Why Writers Should Read in Their Genre: A Lament

Reading widely used to be a luxury, but apparently now that I'm a writer, it's a hindrance.

I was recently asked by my publisher for some comparable titles for my second novel The Telling. "Comparable titles" help the marketing team discern a target, a demographic, a genre. You know, "If you liked Water for Elephants, you'll love __________________."

"Comparable titles" are the blank before your book.

"If you liked _______________ , you'll love The Telling."

Do you know how you'd fill in that blank? Well, I twaddled. Probably because I've been perusing Worlds in Collision, which has about as much in common with The Telling as Redeeming Love has with Lucifer's Hammer. And on my bed stand, I'm working my way through Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, which bears similar symmetry. Or not.

I guess this is why writers should read in their genre. I mean, how else can I become "the next Stephen King" if I only read Immanuel Velikovsky? Forget that reading out of genre helps me air out my noggin. It also keeps me ignorant of "comparable titles."

And that's a no-no.

Okay, so I finished The Silent Land this week. I read it not because I'm a Graham Joyce fan. Honestly, I'd never heard of the guy before I bought his book. It was recommended by another writer friend as part of my effort to read "in genre." It wasn't bad. It kept me turning pages. And helped me add another "comparable title." And then it struck me…

Now I'm reading books to stay up on the genre, not for pure enjoyment.

Sigh.

Oh well. I haven't lost my convictions entirely; I still believe there's virtue in reading broadly, venturing out of one's genre to explore pirates or petticoats, past revolutions or future technologies, sherpas or mermen. Of course, the price for such reading may be a disconnect from your target market. However, even though Horton Hears a Who is way out of my genre, I still believe that Dr. Suess has something to offer. No, Horton isn't a "comparable title." But it does something more important than provide marketing fodder.

It makes me smile.