 | 31 Dec 09 |
Here’s one of my favorite posts of the year . . . well, last year. I wrote this at the end of 2008, but I’m posting it again because it’s relevant to publishing today and me specifically.
Today is the last day of 2009. My career has been arguably successful. I can support my family with my writing, but I’m not at the point where I feel any sense of job security. That I’m writing something different from my first twelve books is thrilling–it’s exactly what I want to write. But it’s also scary–what if my readers don’t follow me? What if new readers don’t find me? I would have been so much easier to continue down the same path I was on . . .
But authors can get burned out if they don’t love what they are writing and I was on the verge of burn out with the last romantic thriller I wrote. I don’t want to lose the love I have for romantic suspense, so taking a step aside and writing the supernatural thriller that has been in my mind and heart for six years was truly a blessing; that I was contracted to write these books was an important and much-needed bonus.
Tomorrow I’m launching my new website. You can check out the front page here, which I believe invokes the feeling of my story. I love my cover (really, really love my cover) but at the same time am nervous because the book is being marketed as paranormal romance . . . yet the romance is secondary to the overall story. Important? Yes. But it’s a multi-book romance arc, not an HEA in the first book.
Being a Libra (the scales) I go back and forth on this daily. I’m writing what I want to write and that makes me happy; yet in writing what I want am I shooting myself in the foot because it’s not what’s expected of me and/or of the cover on my work and/or the genre itself?
RT Book Reviews reviewed ORIGINAL SIN as “Urban Fantasy” which isn’t 100% accurate, but is more accurate than paranormal romance. What I’m writing is not definable by a popular label. I don’t say this because I’m special or advanced or supersmart–in fact, I think I’m kind of an idiot because I didn’t craft the series into an easily definable genre. On the one hand, I tell myself, “There’s nothing quite like this out there.” On the other hand, I tell myself, “There’s no market for this story” largely because it’s different. But again, it’s not original because there is nothing new under the sun. It’s classic supernatural, where good is good (sort of) and bad is bad (very). The review at least alleviated some of my fears that my readers wouldn’t come with me:
“Suspense maven Brennan takes a decidedly supernatural turn with her new demon fighter series. Blatant evil takes corporeal form in this Seven Deadly Sins series launch. Brennan’s tormented protagonists struggle with doubt and incomplete knowledge of the hazards they face. Her style of suspense readily adapts to the UF genre, giving it a darkly powerful edge. It’s shiver inducing!”
So . . . from last year, here’s my “Redux” blog. And to launch my release of ORIGINAL SIN of 1.26, I’m giving away three copies of the prequel, WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE, an anthology that I proudly share with Roxanne St. Claire and Karin Tabke who both wrote AMAZING stories that I brag about constantly. Just comment . . . and hopefully win!
GENRE BLENDING
A couple years ago, NYT bestseller James Rollins spoke to my local RWA chapter on blending genres. His presentation was fantastic–not only is Jim a great writer, but he’s also a fun and informed speaker.
He suggested that one way to break out, or to write that something “fresh and different” that editors say they want is to take an element from another genre and blend it with the “rules” of an established genre. JD Robb’s books are a perfect example of a blended genre–romantic suspense novels set in the future. They’re truly three genres–mysteries, romance, and light science fiction.
Romantic suspense has become it’s own distinct genre. There are those of us who write romantic suspense that’s heavy on the romance, such as the incomparable Roxanne St. Claire. There are those of us who write romantic suspense that’s heavy on the suspense, such as me. And our own Heather Graham has successfully incorporated paranormal elements such as ghosts into her romantic suspense novels–she helped forge the trail, as Heather has blended paranormal elements into her stories before that genre was so hot.
In fact, genre blending is nothing new–established authors have been doing it for years. In the 60s and 70s, gothic romances led the way to the modern romantic suspense novels. Romance writers who tended to write sexier than their peers became the new erotic romance writers–and there are sexy paranormals, suspense, and historicals, another branch off the tree. With the explosion of urban fantasy–which may or may not have strong paranormal and/or suspense elements; the successful science fiction romances of Linnea Sinclair; the increase in romantic mystery series (or, rather, mysteries with a nice dose of romance), our imagination is truly the limit in what we can create and blend together to make something new, different, and exciting.
When you look at some of the biggest authors of our time, they are not considered “genre” at all, even if they are shelved in an established genre. For example, Stephen King and Dean Koontz may be identified as “horror” or “suspense” but both have gone beyond genre to write stories that appeal to a large cross section of the public, largely because they incorporate ALL genre elements successfully. Stephen King’s books often deal with the supernatural or paranormal, while almost always having a relationship story (that may or may not be a romance.)
