11 thoughts on “How To Write Contemporary Fiction: Don’t Write for Leo Tolstoy’s Audience…”
Reblogged this on Wind Eggs and commented:
Writing doesn’t have to be driven by marketing decisions. I’ll grant you that War and Peace, Ulysses and Gravity’s Rainbow may well be three of the greatest unread novels of the last two hundred years. Oh, and Tristram Shandy. Never forget Tristram Shandy.
What’s missing from the marketing equation is two variables:
1. Not every writer cares if he sells a lot of books. She may be looking for readers of intelligent, well-written prose with no formula or marketing hook. So the question he faces is: “How do I find as the readers for my book who’re out there?”
2. Marketing trends are driven by the market. They change. All it takes is one eight-hundred page blockbuster seller to swing the pendulum back. When that happens we’ll be told the novella is dead. If all writers tailor their fiction to marketing trends, then we take a lot of good books off the market and never launch the next trend (a trend marketing experts never foresee).
The lesson here? If your only concern is selling books, write novellas until longer books come back into fashion.
If, however, your story demands to be told, it can only be told in a thousand pages,* and you don’t need to sell thousands of copies, write away.
*Let me add, however, that most thousand page first drafts will be better when cut to five hundred.
For those writers who want to sell, Anne R. Allen offers some help with marketing trends.
Writing doesn’t have to be driven by marketing decisions. I’ll grant you that War and Peace, Ulysses and Gravity’s Rainbow may well be three of the greatest unread novels of the last two hundred years. Oh, and Tristram Shandy. Never forget Tristram Shandy.
What’s missing from the marketing equation is two variables:
1. Not every writer cares if he sells a lot of books. She may be looking for readers of intelligent, well-written prose with no formula or marketing hook. So the question he faces is: “How do I find as the readers for my book who’re out there?”
2. Marketing trends are driven by the market. They change. All it takes is one eight-hundred page blockbuster seller to swing the pendulum back. When that happens we’ll be told the novella is dead. If all writers tailor their fiction to marketing trends, then we take a lot of good books off the market and never launch the next trend (a trend marketing experts never foresee).
The lesson here? If your only concern is selling books, write novellas until longer books come back into fashion.
If, however, your story demands to be told, it can only be told in a thousand pages,* and you don’t need to sell thousands of copies, write away.
*Let me add, however, that most thousand page first drafts will be better when cut to five hundred.
What about the niche market? Some people still do hunger for long works of fiction and baby boomer readers aren’t dead yet. 🙂 I’m not a baby boomer, btw. I’m the rare 21st century person who likes old books.
Thanks for sharing. I’m a believer in the ‘Elements of Style” by Strunk and White. When I write, I avoid unnecessary words. When I read, I skip endless amounts of descriptions. I could care less what the countess was wearing, unless it ends up at a murder scene. You can give me the color and a short blurb but that’s all.
I think today’s readers have changed. We want to get to the meat. Keep the action coming. A little breather now and then is okay, but I don’t have time to stop and smell every flower I run across.
Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog 
Reblogged this on Wind Eggs and commented:
Writing doesn’t have to be driven by marketing decisions. I’ll grant you that War and Peace, Ulysses and Gravity’s Rainbow may well be three of the greatest unread novels of the last two hundred years. Oh, and Tristram Shandy. Never forget Tristram Shandy.
What’s missing from the marketing equation is two variables:
1. Not every writer cares if he sells a lot of books. She may be looking for readers of intelligent, well-written prose with no formula or marketing hook. So the question he faces is: “How do I find as the readers for my book who’re out there?”
2. Marketing trends are driven by the market. They change. All it takes is one eight-hundred page blockbuster seller to swing the pendulum back. When that happens we’ll be told the novella is dead. If all writers tailor their fiction to marketing trends, then we take a lot of good books off the market and never launch the next trend (a trend marketing experts never foresee).
The lesson here? If your only concern is selling books, write novellas until longer books come back into fashion.
If, however, your story demands to be told, it can only be told in a thousand pages,* and you don’t need to sell thousands of copies, write away.
*Let me add, however, that most thousand page first drafts will be better when cut to five hundred.
For those writers who want to sell, Anne R. Allen offers some help with marketing trends.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Writing doesn’t have to be driven by marketing decisions. I’ll grant you that War and Peace, Ulysses and Gravity’s Rainbow may well be three of the greatest unread novels of the last two hundred years. Oh, and Tristram Shandy. Never forget Tristram Shandy.
What’s missing from the marketing equation is two variables:
1. Not every writer cares if he sells a lot of books. She may be looking for readers of intelligent, well-written prose with no formula or marketing hook. So the question he faces is: “How do I find as the readers for my book who’re out there?”
2. Marketing trends are driven by the market. They change. All it takes is one eight-hundred page blockbuster seller to swing the pendulum back. When that happens we’ll be told the novella is dead. If all writers tailor their fiction to marketing trends, then we take a lot of good books off the market and never launch the next trend (a trend marketing experts never foresee).
The lesson here? If your only concern is selling books, write novellas until longer books come back into fashion.
If, however, your story demands to be told, it can only be told in a thousand pages,* and you don’t need to sell thousands of copies, write away.
*Let me add, however, that most thousand page first drafts will be better when cut to five hundred.
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Agree with all your points, Phillip 😀
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Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
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This is a great read for any writer whether of fiction or nonfiction. Great share, Chris!
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Thanks, Annette 😃
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What about the niche market? Some people still do hunger for long works of fiction and baby boomer readers aren’t dead yet. 🙂 I’m not a baby boomer, btw. I’m the rare 21st century person who likes old books.
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Good for you Adrienne 👍😃
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Thanks for sharing this helpful post, Chris. I also left a comment on the original post. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Thanks for sharing. I’m a believer in the ‘Elements of Style” by Strunk and White. When I write, I avoid unnecessary words. When I read, I skip endless amounts of descriptions. I could care less what the countess was wearing, unless it ends up at a murder scene. You can give me the color and a short blurb but that’s all.
I think today’s readers have changed. We want to get to the meat. Keep the action coming. A little breather now and then is okay, but I don’t have time to stop and smell every flower I run across.
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Exactly 👍😃
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