And some days I’m stumped. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!
I’m deep into a novella that is pure unadulterated joy to write. Pure joy. I know that pleasure is coming across in the story because the response from my cps and the excerpt I posted the other day has been great.
Thing is, it’s a futuristic. My favorite story and hero I’ve written (so far 
) is Sapphire’s Worth, also a futuristic. But I love my historicals too, they just take a bit more work. For some reason they’re much moodier, more intense, more angst ridden. My futuristics are lighter, a bit sexier, faster paced.
I don’t know that I could give up one sub-genre to focus on the other. I’ve always thought that the sexual heat of my stories would be the defining thread that would allow me to write whatever I wanted. Pick up a Sylvia Day book and get scorching sex. But is that enough? Will it be hard to relate to me, to categorize me, to find me, if you don’t know what I’m releasing next? Will a reader pick up Bad Boys Ahoy! and anxiously await my next historical only to find that my next release is a futuristic and they’ll have to wait a bit longer? Or will a futuristic reader check out my backlist and become frustrated when all they find is historicals?
I’ve been told by expert, multi-published sources that I would be doing my career a favor to emerge as a certain sub-genre writer and not leapfrog. Yet my agent and editors disagree. But is this because it’s a good idea? Or because historicals are still a hard sell and they want me to keep producing?
I’m not sure what route to take. Continue to write for myself? Or write for long-term success? And do they have to be mutually exclusive? Just some of the many questions a newly published author faces.
My opinion? Write for yourself. Sounds overly simplistic, but honestly, if you’re not writing for yourself and making yourself happy, it’ll show.
on March 17th, 2005 at 4:11 pm
Very good points, Maili, as your points usually are. I would indeed prefer to be known by my writing style. It remains to be seen if I have a strong enough style to be distinctive. My Kensington editor says I don’t write like anyone else she’s ever read. Since she bought three stories from me, I take that as a good thing. However, in the end it’s the reader who decides. I’m very eager to see what kind of reception my writing receives, but I have a bit of a wait yet.
Toni,
LOL! If it’s any consolation I’m not wearing green either, so I’ll join you with the smiley.
on March 17th, 2005 at 3:08 pm
I’m screwed. I just got to work and your blog reminded me that it’s St. Patrick’s day and I’m not wearing any green. Oh well, this smilie will have to do.:mrgreen:
on March 17th, 2005 at 2:34 pm
I think those are the million dollar questions. I found a few readers will follow me into whatever genre I choose to write, but there hasn’t been a big crossover. (At least with my EC work.) Most of the people really into my Atlantean series (contemporary paranormal) haven’t jumped to my Regency vampire book, even though I personally think the latter is far better written. This is why I’ve worried so much about my Brava releases. Up until those novellas, I wrote strictly paranormal books. Yes, I jumped all over the place within the genre, but they were all paranormal. Not many people into paranormals want to read contemporaries. (And vice versa.) It’s why I’ve been deep into introspection these past few weeks. I need to decide what ‘career’ I’m going to have.
on March 17th, 2005 at 11:29 am
One of reasons why I adore Anne Stuart is she is unpredictable. You never know what to expect from her, yet you know that she’ll deliver [or used to].
I mean, she does almost all romantic sub-genres [you name it, she's done it], making it clear that it’s her writing style that her readers follow.
So, I think it’s a question which you prefer to be known by: your writing style or your speciality. It’s easier to develop your reputation in a sub-genre, but on the other hand, if you go with your writing style, you have more freedom in deciding what to write. FWIW.
on March 17th, 2005 at 10:15 am
Within the erotic romance genre, I’ve bounced around with different sub-genres. I’ve written fantasy, contemporary western suspense, (love my cowboys!), futuristic, vampires, werewolves, and bondage. I think it’s picked up a whole host of readers, drawing them from the different areas to try my other books. (Interestingly enough, the bondage sells 3 times what everything else sells. Go figure!)
What it’s done for me, not only in picking up new readers, is by helping me decide what I do and don’t like to write. I really don’t like to write vampires and futuristics. I found that I enjoy writing shapeshifters, witches, cowboys, and fantasy the most. (and heck, writing playful bondage is fun, too!)
Anyway, after all of that, I think you have to write what’s in your heart. I won’t write futuristics or vampires any longer (except perhaps to finish out the series) because they’re not what my writing heart enjoys. Definitely, write what’s in your heart.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
on March 17th, 2005 at 7:14 am
I wish I could help you out here, but I’m totally clueless. I do know that whatever you write, it’s bound to be great!
on March 17th, 2005 at 5:54 am
I’ve had people pick up my historical backlist because they enjoyed my futuristic or contemporaries, even if they didn’t like historicals in general. People will tend to follow an author’s name if they like her writing, even if she writes in several different subgenres. My suggestion is (not surprisingly:-) to go where the muse takes you. Otherwise you’ll stifle yourself and get frustrated. And as Saskia said, why worry if your agent doesn’t?
on March 17th, 2005 at 4:24 am
I admit, I’m not a historical reader. BUT I have enjoyed yours…so you can think of it as if someone loves your futuristic, and gets a historical backlist, you might have a chance to get THEM into something new.
on March 17th, 2005 at 1:58 am
Bottom line, if your agent isn’t worried, maybe you shouldn’t worry..?
on March 17th, 2005 at 12:12 am
It’s a catch-22 situation. Your points are valid(futuristic fans frustrated at historical backlist,etc), but if your futuristics are tugging at you, do it. I think that good writing will draw the readers regardless of their expectations. But look on the bright side–you start your historical and futuristic career at the same time, you won’t have hordes of readers jumping ship because they aren’t fans of either the historicals or the futuristics the way fans of a historical author will when the author switches genres.
on March 16th, 2005 at 8:32 pm