At writing conferences and industry events, agents and editors alike are fond of saying you should write what’s in your heart, or what you most want to write. Don’t pay attention to trends or what sells, they say. Write your story, even if it’s out of style.
While that may be sound advice if you’re focused on the creative process, once the writing is done, if you haven’t the faintest clue about your readership, you’ll run in circles trying to market and promote your work. Of course, you can rely on a publisher or a marketing professional to do the work for you, but that can be risky as well as expensive—and not always an option.
Even you didn’t consciously have a reader in mind while writing your book, you’ll have to research or identify one once it’s on the market. But ideally, your concept of your target reader (or to start, the genre you’re working in—which equals a findable audience) should be clear from the start. In my latest column for Publishers Weekly, I discuss: No Clear Readership, No Clear Sales.
Jane Friedman has spent nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund, she works with organizations such as The Authors Guild to bring transparency to the business of publishing.
Dear Jane:
OK, I suppose I’m “going in circles.” For the past 30+ years, I have had a saga in my head that consumes all my creative abilities, even much of my life. I have completed the first draft of a novel (appx. 60K words) set in the saga’s reality, and have had some short stories from the saga published in some mostly small markets, but the most I have ever received from any story is $50.00 (apiece, for exactly two). At this point, I am wondering if I’m trying to sell the wrong item entirely (like the character from Monty Python who can’t understand why he can’t sell his “Crunchy Frog” and “Lark’s Vomit” candy). I believe in my abilities as a writer, and what’s more, I think I have an overall theme that has become more and more relevant in these “Me Too” times. Without giving it all away, I can tell you to think “The Handmais’s Tale” meets “Conan the Barbarian.” If the links still work, my website can give you access to a couple of my stories.
It’s frustrating, because I believe the idea is saleable and timely, as I’ve said. I simply cannot find the right paying market(s) for my work. I don’t know it my style is wrong, or if editors don’t like the theme, or if I simply haven’t found the right audience. Because I’m writing Heroic Fantasy, I sometimes wonder if I should try harder to write Howard pastiches (a la writers like deCamp, Carter, Moorcock, C.L. Moore, et al). The trouble is, so much of what comes out in the field isn’t very good (I won’t name names). Usually HF degenerates into “Monster of the Month Club.” I’m trying to write fiction that’s a cut above the pulp-level, but I can’t fathom what’s wrong.
I suppose you’re overwhelmed with your own work, and don’t have time to spare to one writer. So I hope you’ll forgive me for kvetching (sp?) like this. But I had to share my dilemma with somebody. Perhaps you can point me in a better direction than in circles?
Thanks for reading, and for your columns.
Best regards,
Jack Mulcahy
Hi Jack: I’m afraid I don’t have much insight into short story markets, but I can say that selling a short story requires an intimate knowledge of the magazine/journal and understanding who their readership is. It’s an area dramatically driven by market trends, and perhaps you’re writing something that’s out of step with current reader interest.
If your stories are all connected, or could constitute a serial, you might try making your work available for free at a community site like Wattpad.
Selling a novel is quite different. I can’t tell from your comment if you’ve tried to sell the novel, but if it’s only in first draft stage, I assume not. There’s a far bigger market for novels than short stories.
Thanks for replying, Jane. Just to close a loose end, I submitted the first draft to two editors, and received varying feedback. The first one had harely anything critical to say, so I considered her comments useless. The second had a great deal to say about how I could improve it. At first, that seemed valuable. But she kind f got wrapped around the axle because she didn’t agree with the premise the novel rested on. I think she didn’t get what I wanted to say, because she kept arguing why the antagonist country couldn’t get away with its setup.
[…] Friedman advise to write for yourself but market for your reader. If your readers are middle grade, check out these author-tested middle grade marketing tips and […]
[…] https://janefriedman.com/know-your-reader/ “At writing conferences and industry events, agents and editors alike are fond of saying you […]