# What Will Be the Next Hot Genre?



## LauraWestbrook (Jun 8, 2016)

Right now, YA thrillers are all the rage. It seems that countless authors these days are flocking to the genre. It makes sense with all the hype and movie deals. There was a fantasy craze not long ago. 

What do you think will be the next hot genre for books, readers, and consumers?


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## TeiranSmith (Sep 2, 2015)

Bookmarked. While I have no idea, I am interested in finding out what others think the answer is.


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## Debbie Bennett (Mar 25, 2011)

Not telling. But I'm writing it now...


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## MCwrites (May 26, 2016)

DebBennett said:


> Not telling. But I'm writing it now...


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## BeMyBookBaby (Apr 18, 2016)

Mermaid shifters who solve crimes while experimenting with poop related foreplay. 

I've already started my series. 'Bowel Play: The Mermaid Chronicles: Book One: Sleeping With The Fishes'. 

Just try and catch up, kidz.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Trillionaire LGBT llama herders sweet romances.

You heard it here first.


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## TeiranSmith (Sep 2, 2015)

DebBennett said:


> Not telling. But I'm writing it now...


Love this! Me too hehe


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## Michael Chatfield (May 16, 2016)

For Romance I see it going in the direction of thrillers, special agents and action related MC's.

Otherwise... hmm 
Mysteries and thrillers, why? Because there aren't many Mystery movies coming out in that genre. As mass media doesn't have the goods people will look to other means to get those. 
Thrillers, because that is the new over arching interest of people.
As super hero movies are starting to wind down I wonder if people will turn to the books more as they crave that, I don't however see that rise happening for a few years, or if super hero movies start being repetitive and terrible (not very likely IMO).


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## CM Raymond (Jun 28, 2015)

michaelchatfield said:


> For Romance I see it going in the direction of thrillers, special agents and action related MC's.
> 
> Otherwise... hmm
> Mysteries and thrillers, why? Because there aren't many Mystery movies coming out in that genre. As mass media doesn't have the goods people will look to other means to get those.
> ...


Lee and I have stepped into the Superhero ring because we love writing in the genre, but also we think that this genre is going to see sizable growth in readership over the next year.

Will it be the next "hot" genre? I kind of doubt it.

Not yet saturated with books, it is a good place to be able to stand out. However, it also isn't yet saturated with readers! (Though it's healthy.)

There is a group of us talking shop and trying to figure how to make the market in the Superheroes thread:
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,231560.0.html

Regards,

CM


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## Not any more (Mar 19, 2012)

Billionaire pig shifters. There will be a run on stock photos of mud wrestling.


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## Kevin Lee Swaim (May 30, 2014)

Elmore Leonard inspired military thrillers and vampire novels.

Don't worry, though. I'm on top of it.


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## bhagen (Jun 7, 2016)

BeMyBookBaby said:


> Mermaid shifters who solve crimes while experimenting with poop related foreplay.
> 
> I've already started my series. 'Bowel Play: The Mermaid Chronicles: Book One: Sleeping With The Fishes'.
> 
> Just try and catch up, kidz.


LOL, Thanks. Two cups of coffee but THIS woke me up.


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## natashasnow (Apr 16, 2015)

Jim Johnson said:


> Trillionaire LGBT llama herders sweet romances.
> 
> You heard it here first.


I would read that.


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## geronl (May 7, 2015)

Jim Johnson said:


> Trillionaire LGBT llama herders sweet romances.
> 
> You heard it here first.


Billionaire superhero shifter brother-in-law banging naughty alien school vikings...


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## Dolphin (Aug 22, 2013)

I'm still betting on SEAL seal shifter erotic romance.


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## C. Rysalis (Feb 26, 2015)

I'm still placing my bets on superhero romance.


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## juliatheswede (Mar 26, 2014)

With my luck, whatever I'm NOT writing for sure.


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## KaiW (Mar 11, 2014)

AvaSterling said:


> Right now, YA thrillers are all the rage. It seems that countless authors these days are flocking to the genre. It makes sense with all the hype and movie deals. There was a fantasy craze not long ago.
> 
> What do you think will be the next hot genre for books, readers, and consumers?


Haven't heard of any such hype and movie deals. Examples?


