Monday, January 7, 2013

Standing Out From The Crowd

As adorable as these little guys are, I couldn't pick one out that is cuter than the rest. Now imagine if one had a tiny bow-tie and top-hat. Yeah... Then he'd be cute like the others, but really draw our attention!

Enjoying my drawn out metaphor yet? I'm talking about books of course. We want to be original and not follow the same formula as everything that's already out there, but we also want to make sure we stay on top of the trends so that we can blend in enough. 

A kangaroo in a top-hat would just look weird in that pic, don't you think?

So what am I saying? Here are some things to keep in mind if and when you think about the potential marketing of your book. And think about you must if you're serious about this.

  • Read, read, read! That's right, especially in your genre, but also without. If you don't love to read in genre anyway, you probably aren't a writer. 
  • Write what you want BUT figure out where it belongs. For example, if your MC is twenty you may have an issue marketing it as YA and you'll know that if you read in genre. Age him down and if it absolutely hurts the plot? Then you probably aren't writing YA. You can disregard this of course, but I'm only trying to make your life easier in the long run and chances are if you examine why, you'll find it's more emotional than imperative. Choose your battles, my friends.
  • Think about comp books. Don't pick Twilight or Hunger Games. Be realistic and show you know your stuff. What's similar about them? What's different?
  • Find a beta reader from the audience you're aiming for. Have your teen cousin read that YA and see if they like it. No you shouldn't say that in your query letter, but it's not a bad personal hurdle as long as you also use professional critique partners. 

In the long run you have to write what you are passionate about or it won't be your best work. But if you're doing your job treating writing as a profession, you will use revisions and a touch of planning to make sure you aren't dressing up a kangaroo. 

13 comments:

  1. Yes! Definitely reading from a variety of genres and finding betas familiar with that genre are a huge help!

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  2. Yes, it's so important to figure out where your book belongs and stick to the rules of the genre, age group. Your other suggestions are right on too.

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  3. So true! I read widely and love many genres, but my heart lies with contemporary romance & that's my focus now :)

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  4. Marketing a double edge sword. We writers never have enough time to produce our work then market it to the level we'd love to. Small bites always work.

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  5. It's definitely important to keep an eye on the promotion/marketing aspects of your book while writing it, even before. And YES, reading in your genre is majorly important.

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  6. The thing that frustrates me about talking is that I can't revise BEFORE it comes out. :-) These are great points, Lisa.

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  7. Reading and more reading is one of the most important things a writer can do! I try to read a book a week and end up reading one every ten days to two weeks.

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  8. I've upped my reading quota and hope to be able to keep at it. I love to read what others write. It inspires me.

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  9. I love to read in my genre, and I love to branch out a little as well. I write YA contemporary, but I love adult contemporary. I also love political thrillers and mushy love stories. And I'm learning to realize that my style is my style, and I shouldn't try to write like anyone else!

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  10. I'm addicted to reading in my genre, but I do try and mix it up. Having beta readers in the target audience is a real eye opener.

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  11. Great tips. Can't wait to read your book!!!

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  12. I've been outside my normal genre with the last 5 reads I've done and it's been so goooood!

    Opening doors I never knew existed, seeing plot twists and themes that I can assimilate into my own WIP. (Yes, a spy thriller/mystery can help improve a main stream fiction.)

    I'm just not sure I can kill off the kangaroo...

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  13. Great advice! I tend to have really poor timing. I either stand out too much or have written exactly what the world is now glutted with (and I don't write to trends). Someday I'll figure this out.

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