Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion
III. Goodreads Readers
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Question for readers: should we be writing anything except paranormal, romanace, and fantasy?
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I just focus on writing the sort of things that I enjoy.
@Lee Exactly my thought. Any other way and it will show in the writing.
Write the stories that come to you. Readers will come! :)
Ed, if you think you can pull off writing a YA paranormal romance, go ahead and do it. I'm sure others have had some success with this mercenary approach to writing. But my guess would be that the most successful books in this category were written by those with a genuine affection for the genre. However, you'll probably want to come up with a gender-neutral pen name when you go to market.Personally, I just write the kind of stuff I'd like to read.
Daniel wrote: "Becoming rich as a writer may be an elusive dream. You should just continue to write what you enjoy and like the lottery, perhaps you will get lucky. :)"Never expected to get rich. And I do write what I like to read. It's just that... don't you all long for recognition?
Gregor wrote: "Ed, if you think you can pull off writing a YA paranormal romance, go ahead and do it. I'm sure others have had some success with this mercenary approach to writing. But my guess would be that the ..."Hmmm, a gender neutral pen name... great idea. I've heard that Americans also don't read authors with foreign sounding names (right here on Goodreads). All kidding aside maybe you're on to something.
I long for recognition...but over night is an exception, not the rule. It is a slow steady slog for most of us. You have to publish a lot and your have to find your niche and then direct your writing to them.I want recognition....but I also want to give myself some extra money as I hope to retire in five years. So..my writing is mercenary in nature...but I still am writing stories I enjoy...like my own private movie....
Frankly, I think your download discrepancy may not be an issue of one genre getting more traffic than the other. I think 'View' is likely a much "grabbier" title than 'Wolinski' which could be a biography. Or a history book. Or if you don't realize it's a surname and not a placename, maybe a travelogue. And not to dis your covers, but I personally found the one for 'View' more appealing visually.That said, if you think you would enjoy writing a YA paranormal romance and think you can write a good one, why not?
D.C. wrote: "Frankly, I think your download discrepancy may not be an issue of one genre getting more traffic than the other. I think 'View' is likely a much "grabbier" title than 'Wolinski' which could be a b..."Thanks for that insight. I actually never considered the title being an issue, but it makes sense.
Not to meddle, but what about "Wolinski:P.I."? Still hard boiled and terse, but a lot clearer.
D.C. wrote: "Not to meddle, but what about "Wolinski:P.I."? Still hard boiled and terse, but a lot clearer."Wolinski isn't a P.I. though, is he? It looks like he's sporting a shield on the book cover. Either way, if this is some hard-boiled detective action we're talking about here, where is the sexy dame for the book cover?
Wolinski is sort of a cop. And there is a sexy dame - a 'professional' woman so to speak. Maybe the next revision will have her on the cover.And if anyone wants to read it in exchange for much needed review just drop me a line.
While YA and paranormal romance may be the hot way to go lately it is not for everyone. That goes for both reading and writing wise. I stick with what interests me and what I enjoy writing. I'm not one for going with trends in fact if something is popular I would do the least popular, does this work in writing? ehh all genres are open season its just some are more big then others right now but as long as you have the fanbase you'll do good.
Yes I tend to buck the trend too - I'm a sci-fi and thrillers kind of author. While fantasy is something I could never get in to - not a fan of hobbits, some YA is okay. Paranormal is interesting. And romance is wide open enough to enjoy.The age old question is: are we writing stuff no one wants to read?
I can say most of those who have read my books have enjoyed them.
Ed wrote: "It would seem from casual research that these are the only books selling or at least generating reader interest.. Just looking at the threads and views here on Goodreads and the sales volumes on ..."
If you are only trying to write for sales, be advised that trends change. Write the story that *you* want to tell, not the one you think will sell best. People can tell when your heart isn't in the tale. I can't remember the name of the Harlequin acquisitions editor who talked about this, but she said that she read dozens of manuscripts a week ... and could tell who was doing it just because they thought they could knock out a romance and who was writing because they cared.
Lee wrote: "I can say most of those who have read my books have enjoyed them."Most people who read mine enjoyed them too - there's just not enough of them!
btw: you might want to correct 'The Trust Casefiles' info on Goodreads. When you click the link to buy on Amazon it doesn't find it - hence no one can buy it.