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## Cactus Lady (Jun 4, 2014)

I keep hoping it'll be bounty-hunting wizards.


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## EvanPickering (Mar 8, 2016)

I know I'm thoroughly not answering the question here, but...

I think trying to guess hot genres is an exercise in futility. Trying to write to them is even worse.

Hot genres largely held power back in the day because publishing houses had so much control over what got published. Thus they could decide what to publish and even dictate trends with what they chose to release.

Given that self-pub is the awesomesauce, and we don't need anyone's approval to publish our ideas. So at any given time there's a multitude of "hot" genres because there are no limitations.

I am of the opinion you should write something you love and love to read, regardless of if it's an 'old' genre or something completely new.

Of course, this is all just an opinion, and thus really means nothing lol. Buuuut I just wanted to weigh in.

Evan


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## Steve Vernon (Feb 18, 2011)

I can tell you the next hot genre.

I'm writing it.

FIFTY SHADES OF STEVE VERNON.

The critics are already hammering at the door!


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## KL_Phelps (Nov 7, 2013)

Animal husbandry romances!


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## barbie888 (Aug 26, 2013)

Here you go

http://k-lytics.com/sales/clean-romance/

Oh, I didn't buy. Just skimmed


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## Michele_Mills (Apr 8, 2015)

When it comes to romance Carina Press is usually good at having their finger on the pulse. They always have these two pages updated. By periodically checking on them you can get an idea of what's hot in romance trends:

http://carinapress.com/blog/submission-guidelines/

http://carinapress.com/blog/2016/05/what-the-carina-press-editors-want-updated-spring-2016-edition/


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## BeMyBookBaby (Apr 18, 2016)

B. Haven said:


> LOL, Thanks. Two cups of coffee but THIS woke me up.


Does that mean you want to be my alpha reader? I'm new to the genre so in trying to work out some kinks. &#128540;
I feel like I'm a natural but sometimes the dialogue is a bit clunky... Constipated, if you will.

[/quote]


BeMyBookBaby said:


> Mermaid shifters who solve crimes while experimenting with poop related foreplay.
> 
> I've already started my series. 'Bowel Play: The Mermaid Chronicles: Book One: Sleeping With The Fishes'.
> 
> Just try and catch up, kidz.


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## stoney (May 24, 2015)

Michele_Mills said:


> When it comes to romance Carina Press is usually good at having their finger on the pulse. They always have these two pages updated. By periodically checking on them you can get an idea of what's hot in romance trends:
> 
> http://carinapress.com/blog/submission-guidelines/
> 
> http://carinapress.com/blog/2016/05/what-the-carina-press-editors-want-updated-spring-2016-edition/


You may have just single-handedly saved my bacon.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Michele_Mills said:


> When it comes to romance Carina Press is usually good at having their finger on the pulse. They always have these two pages updated. By periodically checking on them you can get an idea of what's hot in romance trends:
> 
> http://carinapress.com/blog/submission-guidelines/
> 
> http://carinapress.com/blog/2016/05/what-the-carina-press-editors-want-updated-spring-2016-edition/


Carina is one of my favorites when it comes to Romance lines. And also Loveswept, the line Random House revived has some very unique story lines.

When I read on Carina Press site what editors are looking for, I just keep nodding and nodding. Gimme gimme.


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## noirhvy (Dec 29, 2015)

Anything that will get peoples' minds off politics. Of course, the biggie will be books based on the idea behind my upcoming novel which is, well, novel. But I can't tell you anything right now or THEY will get me....


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## writerbee (May 10, 2013)

Dolphin said:


> I'm still betting on SEAL seal shifter erotic romance.


LOL! We were just talking about SEAL seal shifters [billionaires, of course] at the SF Bay Area Kboarders MeetUp last weekend :-D


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## Usedtoposthere (Nov 19, 2013)

Whatever it is, you can bet I'll think, "WHAT?" and that I won't be writing it.  Fortunately, there are still lots of readers outside whatever's "hot"!

"Tales of forced seduction." In other words, rape as romance. No, thanks. My mind continually boggles.


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## Kalen ODonnell (Nov 24, 2011)

Jim Johnson said:


> Trillionaire LGBT llama herders sweet romances.
> 
> You heard it here first.


