One thing that frustrates me as a writer in today's industry, is the concentration on marketing.
Before a novel is even written, a lot of writers focus on how they'll market themselves when they begin approaching agents and publishers.
I think that this focus stifles our creativity.
I believe that by focusing too much on who will represent me or where my book will be shelved, how will it sell...chokes my story and forces me to put The Picard in a box.
He doesn't look very happy with that idea, does he??
By thinking about the end result and marketing, we unknowingly shape our stories into something reigned in.
When you throw away the label and the genre, what story do you want to tell? What story can you write?
Do you think that Lewis Carroll or L. Frank Baum sat down and thought, I'm going to write a middle grade fantasy novel? Did Jane Austen want her books to be labeled "romantic fiction" or did she just put her heart and soul into the best novels she could write?
I know that the market that we live in today demands the convenience of putting similar style books together, so it's easier for the reader to find books they'll like, blah blah blah, and that's never going to change.
BUT as writers, I think that that should be the very last thing we think about. The focus should be the story, tell the best story we can, categories and genres be damned.
Then when your story is the best it can be...change your focus to how you can get the book into readers hands.
So whenever you sit down to work on something and you find yourself thinking, which agent will I send this to? Or I'm going to write a High Fantasy novel. STOP...
and think about this:
I know I don't want to put my Muse in a box.
Where are you putting your muse??
I obviously agree whole-heartedly with this, which is why just about all my novels are some hybrid blend of genres. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso: Picard in a box is creepy.
I didn't think about it with my first book, but once I knew my audience, I did take that into consideration for the second one.
ReplyDeleteHey Hannah! I haven't been here in forever... i'm sorry about that. :(
ReplyDeleteBut gosh darn I love this post. Here here, sister!
It's so frustrating and inhibiting to me. When I first started writing a novel, I had no idea what the pub industry was all about and was discombobulated for months when I learned. lol
That's why I LOVE the ebook revolution and authors' ability to take matters into their own hands and spend more time doing what they love without being put inside a box!
Yes, Yes. *applauds* I totally agree. Marketing is the last thing. If you never write a(good) book, there will be nothing to market anyway. And if you do write toward a genre or trend, your(common) book may never make it out of the gate to compete anyway.
ReplyDeleteAlso, that's why I'm skeptical about agents who don't like when aspiring authors don't have websites.
Great post.
Yep. I totally agree. That's really too much distraction and pressure at the creativity stage.
ReplyDelete"Nobody puts Picard in a box."
Sorry, I just had to go there. :)
First of all, you need to contact Rick Berman and sell him the "Picard in a Box" idea. That picture is amazing.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're right about labels. Take my current WIP. I'm focusing on story, character, plot, etc. Only when it's done will I worry about what happens beyond that.
Being unpublished I figure this is the perfect time to write exactly what I want with no constraints. I'll worry about what comes next, later :-)
ReplyDeleteLOL! I mostly just love that your muse is the JLP... :D But you're right. Focusing too much on marketing does kill the flow. I guess it's inevitable in this publishing climate, but I still believe if you write YOUR book, it'll be amazing. And if you do it well enough, you don't have to worry about it selling~ :o) <3
ReplyDeleteOHMYGOODNESS!!! that pic is AMAZING!!! love it!
ReplyDeletegreat point! i don't want to write a cookie cutter story, either.
what's the point of writing someone else's stories? that makes for a boooooring world.
create something original, and it will be a breath of fresh air, and there will likely be an audience for it.
grrreat post!
I couldn't agree more! I've said this over and over.
ReplyDeleteAmen, sistah!
ReplyDeleteI just write the stories I want to read. Do I care if anyone else wants to read them? A little, but not enough to change the story I want to tell.
Oh how I love everything about this post. Picard in a box...mehehehehahahaha! But seriously, your words are wise.
ReplyDeleteI'll tell you what, as soon as I gave up the agent search, my whole writing world opened up to me. I didn't care I wasn't writing in the wrong genre. I KNEW I was in the right genre, only the agents didn't see it that way. Once I gave up that idea, I was set free.
ReplyDeleteAnd you really need to get Picard out of the box. He looks a little squished.
Poor Picard! I know how he feels. It is rather stifling to think about where you'll sell before you even know where your characters are going. It's part of the reason I am loath to officially brand myself. Great post with a huge Thank You for giving voice to this aspect of writing.
ReplyDeleteYour blog rocks. I agree with this, although it is difficult not to fall into this trap. Thank you for the reminder. I will absolutely refrain today from putting Picard in a box.
ReplyDeleteThat is quite a visual!
ReplyDeleteI actually have a word file labeled marketing for each book with ideas that I have. I just save it for later. I do get brainstorms for marketing ideas, so to have a place to store it to look later can help so you can move on with the wip.
I do wonder about genre and all that kind of stuff, but I'm still writing the story I want to without much care where it'll end up. I just care because agents want it defined, so I'll do my best to define it for them. I'm not sure how I'll feel about agents rejecting me/my story until it starts happening, but I'd like to think I'd at least still appreciate that I wrote what I wanted :| WE'LL SEE!
ReplyDeleteYou make an excellent point. I sometimes catch myself thinking about these things in advance, but I shouldn't.
ReplyDeletePicard in a box! Oh my... that is brilliant and sort of disturbing. Best take him out of their pronto!
ReplyDeleteAnd completely agree - write the best story you can, regardless. That should always be the most important thing.
bravo with the Picard in a box pic *slow clap*
ReplyDeleteyeah, i was going to ask if you did the picard in the box pic?
ReplyDeleteThose Picard photos made me laugh! Poor Picard.
ReplyDeleteI hear you. It IS hard, though, because readers expect a certain thing from you once you have a novel out.
Great point!
ReplyDeleteI know I've been guilty of boxing in the muse and focusing on a set genre, limiting myself--when it's so much more interesting when the writing is given room to explore.
Love the Piccard in a Box. :) No, he doesn't look happy.
ReplyDeleteOnce I figure out who my audience is and what they like, I will take them into consideration. It can help creativity to have some goals / parameters.
Hahaha those pictures of Picard...
ReplyDeleteLike the others, I agree that we shouldn't box ourselves (or our muse or our MS) in. It takes some of the enjoyment out of writing. But I think since we're so involved in the writing community and constantly receiving advice from professionals via the web, it's becoming automatic for us to think of genres and queries and marketing. I think we need to go back to our roots -- just good old writing, for the enjoyment of it.
Marketing worries can be so cart before the horse, but ensuring your work is marketable as you go about the writing process can prove helpful.
ReplyDeleteGREAT POST!!! You're absolutely right:)
ReplyDeleteWell said! I think marketing an important role for editors, but it's best left to the "after the fact" position, when we consider the work we've created. :-)
ReplyDelete