I agree with Richard above. I started writing because I liked it and wanted to when I was a child. It was an extension of role play if you like. I read a lot as I grew up and then I wanted to write similar things to what I read. But I wrote what I wanted to read and what I would enjoy. Like Richard said I did it as an art or hobby. But yes, once done I wanted to publish them and dreamed of being successful. We all know it isn't that easy.
If you want to be successful in publishing you need to write what other people want to read. Professional writers do that. And they are often paid or under contract to do that. It is their day job, and they do it professionally and well. And it is hard and sometimes repetative. I couldn't do that because I wouldn't be good enough or hard enough.
If you are fortunate enough to be successful writing what you enjoy writing then you are fortunate indeed. But it isn't impossible, so if you want it, stick at it. But with your eyes open.
I am happy to have my books out there and done. I feel I am a bit 'all written out,' so to speak, but I am still proud of what I have achieved. And I enjoy it when I get a good review (or any review!). Writing isn't the only thing in my life, it's just another facet of my personality.
If you want to be successful in publishing you need to write what other people want to read. Professional writers do that. And they are often paid or under contract to do that. It is their day job, and they do it professionally and well. And it is hard and sometimes repetative. I couldn't do that because I wouldn't be good enough or hard enough.
If you are fortunate enough to be successful writing what you enjoy writing then you are fortunate indeed. But it isn't impossible, so if you want it, stick at it. But with your eyes open.
I am happy to have my books out there and done. I feel I am a bit 'all written out,' so to speak, but I am still proud of what I have achieved. And I enjoy it when I get a good review (or any review!). Writing isn't the only thing in my life, it's just another facet of my personality.
Richard wrote: "Ed wrote: "The age old question is: are we writing stuff no one wants to read? "Most of the time for most writers, the answer is "yes". With publication becoming easier, 90% or more of what is be..."
As far as any one related to me, they do not give enough of a damn to get any of my books for free, let alone leave any kind of comment.
And just for the record, there are considerably more than 5.
Write what you want to write, as a few people say many people don't make a living from it. Writing a book because you think you should or forcing a story to be something it isn't will make the writer and thus the reader unhappy with the final product.I write fantasy/fantasy romance but I read mystery, historical fiction, sci-fi, history and much more.
Ed wrote: "It would seem from casual research that these are the only books selling or at least generating reader interest.. Just looking at the threads and views here on Goodreads and the sales volumes on ..."
Your casual research is accurate, Ed. Those book sales comprise a huge portion of the fiction market, but that also means there's a lot of competition for those dollars. I know this because I'm constantly researching that competition. I earn a very comfortable living writing paranormal and contemporary romance, but I'm not a 'known' writer and that's okay by me, because the bottom line is, I write the kind of stories I like to read and I've found a niche where readers like my kind of story, too.
I could no more write a novel about a hard-boiled PI than I could a book on nuclear physics, although I'd prefer to read about your PI.
Write what you love, sir, and give it time. Write a few more books and develop a following. You'll get there.
Oh, and one more unasked for piece of advice, consider another title. Wolinski is a great name for a PI, but as a book title, it sounds like a biography of some obscure Eastern European political figure.
Jacqueline wrote: "Ed wrote: "It would seem from casual research that these are the only books selling or at least generating reader interest.. Just looking at the threads and views here on Goodreads and the sales ..."
Thanks for the tip. The title got away from me on this one.
I hope you understand that my title comment wasn't meant to be mean. I went through several cover changes before I got the hang of it (one more to go!). I think it's better to hear those things here, where people understand than in reviews which is where I learned my lessons.
Ed wrote: "Question for readers: should we be writing anything except paranormal, romanace, and fantasy?"I don't generally read any of the above genres. Can we have some proper sci-fi that gets the brain working and not just more fantasy / war stories set in space?
Sharon wrote: "If you are only trying to write for sales, be advised that trends change. Write the story that *you* want to tell, not the one you think will sell best. People can tell when your heart isn't in the tale."That is the best advice! Trends change and you have to write because it means something to you! I would say try and find a title that grabs, a cover that stands out and an honest description of content. People do read the less trendy genres too and they will enjoy reading what you honestly enjoy writing!
