When the Trend is Over

That awful moment when a panel of editors say they’re incredibly tired of receiving (insert trend here).

You: OMG my manuscript features exactly THAT. Oh no!

This, by the way, happened to me the other day after reading this article: 10 Science Fiction And Fantasy Stories That Editors Are Tired Of Seeing

It’s almost as unwise to follow through with the knee-jerk reaction to trash your manuscript in despair as it is to sit in the same panel, take careful notes on what those editors are looking for now and start a brand new shiny manuscript on exactly what they say they are looking for. By the time you finish writing, revising, and polishing said new manuscript – the trend has moved on and those editors are looking for something else.

So why are these articles valuable? Why are those panels key to keep in mind?

Maybe you already have a shelved manuscript to take down, dust off, and polish within a very short time frame to pitch to that editor. Maybe it can help you decide and prioritize work you’re doing on multiple projects. Or maybe you can mention to your agent that editor wasn’t interested in xyz but did mention abc and one of your fellow authors had that manuscript already prepared. A rising tide raises all boats in the harbor, my friends.

Knowing about the industry trends is a good thing. It allows you to recognize an opportunity and seize the moment, if you have a manuscript to match the moment. On the other hand, writing from scratch to chase the industry trends is quite often a ticket straight into despair. Some authors can do it, but I certainly can’t and many other authors descend into madness trying.

To be honest, trends come and go. My plan is to write. Write a lot and of the best quality, from my heart. While I’m on submission I’ll be writing something else while I wait. I’ll amass a pile of manuscripts if at all possible. When the trend comes back around, and it most definitely will, I’ll have a manuscript or three ready for it.