Okay but you forgot to mention that they were llama-shapeshifters. Were-llamas. In a blood feud with crime boss Alpacacino and his murderous were-alpacas.


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## Michele_Mills (Apr 8, 2015)

Rosalind James said:


> Whatever it is, you can bet I'll think, "WHAT?" and that I won't be writing it.  Fortunately, there are still lots of readers outside whatever's "hot"!
> 
> "Tales of forced seduction." In other words, rape as romance. No, thanks. My mind continually boggles.


I have to say I like Dark Romance. It's interesting to me how effective authors are at exploring the boundaries of Non consentual and dubious consent sex, role play rape fantasy while still providing that satisfying HEA at the end.

Some good ones are: Willing Victim by Cara Makenna 
Prisoner by Skye Warren & Annika Martin 
and Asking For It by Lilah Pace

_Links to erotica are not allowed on KBoards. Please see Forum Decorum. --Betsy/KB Mod_


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## Usedtoposthere (Nov 19, 2013)

Michele_Mills said:


> I have to say I like Dark Romance. It's interesting to me how effective authors are at exploring the boundaries of Non consentual and dubious consent sex, role play rape fantasy while still providing that satisfying HEA at the end.


Except that the characters in the books aren't role playing. They are actually being raped and tortured, and that is being presented as forgivable. As if an evil man can change "through the love of a good woman," which is, sadly, an all-too-common attitude that any abused woman can tell you doesn't work.

And yes, I know the characters aren't "real," but we read in order to feel real emotions and experience things through the characters, and kidnapping, sex slavery, rape, and torture of women are very real things, so . . . Just no, for me.

And "dubious consent"? If we've learned anything this past week, haven't we figured out that anything other than explicit consent is rape?

Sorry. I realize this isn't the place. It's just . . . I can't stand it. To be clear, it's the idea that romance and True Love can grow out of rape that doesn't work for me. I guess it's a fantasy. I could see it in erotica. I don't get it in Romance.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I read Willing Victim. Nobody is getting raped. I wouldn't really consider that dark romance though. Its role playing erotica, which is the mindset I read it. 

Some of the so called dark romances really do have some very very dubious stuff going on and sometimes not that dubious. Not for me those are.


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## Michele_Mills (Apr 8, 2015)

Atunah said:


> I read Willing Victim. Nobody is getting raped. I wouldn't really consider that dark romance though. Its role playing erotica, which is the mindset I read it.
> 
> Some of the so called dark romances really do have some very very dubious stuff going on and sometimes not that dubious. Not for me those are.


I know! Like I tried reading The Flesh Cartel by Heidi Belleau & Rachel Haimowitz

Now that's full on non con. I wimped out and dnf'd. Discovered my boundary was non con. I can do dub con and role play, no prob. The non con is not my cuppa. But, I'm not going to judge anyone for loving it! ))


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## Not any more (Mar 19, 2012)

Rosalind James said:


> And "dubious consent"? If we've learned anything this past week, haven't we figured out that anything other than explicit consent is rape?
> 
> Sorry. I realize this isn't the place. It's just . . . I can't stand it. To be clear, it's the idea that romance and True Love can grow out of rape that doesn't work for me. I guess it's a fantasy. I could see it in erotica. I don't get it in Romance.


The whole "saving the bad boy through true love" trope makes me want to throw up. Motorcycle gang misogyny. Billionaires buying their female toys. If it was truly just harmless fantasies, I could forgive it, but all too often young girls grow up internalizing this crap. 50SoG and Twilight and Beautiful Disaster are not harmless.

Just like the "bodice rippers" helped perpetuate a rape culture that we're still dealing with. Ok, I'll get off my soap box, but for me, the money isn't worth it if I can't face myself in the mirror. There are some things I won't write.


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## ketosis (Apr 19, 2013)

I want to write a dark romance possibly involving some type of rape, but it would be a kidnapping situation and she wouldn't be romantically involved with that man.  Maybe something with the kidnapping or sex trafficking and then a rescue by the man she loves?  I wouldn't describe the rape or anything, but just make it clear that it's happening.


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## Cherise (May 13, 2012)

Tilly said:


> What YA thrillers have been turned into movies?


