close to what I want has made me a little frustrated.

If all you want is for people to read it, then post it on a blog and hawk links any chance you get. But honestly, don't look for validation anywhere else but in your own head. That way lies madness. And there may be a few good writers on here, and editors, and others in the biz, but this is an Internet forum of amateur writers, which amounts to a writers workshop plus anonymity on the best of days.

Writing is a war between your editor mind, writers mind, and ego. You're trying to create something (writer), you're convinced it's good (ego), but there's a voice in the back of your skull mumbling (editor). The crap part is, sometimes the editor is right. Sometimes it's wrong. It's a damned hard thing to tell which is which. That's why places like this, and slush piles exist. Just be careful. Accolades here may not mean anything, just as floundering in the slush pile doesn't mean anything.

As springs said, it depends on what you want. Writers write. Amateur writers do it for a hobby, pros do it for the paycheck (however meager that may be). Write the kind of fiction you like, but also keep an eye on the market, not to chase trends but to spot holes.

 

[Karapace]

Thoughts?

When I first started writing I imagined getting traditionally published. However as time went on and I learned more about the market I realised I would likely be dead before it was taken up so I plumbed for self-publishing. I also started with the idea of writing some grand Joycian tome of deep meaningful experimental ideas. Well that bollocks didn't last long I can tell you. I soon realised that all I wanted to do was write a story that explored a few themes I was interested in and which I found entertaining. So that's what I did. I don't do a lot of marketing (I know I should) but I've still managed to sell a few hundred copies and have just ordered another batch. Lots of people don't like the things I like but of those who do make it worth the while. After my first book I said I wouldn't write another. Then I had an idea involving themes from the first book that were left unresolved. So I'm writing another... a trilogy... but it's the last one I will write. Hang on I've had another idea that I want to explore. Where will this ever end?

 

[Christine Wheelwright]

If the priority is to make some money then it is almost essential to choose a fashionable genre. I wish this wasn't the case. I've tried erotica (popular, but impossible to make money without drifting into the romance genre), SF (where I feel most at home, but where there is almost no demand these days) and historical fiction (very promising). I wasn't prepared for the amount of research required to write authoritatively about historical periods and events, but having put in the hard work it seems some reward may be coming.