Marketing the Fuzzy-Genre Manuscript
By Therese Walsh | April 8, 2008 |
It’s something I joke about, but it’s true just the same: It’s a good thing I’m a freelance writer who receives regular assignments or I’d be playing Tetris all day. Query? Shop around? Try to charm a new editor? No, no, please no.
So you can imagine how I feel with regards to marketing my fiction, where I don’t even have a strong writing portfolio to point at, just a passion. Can’t someone just do it for me? Please? I’ll give you my pinky toe.
No?
Well, hell.
I finally sent a mass of queries off last week, and I’ll continue this week. Why the setbacks? General life stuff, mostly, details of which I’ll spare you. But the other big issue (aside from fear of rejection and crushed self-esteem issues that I’m loathe to admit) is that I didn’t have a clear idea how to market my story. I wouldn’t go so far as to say my manuscript is ultimately Unique, because I know Eric will call me on it, but it wasn’t cakewalk for me to ID another work like it. My story is part family saga/ women’s fiction, part paranormal, part mystery… You get the picture. I have a fuzzy-genre manuscript. Who should I query? Who’d want to represent it? Who might be looking for what I have to offer? But I finally settled on a plan.
I took the plunge and subscribed to Publishers Marketplace after both Allison Winn Scotch and Ray Rhamey encouraged me to do so. At first I wasn’t convinced it would offer anything more than the great services at Agent Query, which are free. I immediately saw, though, that PM’s sales lists are thorough, current, and detail how well agents have sold by genre (though I wish these lists were a little more specific and that PM differentiated between women’s fiction and romance, and between literary fiction and commercial).
Now I know who the top-selling agents are for debut authors and who sells the most, period. I know who has a great track record of selling foreign and film rights. I’ve read sales blips to find stories that do, in a general way, sound like mine, then noted who those agents are. And I’ve found agents who sell ALL of the things that I think my manuscript has, so that THEY can decide how to market it–and will have the chops to do it.
So I query using this A list and call my story commercial fiction. That’s my strategy. How ironic that it hearkens back to my time as a researcher and the number one lesson of all: CAST A WIDE NET…but cast it in a sea rich with possibility.
Write on, all!
Photo courtesy Flickr’s Niklens’
Therese Walsh (she/her) co-founded Writer Unboxed in 2006 and is the site’s editorial director. She was the editor of WU’s only book, Author in Progress, and runs the Writer Unboxed UnConference.
Her second novel, The Moon Sisters, received starred reviews and was named one of the best books of the year by Library Journal and Book Riot.
Learn more about Therese on her website, and sign up for her newsletter to be among the first to hear about any new projects.
Therese, I’m not so big on genre as maybe Blake Snyder is, but I do agree with that approach.
I’d be less concerned about whether my story fell into “Mystery” or “Western,” but I would be concerned about the types of themes explored in the story and try to come up with a good elevator pitch based off the plot + themes.
If you want, I’ll read your story and come up with some thoughts on identifying the hook/pitch.
BTW, unique is good. Unique is marketable. Original is the danger territory — originality is a myth. And often just an excuse to pursue your own subjective eccentricities while denying the responsibility to market them. :)
Maybe pick the category your ms. ‘fits’ into. how about woman’s fiction with a touch of paranormal elements? believe in your ‘voice’
Maybe pick the category your ms. most ‘fits’ into. how about woman’s fiction with a touch of paranormal elements? believe in your ‘voice’
I can hear it now. “No, Mr. Twain, I’m afraid we can’t consider your story. It’s not really a historical, not romance, not a typical adventure, and…. Well, it just doesn’t fit into any of our categories. Where would the bookstore display it?”
Teri, here’s hoping your uniqueness pays off.
Richard Mabry, LOL. If Austen were writing today, she’d be labeled chick-lit.
It’s a shame that a unique book that pushes boundaries has a hard time finding a marketing niche. But hang in….all the best books defy boundaries.
Great solution!
I agree that PM is a fabulous resource. I agree, too, that more differentiation would be useful.
Good luck with the commercial fiction strategy. I hope it pays off soon and well.
Thanks for the offer, Eric. I actually think I’m good to go on the pitch…though that wasn’t easy either. What Blake said about irony helped, but I also had to be very careful to nail the right tone. Even though there are paranormal elements to my story, it’s mostly an emotional journey; the hook had to reflect that. But I really do appreciate the offer!
Thanks, Richard, Thea, Kath and Therese, for the well wishes!
Diana Gabaldon.
Thank you…your tip about PM was very valuable as I am going through the query process myself right now and had been relying on Agent Query.
Good luck with your queries and please keep us updated on your progress or feedback as you go along, it’s very useful!
Thanks,
suz.