The Hunger Games


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

For our newer members, erotica may not be linked to here on KBoards, though mentioning book titles is fine. Posts have been edited.

Please see Forum Decorum for more. PM me if you have any questions.

Thanks!

Betsy
KB Mod


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## jaehaerys (Feb 18, 2016)

I can see fiction written in English becoming a 'thing'.


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## LauraWestbrook (Jun 8, 2016)

Kalen ODonnell said:


> Okay but you forgot to mention that they were llama-shapeshifters. Were-llamas. In a blood feud with crime boss Alpacacino and his murderous were-alpacas.


I've heard of this. The feud runs deeply. We pray for peace among the were-llamas.


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## My Dog&#039;s Servant (Jun 2, 2013)

Hmmm....  I read the Carina Press page on "what editors want", and it struck me as very much a reflection of what is/was selling, especially from indie writers or TV series.  I'd honestly NEVER look to New York for any ideas on what might become hot in the months or year ahead. Which is not to say that writers can't do very well writing what they're looking for. Just, don't look to them for insights on what's going to be hot.

In fact, you might do better to look at what New York ISN'T looking for.  For example, they weren't looking for space opera too much (James Corey and a couple others aside), yet there are a growing number of indies doing very well with space opera, especially military. 

My first editor, who started the careers of several romance authors who went on to do extremely well--a couple have made millions and now automatically land on the NYT lists--always said that she looked at what WRITERS were sending her, NOT at what was selling, because writers had a far better sense of what the market wanted than any New York editor could, because the writers WERE the market.

Often "hot new things" in books are a reflection of something in the wider non-book world, so if you want to write the "next hot thing," I'd suggest looking beyond the boundaries of the written word.  Not guaranteed, of course, but....it's worth considering if chasing the next Big Thing is your thing.

But a reminder:  many of those Next Big Hot Things don't have a really long shelf life.  Whereas really good books that hew a little closer to central tried-and-true story appeal can go on for years and years and years.  Georgette Heyer or Robert Heinlein or Agatha Christie, for example. Heinlein and Christie were writing in existing markets that were already hungry for the sorts of books they wrote. They just did it better than most of their fellow writers at the time.


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## Michele_Mills (Apr 8, 2015)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> For our newer members, erotica may not be linked to here on KBoards, though mentioning book titles is fine. Posts have been edited.
> 
> Please see Forum Decorum for more. PM me if you have any questions.
> 
> ...


Oh, thanks so much for the edit. I didn't know! Won't happen again.


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## My Dog&#039;s Servant (Jun 2, 2013)

brkingsolver said:


> The whole "saving the bad boy through true love" trope makes me want to throw up. Motorcycle gang misogyny. Billionaires buying their female toys. If it was truly just harmless fantasies, I could forgive it, but all too often young girls grow up internalizing this crap. 50SoG and Twilight and Beautiful Disaster are not harmless.
> 
> Just like the "bodice rippers" helped perpetuate a rape culture that we're still dealing with.


I fervently agree with your first paragraph--there's a profound difference between the "bad boy" who's wild but still deeply moral and respectful/protective of others, and the "bad boy" who's cruel, bullying, arrogant, and who treats women like dirt. One is a hero, the other most definitely is not.

I'm not sure I agree with the last sentence I quoted, though. We didn't need "bodice rippers" for that. We've been doing just fine with punishing women pretty much all along, and women have often been crueller and less forgiving than men. Years ago, my father had arranged for various speakers from the community to address his senior managers each month on issues outside their regular work. One speaker, a man from the prosecutor's office, talked about rape and domestic violence (this was years before it was acceptable to discuss such things). The speaker said that they'd won conviction on every single rape case they'd brought to trial....IF they had an all-male jury. If they had a woman on the jury, they almost never got a conviction. Based on what I've learned of people, I think it was because those women were unconsciously protecting themselves: if only women who had "asked for it" were raped, their thinking would go, then good women would never be raped and, since they themselves were "good women", they were sure to be safe.

Stories--the stories we write--have more power than we realize.