We should write whatever we feel like writing, it's just those three happen to be extremely popular right now. Also they all happen to be together which really makes them sell.
Steph wrote: "Ed wrote: "Question for readers: should we be writing anything except paranormal, romanace, and fantasy?"I don't generally read any of the above genres. Can we have some proper sci-fi that gets the brain working and not just more fantasy / war stories set in space?"
Write books that make you think? I thought that was a crime nowadays. Personally, I'm getting ready to publish a sparkly werewolf space cadet billionaire BDSM dystopian series written so even stone spear-wielding Neanderthals can understand it. I'll leave the smart books for smart writers. ;)
Kevis wrote: Personally, I'm getting ready to publish a sparkly werewolf space cadet billionaire BDSM dystopian series written so even stone spear-wielding Neanderthals can understand it.
You left out the mandatory teenage vampires. Otherwise, sounds like a winner. :)
You left out the mandatory teenage vampires. Otherwise, sounds like a winner. :)
Chris wrote: "You left out the mandatory teenage vampires. Otherwise, sounds like a winner."Ah. Looks like I missed something after all. Well, back to the drawing board for me. Either that, or I'll actually try to write something smart. :P
Kevis wrote: "Steph wrote: "Ed wrote: "Question for readers: should we be writing anything except paranormal, romanace, and fantasy?"I don't generally read any of the above genres. Can we have some proper sci-..."
My apologies for having insulted your intelligence with the books I write. I thought this was a supportive group, but perhaps not. I wish you all the best in your chosen genres, 'smart' or otherwise.
Jacqueline wrote: "My apologies for having insulted your intelligence with the books I write. I thought this was a supportive group, but perhaps not. I wish you all the best in your chosen genres, 'smart' or otherwise."Sadly, Jacqueline, I was counting the minutes (or hours in this case) until someone posted your exact remark. Considering the fact that a) I have never heard of you before, and therefore have no idea what kind of books you write and more importantly b) that I spend my days writing about robots, wizards, pointy-eared elves, and scantily dressed maidens with really cool laser swords, I think I'm hardly the person to start pointing fingers at other authors in order to belittle or ridicule their work.
If you didn't see the jest (a.k.a.: jovial nature of my post), sadly I can't help that. But I'm way too anti-PC to start walking around on eggshells on a public forum because some authors can't take a joke. Jeez. Some of you writers out there really need to get a sense of humor. Life isn't that serious all the time. Then again, maybe it is and I missed something.
In the future when I make a joke, I'll be sure to write (Please insert laugh track here.)
Actually, Kevis, I do have a sense of humor, but frankly, I'm a bit tired of my genres being the red headed stepchildren of fiction. I'm happy to hear your comment was in jest and will allow that I'm not familiar enough with your comments to recognize your humor or your sarcasm. Perhaps it is my loss. Yours, too.
looking for sci fi, military sci fi, horror. plot and character always sells me
Referring to the original question, I think we DO need much more Roman ace books.
It's hard to think of any great works that had no romantic angle.
John wrote: "It's hard to think of any great works that had no romantic angle.Animal Farm
The Good Soldier Svejk
Most of the Earth Sea books
Kurt Vonnegut's books in general, but he avoided romance on purpose
Kafka's books
H.P. Lovecraft as well
But they are a minority for sure. Anything from Bible to Naked Lunch has something that can roughly be classified as romance (OK in Naked Lunch that is very roughly)
Naked Lunch
As a postmodernist, I'd have to take issue with Kafka and Vonnegut. Most of their works reflected the heartache and psychological trauma caused by unrequited love. Kinda reminds one of the dork in high school tearing his heart out over the homecomng queen.
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Books mentioned in this topic
Wolf Man (other topics)Naked Lunch: The Restored Text (other topics)
Nightcrawler (other topics)
Just looking at the threads and views here on Goodreads and the sales volumes on Amazon, all the reader interest is in these genres. I did a giveaway on my book View , which is billed as a 'paranormal romance' and got 650 downloads. Conversely my novel Wolinski , a crime thriller, got only 16!
Sure there are many other factors but I'm sorely tempted to write a paranormal romance fantasy suitable for YA and see what happens...
Anyone else share this observation?