Finding Your Fiction "Sweet Spot" by Marie Wells Coutu

“We want 19th century prairie romances.”
“No 19th century prairie romances. But we do want Amish.”
“I’m interested in seeing World War II settings.”
“Please don’t submit anything related to World War II.”

Do the fast-changing trends in publishing frustrate you? Are you struggling to keep up or to decide what to write? Have I got a deal for you: your own personal Make-A-Novel Board. You can create it yourself:

Marie Wells Coutu

Draw a card like you would use to play Bingo (or find one online). Fill the squares with various options, such as a time period, a genre (romance, suspense, sci-fi, Amish, etc.), or a setting (prairie, small town, city, England, etc.). Get at least 3 coins, put the card on the floor, close your eyes, and drop the coins one at a time. Open your eyes and voila, you have the makings for your next best-selling novel!

You might wind up with an Amish sci-fi set in Hungary, but hey, it’s about as scientific as the industry. And about as helpful as chasing the trends.

Here are some more realistic ways to decide what type of novel you should be writing:

Literary Bingo

• List your five favorite novels of all time. What do they have in common?
• What activities do you choose when you travel? If you prefer historical museums, you might be a historical author. If you like taking the ghost tours, suspense may be right up your alley (but watch out for the surprise around the corner). Go for the parasailing, scuba diving, or surfing? Try your hand at writing adventure novels.
• Do you have a favorite place (or places)? Maybe it’s your hometown, maybe it’s a mountain cabin or a vibrant big city. A ranch in Texas or an island off the coast of Maine? Or some place in your imagination (for you sci-fi and fantasy authors)?

In other words, stop trying to find the “next big thing” and focus instead on what you love. That’s where you’ll find your passion and your best stories.

I started writing contemporary novels set in places I knew well—Minneapolis, Charleston, and Nashville (with Guatemala, which I’ve never visited, thrown in for good measure). I love those stories and enjoyed re-imagining biblical women as characters in those locations. And, confession time: I didn’t think I could write historical because I might get the details wrong.


But once I realized how much research was needed even for those books and admitted that I love the research, I decided to switch to historical. My current work-in-progress is located in a region of western Kentucky that has been on my heart since my college days. It’s an area rich with history and peopled with figurative ghosts of interesting characters. I’m loving exploring the psyche of its former residents and bringing them back to life in my book (and making notes of ideas for future books using the same settings).


Yes, I’m breaking with the advice of sticking with one genre until you are established. But I am willing to take that risk. Most of the novels I’ve read that have stuck with me have been historical, so I think I have found my “sweet spot.”


And if historical isn’t in great demand right now, I’m okay with that. It will come back around.

Join the conversation: What led you to the genre or setting you’re writing in? Have you found your “sweet spot” or are you still searching?

About the Author

Marie Wells Coutu’s novels often deal with characters who suffer from Imposter Syndrome. At least, they worry that if their secrets are discovered, their lives will change drastically.

Her latest release, The Secret Heart, is a modern reimagining of Bathsheba and David’s story, featuring the governor and first lady of Tennessee. Keeping their secret is destroying their marriage, but revealing it could mean the end of any political career. Find out more at myBook.to/TheSecretHeart, visit Marie’s website at www.MarieWellsCoutu.com where she shares devotional thoughts regularly, or follow her on Facebook at Marie Wells Coutu, Author.

The Secret Heart
by Marie Wells Coutu

The Secret Heart

Beautiful Shawna Moore married Hunter Wilson, the governor of Tennessee, after a whirlwind romance, only six weeks following her first husband’s death in Iraq. Now, she wonders if the governor loved her at all or only hoped to avoid a scandal.

An investigative reporter—and friend of Shawna’s—is asking questions. If he discovers the truth about Shawna’s baby, Hunter’s chances for reelection could be ruined. But keeping the secret is destroying their marriage. Will Shawna convince Hunter to choose his family and drop out of politics, or will he continue to put his career first?

For a sneak peek, download the first chapter here.

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To Genre Hop or Not to Genre Hop by Terri Weldon

Terri Weldon

Today’s post has more questions than answers. I’m hoping you guys can help me out and provide the answers.

Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy, Speculative Fiction, and Historical Romance. At one time or another I’ve been tempted to write stories in each of these genres. Practical? Hardly. Trust me when I say I’d do a horrible job writing Historical Romance and I’m too big a chicken to delve into the world of Speculative Fiction. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve read both and found them delightful, but as an author, they just aren’t for me.

Besides writing ability, because someone out there reading this may be able to write any genre, is there a good reason to avoid genre hopping? We hear so much these days about branding and building a platform. Does switching back and forth between genres make it harder to build a platform or to brand you as a writer?

When I think of some of my favorite authors, Ted Dekker, Elizabeth Camden, Debbie Macomber, Linda Goodnight, and Brandilyn Collins, I tend to put each of them in a distinct genre. But then there’s Colleen Coble and Rene Gutteridge. Both of these talented ladies write in multiple genres. I may not always know what kind of book they’re going to write, but I know if the book has their name on it, I’ll like it.

What about you? Do you prefer knowing exactly what kind of story you’ll be getting when you purchase a book by an author or do you buy a book just because it has an author’s name on it?

Some authors use pseudonyms, so their readers can differentiate by the name on the cover what kind of book they’ll be reading. If you’re a writer, would you be willing to use a pseudonym or have you ever used a pen name? If you’re a reader, do you like it when authors use pseudonyms?

As a relatively new author with only one published title under her belt, I’d love to hear your opinion on genre hopping. So, leave a comment and we can spend the day discussing the subject.