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## Dolphin (Aug 22, 2013)

writerbee said:


> LOL! We were just talking about SEAL seal shifters [billionaires, of course] at the SF Bay Area Kboarders MeetUp last weekend :-D


Better title them with puns too. SEALed with a Kiss. Breaking the SEAL. SEAL the Deal. My Lips Are SEALed.


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## Vidya (Feb 14, 2012)

“And also Loveswept, the line Random House revived has some very unique story lines.” 

Atunah, would you mind listing some of these unique story lines or providing links to the books that contain them? I'd like to read something different but gave up the idea of finding it in genre romance.


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## JV (Nov 12, 2013)

I've got no idea. I'm assuming that YA is still going strong because Hollywood is still defecating generic special snowflake, teeny bopper films (Maze Runner, 5th Wave, Divergent).  I've found myself rereading books and reading a lot of science centered non-fiction like Sapiens and anything by Richard Dawkins (there's still a lot of his stuff I haven't read). Nothing is really grabbing my attention.


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## UnicornEmily (Jul 2, 2011)

My Dog's Servant said:


> My first editor, who started the careers of several romance authors who went on to do extremely well--a couple have made millions and now automatically land on the NYT lists--always said that she looked at what WRITERS were sending her, NOT at what was selling, because writers had a far better sense of what the market wanted than any New York editor could, because the writers WERE the market.


I love this. That's a cool idea.


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## Kalen ODonnell (Nov 24, 2011)

Dolphin said:


> Better title them with puns too. SEALed with a Kiss. Breaking the SEAL. SEAL the Deal. My Lips Are SEALed.


All paving the way for the genre-mashing bestseller selkie/leprechaun romance by Vanna Be Whyte - SEAL. OF. FORTUNE!


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## Dolphin (Aug 22, 2013)

Kalen ODonnell said:


> All paving the way for the genre-mashing bestseller selkie/leprechaun romance by Vanna Be Whyte - SEAL. OF. FORTUNE!


Nailed it. I can't believe I didn't see the potential for selkie/leprechaun crossover! It's should have been so obvious.


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## Evenstar (Jan 26, 2013)

I'm going to try for a serious answer and say that there seems to be a massive swing toward Urban Fantasy (from authors) and also Science Fiction (from readers).


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## NoCat (Aug 5, 2010)

Evenstar said:


> I'm going to try for a serious answer and say that there seems to be a massive swing toward Urban Fantasy (from authors) and also Science Fiction (from readers).


UF is getting mighty crowded because of it. It's going the way of New Adult and PNR shifters from what I can tell. I wouldn't call it the next hot genre since the waters are already tough enough and only going to get worse over the next six months I imagine.

The same with Space Opera, probably. Lots of people jumping in means tougher to get or keep visibility. So again, I'd say both Space Opera and UF are ships that are sailing now, not ones if you are looking for the *NEXT* thing that you should try to catch.

Of course, nobody really knows what the next thing is and mostly people just try to chase the ships out of the harbor. That's why I write what I want to write and not chase trends. Problem with chasing trends is unless you are very very fast, you'll always be behind.


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## Summerstars (Mar 23, 2016)

brkingsolver said:


> All too often young girls grow up internalizing this crap. 50SoG and Twilight and Beautiful Disaster are not harmless.


It was Jennifer L. Armentrout's fantastic spork of 50 Shades of Grey which opened my eyes to the need for feminism. Her wise dissection of the events in the story made me realise I was living with a lot of extremely damaging internalised beliefs about women. And I say this as a liberal LGBT female millennial.

(I haven't read 50SoG. I read the spork so I wouldn't have to.)


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## Not any more (Mar 19, 2012)

Summerstars said:


> It was Jennifer L. Armentrout's fantastic spork of 50 Shades of Grey which opened my eyes to the need for feminism. Her wise dissection of the events in the story made me realise I was living with a lot of extremely damaging internalised beliefs about women. And I say this as a liberal LGBT female millennial.
> 
> (I haven't read 50SoG. I read the spork so I wouldn't have to.)


Armentrout's review/dissection was classic, and one of the funniest things I've ever read. I participated in a giveaway contest she did to name Grey's organ.


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## Decon (Feb 16, 2011)

Political thrillers with a character called Billary Clinton as the president, or Donald Thrump and battles with a Russian guy called Pukin


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## Summerstars (Mar 23, 2016)

brkingsolver said:


> Armentrout's review/dissection was classic, and one of the funniest things I've ever read. I participated in a giveaway contest she did to name Grey's organ.