I think this is all good–it gives our imaginations more room to roam. But there’s a pitfall for up-and-coming authors, including myself: how do we market our books? Specifically, how do we create covers that appeal to cross-genre readers?
You can put Nora Roberts or Stephen King in white letters on a black cover and sell books. Their name is their genre, in a sense–they are a brand in and of themselves. They tend to have more “generic” covers without a lot of gimmicks. HIGH NOON, for example, is a simple cover that evokes a mood, but it’s Nora Roberts’ name that has you buying the book. While I’m sure bad covers for even the most popular authors can affect sales, bad covers–or the wrong covers–can negatively impact a growing author’s career.
When you write romance, you have parameters for your covers. Harlequin covers have certain guidelines and are designed to meet their reader expectations. Avon Historical Romances have certain guidelines to meet their reader expectations. When you write thrillers, there’s certain elements that tend to recur, but many of the covers either have a strong setting or image that directly relates to the story (such as James Rollins and Steve Berry) while others have a more generic or art look like Lee Child. Then there’s the running man, or other elements of speed and chase incorporated into the cover that gives the reader a sense for the type of story they are getting.
But when you write romantic thrillers, what do you focus on? The romance? The thrill? Both? To what degree?
I’m one who believes that the cover should reflect the tone of the story. More romance in the story, a more “romance focused” cover; more suspense in the story, a more “suspense focused” cover. But finding that balance that’s going to appeal to the readers who would enjoy that type of story is not easy, yet it’s probably one of the most important things for a book’s success–or failure–after the writing itself.
I recently bought a book solely for the cover. David Hewson’s THE GARDEN OF EVIL. (Great title, too!) But I was looking at covers that evoked a mood, specifically for my upcoming supernatural thriller series, and this one jumped out at me. It’s not that this cover would fit my story, but it gave me the right feeling.
Genre blending is no longer new and different, but because of the endless permutations of the genres, it will continue to grow and thrive. Yet for those of us who are trying to establish our careers, who mix it up with the genres primarily because that’s where our voice and interest takes us, finding the right covers is not always easy. And until we get to the point where our name alone puts us at #1 on the NYT list, covers will always be important.
What do you think of genre blending? Do you prefer your mysteries to be mysteries and your romances to be romances and your science fiction to be science fiction . . . or do you like mixing and matching?
Again, comment for a chance to win one of three copies of WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE!!!
New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award winning author Allison Brennan has published thirteen romantic thrillers with Ballantine, plus a novella and three short stories. She lives near Sacramento, California with her husband and five children. Recently, RT Book Reviews said, “A master of suspense, Brennan does another outstanding job uniting horrifying action, procedural drama and the birth of a romance — a prime example of why she’s tops in the genre.” For fun Allison enjoys wine tasting, swimming, playing video games, and—of course–reading. Her most recent release is ORIGINAL SIN, the first in the Seven Deadly Sins supernatural romantic suspense series.
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I was clueless when I started writing; I thought I was writing a mystery, but it ended up (or so I was told) being a romance. So I’m all for genre-blending. I love reading about the relationships in books shelved in the mystery section — that’s usually what keeps me following a series.
However, the hubster doesn’t want relationship “stuff” in the books he reads. He just finished a NYT best-selling author’s thriller and only gave it an “OK” because there was too much time spend on the relationship.
by Terry Odell December 31st, 2009 at 5:59 amI’ve been criticized for both too much romance and too little romance :/ One of those “you can’t please all the people all the time.”
by Allison Brennan December 31st, 2009 at 10:25 amI am looking forward to Original Sin. Have it ordered and am really anxious to get it. I read a variety of authors, actually I will read anyone at least once. The determinating factor for me is that I will only keep certain authors. Yours are on the keep list, to be reread at a later date.
by Debbie Lockwood December 31st, 2009 at 11:22 pmWhen an author I love reading switches genres I’m more than willing to make the switch with them, as long as it is a genre I enjoy.
A little early but, Happy New Year everyone. May we all, the MSW ladies and us commenters, have a safe and successful new year.
by HollyD December 31st, 2009 at 6:35 amHappy New Year Holly!
by Allison Brennan December 31st, 2009 at 10:26 amBlending genres is fine, as long as the story is interesting and the characters well written. Happy New Year.
by GSM December 31st, 2009 at 7:07 amOh, Allison, you are preaching to my choir, girl! I’ve described myself as a cross-genre writer for about as long as I started actively pursuing publication (this time around, anyway. Last time, there was no term for what I wrote.) My twitter bio pretty much sums it up: Writer of Romance with Magic and Mystery. I’ve never been able to write a book or story without all three elements.