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Purchase Link

Misty Winslow is determined to find her prince, and she meets the man of her dreams through an Internet dating service. Or is he, because the new dentist in town also sets her heart aflutter.

It's love at first sight for Tyler Davenport, but before he can finish his first root canal, Misty is involved in an exclusive online romance with Wes99—Tyler’s online persona. How can he tell her he’s the man she’s been waiting to meet, and how rational is it for him to be jealous of Wes99! Soon Tyler's pulling out all the stops to woo Misty.

As Christmas approaches, Wes99 and Tyler both ask her to meet them under the mistletoe. Which man will she choose? 

Terri is a lead analyst by day and an author by night. She enjoys gardening, reading, and playing in the hand bell choir. One of her favorite pastimes is volunteering as the librarian at her church. It allows her to shop for books and spend someone else’s money! Plus, she has the great joy of introducing people to Christian fiction. She lives with her family in Oklahoma. Terri has three dogs – a lovable mutt and two adorable Westies. 

Terri is a member of ACFW and OCFW, a local chapter of ACFW. Her dream of becoming a published novelist came true in November 2013 when Mistletoe Magic, released from White Rose Publishing. To learn more about Terri visit her website at www.TerriWeldon.com.

Know Your Audience by Carla Laureano

Carla Laureano

Hey writers, Annette here. Have you ever heard the advice to write for the market? Then we hear that we should write our passion. So, which is it? Or maybe it's a bit less black and white than that. Today's guest, Carla Laureano, addresses the topic with some helpful advice and her own success story. Enjoy!

Know Your Audience

by Carla Laureano

When I first started writing for publication, the most confusing part wasn’t the craft details or the etiquette. It was the conflicting information on how to write the most marketable book possible. “Write your passion.” “Write what you know.” “Write what’s selling.” “Write to market trends.” How is an author to know which advice to follow? It’s easy to say that you should write to your audience, but which one?

Agents/Editors

If you want to publish traditionally, at some point you’ll submit your manuscript to a “gatekeeper,” whether that’s an agent or an editor. Writing to this audience means knowing what particular agents are looking for, what they absolutely won’t represent, and what the editors they work with are buying. How do you determine this if you’re not already working with an agent?

-          Read, read, read. Agents and editors are looking for manuscripts to which they can say “yes,” and that means knowing their particular areas of interest. Read agent and publisher blogs. Read Publishers Weekly online. Read editor and agent biographies on conference websites to see what they’re actively acquiring.

-          Watch the trends. Publishers acquire manuscripts eighteen months to two years from the actual publication date, so by the time a flood of one type of book hits the market, editors are looking for something completely new. For example, the dystopian craze is winding down and publishers are no longer acquiring much in that sub-genre. If you write in one of these played-out genres, the trick is finding a way to put a new spin on the topic, whether it’s a unique setting, narration style, or plot.

Readers

Agents and publishers ask for what they think will sell, but they’ll admit that sometimes even they don’t know what they’re looking for until they see it. If you’re a writer, you’re also probably an avid reader and you engage with readers who have tastes similar to your own. This is your chance to see what readers are looking for and where there might be an unmet area of the market you can explore.

Before I wrote Five Days in Skye (June 2013), my 20- and 30-something friends and I were reading general market romance because we liked its exotic locales and glamorous characters. But I always missed the added depth of a spiritual element. Conversations with other readers told me they too would buy a book that melded the glossier elements of general market romance with the morals and heart of inspirational.

My editor at David C. Cook saw the potential in this emerging sector, contracted the book quickly, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Yet no publisher was openly advertising an interest in European settings or edgier storylines. Had I not spent the time to find out where other readers’ wants intersected with my interests, I might have missed a great opportunity.

Yourself

Did you notice the line above? “…find where [their] wants intersected with my interests.” I believe that writing strictly for the market often results in boring, passionless stories that read like contractual obligations. So while it’s important to understand your gatekeeper/reader audience, it’s also important to write something that gets you excited to sit down at your computer each day.

When I wrote Oath of the Brotherhood (NavPress, May 2014), the prospects of selling inspirational fantasy were even dimmer than they are today. And yet the story would not leave me alone. I wrote, edited, polished, rewrote, and submitted for almost five years before I landed an agent and then soon afterwards, a publisher. Had I written strictly for the market, I would have lost the valuable experience I gained in the writing and rewriting of the novel, and I wouldn’t have been ready for the window of opportunity for its publication.

In the end, it’s important to know all three levels of audience and maximize your chances for publication. But if you continually refine your craft and write with passion, you will be ready to seize the opportunities when they present themselves. Happy writing!

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Carla Laureano has held many job titles--professional marketer, small business consultant, and martial arts instructor--but writer is by far her favorite. Her debut contemporary romance, Five Days in Skye, was recently selected as a finalist in Romance Writers of America’s RITA Awards in both the First Novel and Inspirational categories. She is also the author of the upcoming Celtic fantasy series Song of Seare under the name C.E. Laureano.

Connect with Carla via: Web | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Pinterest

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ABOUT OATH OF THE BROTHERHOOD

Oath of the Brotherhood

An island the edge of the world. An ancient prophecy. A reclusive warrior brotherhood. When evil encroaches, who will find the faith to fight it?

To his clan, Conor Mac Nir is a disappointment—gifted with a harp, but hopeless with a sword. To the beautiful young healer Aine, he’s one whose gift calls out to her own . . . and captures her heart. To the reclusive warrior brotherhood called the Fíréin, he may be the answer to an ancient prophecy . . . if he can be trained to fight. Can Conor and Aine find their true path as an ancient evil engulfs the isle of Seare? Must Conor sacrifice everything he loves, even Aine, to follow the path God lays out before him?