No way! I'm tempted to go reread it. I have to say it actually changed my life. And it was so funny.


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## JV (Nov 12, 2013)

Decon said:


> Political thrillers with a character called Billary Clinton as the president, or Donald Thrump and battles with a Russian guy called Pukin


My next book has a villain named Ronald Trask with bright orange hair and a penchant for real estate and racism...it's a total coincidence. Like the front of the book says, "resemblances are not intentional...yadda yadda yadda".


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## unkownwriter (Jun 22, 2011)

Annie B said:


> UF is getting mighty crowded because of it. It's going the way of New Adult and PNR shifters from what I can tell. I wouldn't call it the next hot genre since the waters are already tough enough and only going to get worse over the next six months I imagine.
> 
> The same with Space Opera, probably. Lots of people jumping in means tougher to get or keep visibility. So again, I'd say both Space Opera and UF are ships that are sailing now, not ones if you are looking for the *NEXT* thing that you should try to catch.
> 
> *Of course, nobody really knows what the next thing is and mostly people just try to chase the ships out of the harbor. That's why I write what I want to write and not chase trends. Problem with chasing trends is unless you are very very fast, you'll always be behind.*


Agree. By the time I realize something might have a good readership, I'm about a year or more behind. I guess it's because I don't read to the latest trends, but just what interests me. I read across all genres (except erotica, not really interested in that or the more graphic romances, and religious fiction), and always have. Westerns, SF, fantasy, crime thrillers, spies, you name it, I've probably read it. It's the story and characters that interest me, not so much the genre.

Not that I think there's anything wrong if someone wants to write to trend. Not at all. That's their business not mine. I figure if you're quick enough and agile enough to do it, the get on with your bad self. But I'm too slow to compete.


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## B.A. Spangler (Jan 25, 2012)

Annie B said:


> Of course, nobody really knows what the next thing is and mostly people just try to chase the ships out of the harbor. That's why I write what I want to write and not chase trends. Problem with chasing trends is unless you are very very fast, you'll always be behind.


This!
Chasing trends is a losing game -- as evident in my sig line.
Write what you want and hope for the best.


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## Kessie Carroll (Jan 15, 2014)

The most original romance I've ever read was Green Dolphin Street by Elizabeth Goudge. A man settles in New Zealand, writes home for his girlfriend to travel out and marry him, but he accidentally writes the name of her sister instead. But he sticks it out and makes a good marriage of it.

I have no idea what the trends will be, but I notice that book popularity follows the hot TV shows. When Game of Thrones took off, so did other gritty fantasy, and in videogames, Skyrim and other fantasy slashers went nuts. Right now the Martian has triggered interest in science fiction, so The Expanse is doing well. I think that's why space opera is so hot right now.

Seeing as the pendulum swung from gritty fantasy to optimistic sci fi, , just pick the opposite of whatever is popular now.


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## Some Random Guy (Jan 16, 2016)

I think fictional paranormal romance biographies of the top 1% self-published authors is going to be the next hot thing


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Kessie Carroll said:


> The most original romance I've ever read was Green Dolphin Street by Elizabeth Goudge. A man settles in New Zealand, writes home for his girlfriend to travel out and marry him, but he accidentally writes the name of her sister instead. But he sticks it out and makes a good marriage of it.


   He miswrites the name of his _girlfriend_? And the sister doesn't realize that he doesn't mean her? Just that set up, to me, feels so contrived that it's not something I'd ever be interested in! 

As to the topic. My personal latest hot genre is WWII historicals. I've read a bunch in the last few months that have, I think, done a good job of getting across the incredible hardships and inhuman conditions people in Europe had to live in. Not romanticized at all. And I've learned a lot about things that were only covered in the most general way in school. And if there's a good story too, all the better; often they feature a contemporary person researching to discover something about a family heirloom or learn about a relative's past at their passing.

Can't binge read 'em, though -- definitely need some 'palate cleansing' lighter stuff in between.