I’ll be in the Caribbean when ORIGINAL SIN comes out. We’ll find out if Kindle works in the middle of the sea.
by Silver James December 31st, 2009 at 8:16 amHappy Happy Happy New Year!
by Allison Brennan December 31st, 2009 at 10:27 amWhoops, that Happy New Year was for GSM–this one is for you (Happy New Year!) LOL.
Enjoy your trip! I’m jealous!
by Allison Brennan December 31st, 2009 at 10:27 amThis is a perfect discussion for me as we enter the new year!
My sense is there is a real open-ness among readers for genre blending and stretching. And for envelope-pushing in general. I read the reader letters in RT every month and while there are always traditionalists who prefer a story that cleaves to the familiar, romance readers are quick to add that there’s a reader for every book – - and there are always other letters welcoming something new and fresh.
I like what you say about covers – we all rely on covers to give us a message about what to expect within, and it’s important to get that right. But what do you do with a book that’s a little of this and a little of that and a bit of something completely unexpected? Maybe the art departments are tearing their hair out, but I like to think they might be enjoying the challenge, too. It’s a chance to try new things and stretch their art. Remember when it was shocking and fresh to have a simple “object” cover – the necklace or the goblet alone with no models? Or how about when you saw your first cartoon cover? Now we all know what to expect from that, but at one time people were struggling to explain what the heck “chick lit” was.
Personally I think ‘10 is going to roll out a lot of fresh new fiction blends and while I have sympathy for those whose job it is to sort and market them, I can’t wait to get my hands on them as a reader…
by sophie littlefield December 31st, 2009 at 8:27 amSophie, covers are so important and why I stress most about them. I think the primary purpose (other than to get the reader to pick the book up off the shelf) is to convey the TONE of the story even more than the genre. For example, you don’t want an ultra sexy cover on a book that isn’t sensual; you don’t want a cartoony cover on a book that’s scary. The secondary purpose is to convey the genre–you know the tone of the story because of the cover, what does the cover say about whether there’s humor or mystery or romance or suspense. But to do that and avoid looking like everyone else is difficult. One reason I love my ORIGINAL SIN cover is because it IS different . . . but because it’s different, it doesn’t really convey genre well. But I think the tone hits–mysterious, suspenseful, different.
by Allison Brennan December 31st, 2009 at 10:31 amHappy New Year! When it comes to books I am not a picky reader, I enjoy blended genre but it has to be well written. The storyline is what grabs my attention and not just the name of the author.
by Shanae' December 31st, 2009 at 10:57 amHappy New Year!!! I have some auto-buy authors but it is about the story. Covers draw me in, but cover copy is more important in my decisions about new authors.
by Allison Brennan December 31st, 2009 at 12:08 pmHey, Allison! Covers absolutely are a huge deciding factor when it comes to investing in a book (and these days, it is an investment, esp with hardcover). I still shudder when I see cartoon covers–can’t stand them and I’m sure I missed out on some good stories because of my reluctance. For me, the darker the better…and as I’m working on a book that might have a hard time finding the right “fit” definition wise, it’s a little exciting to think it’s something new.
And I think the RT review is dead on–and you shouldn’t worry–your writing is what keeps readers reading and I have the feeling that OS will bring in even more readers. Happy new year!
by Anna December 31st, 2009 at 11:00 amAnna, my psychic fan (or psychotic fan? — ha ha just kidding!) I think you’re right on in what you’re writing–readers want new and different as long as the story arc is comfortable. Thanks for keeping propping me up. I am increasingly neurotic, I know. :/
by Allison Brennan December 31st, 2009 at 12:13 pmI’m not a writer, but an avid reader. As to Romance too much or not enough, mmm, it depends on the story.. Romance is good, enough to bind the characters, keep the reader interested in them, enhance their personalities maybe?
I personally like the suspense, intrigue, the thrill of the story, the twists and turns, it doesn’t matter what genre, as long as the story grabs you, weaves its magic, and before you know it you’re hooked. A book where you can’t put it down, then reluctant to pick up to finish, as you don’t want it to end, does that make sense?
I do like the good/bad tug-a-war in a read. One of my all time favourite books for good/bad was Stephen Kings “The Stand”.
