Reader Expections and Why They Matter

[image error] The Black Keys at Deck the Hall BallLast night I attended the Deck The Hall Ball in Seattle which featured some great bands, including Cake (not pictured). They performed songs from their upcoming album as well as a few old ones, and they engaged the audience as only they can. But the song that was glaringly missing from their set list is probably their biggest hit. Short Skirt Long Jacket. My friend and I were disappointed, others around us were disappointed, and when I tweeted that they didn't do that song, several people replied back how weird it was.

That got me thinking about reader expectations when you pick up a book.

When you read a romance you expect certain things to happen. Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl over in the end...or a variation of this. And when you read one of the sub-genres, you have additional expectations. Imagine how shocked you'd be if you thought you were reading an inspirational romance, only to find it's erotica--or vice versa. Even if you read both of those genres, chances are, you'd still be disappointed that your expectation wasn't met.

As an author, I try to tap into what readers of paranormal romance want and give it to them. I read recently that an author's goal should be to exploit a reader's fetishes in whatever genre they're writing. I love that. As a reader, I want my fetishes exploited!

Although the concert last night was great, it would've been a lot better if I'd been able to dance on my chair to Short Skirt Long Jacket.