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## BeMyBookBaby (Apr 18, 2016)

Ann in Arlington said:


> He miswrites the name of his _girlfriend_? And the sister doesn't realize that he doesn't mean her? Just that set up, to me, feels so contrived that it's not something I'd ever be interested in!


See now I feel like I need to try that book, to see how anyone could possibly ever write that convincingly!

Perhaps he addressed the letter Ms E. Decker and his gf is Eileen and her sister is Eliza and he was dating Eileen in secret to Eliza didn't think it odd. Maybe they lived next door to each other, the sisters that is, and he couldn't remember if they were house 41 and 42 or 42 and 43, because he always just remembered that her door was red and the sister's was blue, so he just said "well, one of them is definitely 42, there is no way this could go wrong!"

Moron. It went wrong. Duh doy.

As far as Writing to Market and following Hot Trends, I am curious.

Say my genre is romance. Nothing fancy, just good old boy girl happy. Then the new trend in romance is something like cowboy romances. If I wrote a book in that niche, not leading the trend but maybe hitting the back-arse of it as the boat was speeding out of port, and caught some of that trend juice, do you think it would cross to backlist also?

Provided everything you've written is well written, nothing kooky. So people read my cowboy and think, well she's got other romances, might as well try it. None of my books are out-there, eg no BDSM or incest or shifters, so while they don't fall into other trends, they do hit basic tropes, so average voracious romance readers should like them, right?

This is all hypothetical questioning, as I have no idea what is hot or not and have not finished my first manuscript, but it's a thought, ain't it? For those who hate trend writing but wouldn't mind a bit of visibility? Or do you think the trend only applies to trend readers, and they want a series of Cowboys before they move on to the mermaid shifter bowel detectives?

Hmm.


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## tvnopenope (Sep 14, 2015)

Hopefully it will be something that will inspire me. I tend to pick a trend and make a mess of it. I see all those billionaires kidnapping girls and falling in love with them, and then I go and write a book about billionaire girls or girls who don't end up with their kidnapper. My WIP is inspired by dominant alpha males, but my heroine will be the dominant one in bed.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Vidya said:


> "And also Loveswept, the line Random House revived has some very unique story lines."
> 
> Atunah, would you mind listing some of these unique story lines or providing links to the books that contain them? I'd like to read something different but gave up the idea of finding it in genre romance.


Since I have no idea what romance subgenres you like reading, or what you like period, just go to the store and search in the kindle store for Loveswept. Some of the books are re-releases of older stuff, which was also unique at the time. Back then they were going back to back with the harlequin lines.

Like I found this historical with just a brief search and if features a female french parachute spy that lands on top of a rogue Marquee son who's name is Cosmo. 

Loveswept has always had the unique stuff, they are called classic romance. But they also put out new stuff. Just depends on what you are looking for. Carina has unique stuff also, SFR, quirky UF, etc. I just recently read a Carina contempo romance that made me weep with the despair of not finding more of that stuff. 
Adults, not emo whiney boys and girls, set in the theater scene in London. Awesome and witty.

Unfortunately to this romance reader, a lot that is being put out currently on trend by indies is not the kind of stuff I like reading. Or at least I can't find it in the sea of stuff I have no interest in. 
So thankfully the romance publishers are stepping up. It is why the top best seller in romance on amazon is totally useless to me. And I still wish I could drill down the best seller list to way past 100, which we used to be able to do. Just saying there are always lots of readers that want different things, not just what happens to be in the top of a genre. That stuff changes fast.


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## LauraWestbrook (Jun 8, 2016)

Kessie Carroll said:


> The most original romance I've ever read was Green Dolphin Street by Elizabeth Goudge. A man settles in New Zealand, writes home for his girlfriend to travel out and marry him, but he accidentally writes the name of her sister instead. But he sticks it out and makes a good marriage of it.
> 
> I have no idea what the trends will be, but I notice that book popularity follows the hot TV shows. When Game of Thrones took off, so did other gritty fantasy, and in videogames, Skyrim and other fantasy slashers went nuts. Right now the Martian has triggered interest in science fiction, so The Expanse is doing well. I think that's why space opera is so hot right now.
> 
> Seeing as the pendulum swung from gritty fantasy to optimistic sci fi, , just pick the opposite of whatever is popular now.