So I for one can’t wait to read “Original Sin”, I like the book cover, it reminds me of the Garden of Eden, where the original Sin all began, of Good v Evil, that apple can say so much.
Change is good Allison, it’s growth, and I as a reader can’t wait to grow with you.
Happy New Year 2010
by Joy Hill December 31st, 2009 at 11:24 amJoy
Hi Joy, I love the cover too, and the apple was my daughter Kelly’s idea when we were talking about Original Sin and the serpent in the Garden of Eden and why he wanted Eve to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He said it was to give her (and Adam) knowledge that God was withholding from them, that they deserved to know everything, etc. But was he being altruistic or did he want to destroy their relationship with God because he didn’t have the same favor and could never get it back? I’ve always found it interesting that the serpent wasn’t a snake per se in the original Genesis story, because it wasn’t until after he enticed Eve that he was forced to slither on the ground for eternity. Some theologians theorize that he was a demon or a devil of sorts, and perhaps he was human in appearance or somehow beautiful, because why would Eve take fruit from some hideous beast?
BTW, THE STAND is my all-time favorite book
It’s the classic battle of good v evil and one of the few books I’ve read twice.
by Allison Brennan December 31st, 2009 at 12:17 pmIf it’s an author I love, I will follow him or her to any genre! That is one way I have discovered new genres that I now like to read. For me, it’s not the label that is important when I’m buy a book, but that I trust the author to take me on an adventure.
I can’t wait to read ORIGINAL SIN!
by Laura Griffin December 31st, 2009 at 12:21 pmHi Laura! Thanks, and I completely agree.
by Allison Brennan December 31st, 2009 at 3:33 pmI like both genre-blends and books that are fixed in one or two genres, but really, I think that the mixed ones sometimes offer up more complexity and some much needed essence to the novel that couldn’t be achieved without it.
by INCiDeNT December 31st, 2009 at 1:46 pmI think that’s why I like them, too. I like the complexity and the possibilities when you’re not bound by too many rules and restrictions.
by Allison Brennan December 31st, 2009 at 3:33 pmI enjoy a good genre blend book.
by chey December 31st, 2009 at 2:47 pmThanks Chey!
by Allison Brennan December 31st, 2009 at 3:34 pmHappy New Year to all!!! Sue
by QLady48 December 31st, 2009 at 8:58 pmHappy New Years!
I enjoy reading blended genres but it has to well written. Sometimes a romance doesn’t suit the storyline and it doesn’t really bother me.
I always follow an author if they write in another genre!
by Terri December 31st, 2009 at 10:01 pmI have to connect to the characters first and foremost. Doesn’t matter how publishers or bookstores want to label the book. Some of my favorite books are more easily labeled “fiction” than any particular genre.
When I originally read the first Thursday Next book by Jasper Fforde, I was surprised to find the sequel in Science Fiction at my own library. It was such an inventive and quirky book that I immediately thought what a shame it’s in Science Fiction where many patrons might never see it. It isn’t that I have anything against the Science Fiction genre. Science Fiction and Romance still have such strong stereotypes for many people that I think some great books might go unread because patrons think “I don’t read _______ .” That’s where good booksellers and librarians come in. If we can talk about the book, patrons might actually try it.
Toni Causey and I had a similar discussion about her books a few months ago. I had recently finished her third Bobbie Faye novel. When we started discussing it, I remember telling her I didn’t want to offend her but couldn’t understand why the new novel and the two rereleases were marketed as traditional romance novels. (Not even going to touch the new titles issue.) The mystery, action and humor were so much stronger to me. They are character-driven stories with honest relationships in them, and I loved the darker edges to the third book. I was so relieved when she wasn’t upset. I now understand that authors don’t always have much control over the marketing of their books. Ultimately genres are just labels and ways of grouping like items. I prefer my groups to be a little more general and fluid than most.
by Brandee January 1st, 2010 at 1:20 amI enjoy reading blended genres. While it might make the book difficult to shelf from a booksellers POV, as a reader there’s nothing better than reading something new and fresh that I haven’t seen before. I’m certainly looking forward to reading Original Sin.
Happy New Year.
by Shelley Munro January 1st, 2010 at 12:39 pmI enjoy the specific genre with deep characters that make the story memorable and unforgettable.
by anne January 2nd, 2010 at 7:33 amHappy New Year everyone! Its going to be a great one! These would be some great books to start the new year out with!
by Quilt Lady January 2nd, 2010 at 11:59 am