Wow. That guy is a trooper. That does sound like an interesting premise to a book. Maybe I'll have to give that one a read.


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## Crystal_ (Aug 13, 2014)

I don't think trends will help much with your backlist. I get little crossover between niches and all my stuff is firmly without new adult romance.


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## BeMyBookBaby (Apr 18, 2016)

Crystal_ said:


> I don't think trends will help much with your backlist. I get little crossover between niches and all my stuff is firmly without new adult romance.


Sorry, what do you mean without new adult romance?

Do you mean that your backlist is all within the same sub-genre, but different niches, and there is no crossover? If so, that is annoying because for GOD'S SAKE couldn't somebody do SOMETHING to make finding an audience a little less pin-point-specific?

You know, other than writing something amazing. Like I know everyone says Twilight and 50SoG were terrible writing and still did dollar-bill-fab. But that's an outlier and shocking. What scares me is that there is also Harry Potter, which is great, like so so great, and yet some people still hate it. Now the ratio is reversed, with much more loving it than hating it, unlike the previous examples in my opinion, but imagine if you were the next Rowling but the only 20 people who read your books and reviewed were the niche that hate your unique and original premise?

To be fair, that would be twenty more people than zero, which is the current number of people to read my work. But that's also because I haven't finished a book yet, hopefully. Nor do I think I am anywhere near that range of excellency, but it does make you think, doesn't it? I hope the inevitable people who hate my writing are anti-HP fools. I've downloaded and read a lot of indie books and I finish every one. Some are very much the example you read about, where you can understand clearly why they didn't get trad-pinned and you can tell there was very little editing. I'm terrified that someone will read my work and feel the same annoyance I get when I see that, but the reality is, everybody is hated by somebody. Let's just all hope it isn't someone we actually know, admire or love.

This post is going towards my daily word count. I don't care what y'all say.


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## LadyG (Sep 3, 2015)

7seasonsgirl said:


> Thank you. I agree on everything you said.
> 
> As for the new Hot Genre I don't know what that could be, but as a reader I would love to see more Travel Time books. I fell in love with Monique Martin's _Out of Time_ series and I can't seem to find another since. The problem is to write a nice romance with historical accuracy and this doesn't happen often. I have many friends who look for Travel Time romances and have the same problem.


You mean like the one I just tried to read where the woman travels back in time to the Old West but can still access the internet to watch YouTube on a laptop that miraculously never needs recharging?


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## BeMyBookBaby (Apr 18, 2016)

LadyG said:


> You mean like the one I just tried to read where the woman travels back in time to the Old West but can still access the internet to watch YouTube on a laptop that miraculously never needs recharging?


Is it a MacBook Air? They have 11 hour batteries. &#129299;


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## Not any more (Mar 19, 2012)

LadyG said:


> You mean like the one I just tried to read where the woman travels back in time to the Old West but can still access the internet to watch YouTube on a laptop that miraculously never needs recharging?


Please tell me it was written as a spoof.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

brkingsolver said:


> Please tell me it was written as a spoof.


I think I remember her mentioning that one before. I am not surprised though. Time travel romance is one of my favorite sub genres, but there is a lot of really really bad stuff out there. Really bad. In general I have to go "back in time" to find some of the good stuff in TT. I think Monique pretty much owns the market with newly written stuff at this point, although its more of a TT series than TTR, strictly speaking. 

For me the downfall in TT is when they send the heroine back and she acts like a spoiled brat that whines all day about missing her coke with ice, fancy shoes and stupid brand purses. Like that is what you worry about? Really? And then they turn into the Mary Sue that can cure anything, immediately run a medieval household, and reunited clans all by her self.
I don't think I read the one with the internet though, that is something.


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## LadyG (Sep 3, 2015)

brkingsolver said:


> Please tell me it was written as a spoof.


Nope, not a spoof. It's actually part of a rather successful series, so the author must make it believable at some point. I probably just judged it too soon.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Ha, after a bit of google fu I know what TT this is. I even read it and loved it.  . I do not recall the youtube thing, although a couple of reviewers mention it. Now I wonder if it was edited? Or if I was in one of those places when I read it and just blocked it out.


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## Not any more (Mar 19, 2012)

LadyG said:


> Nope, not a spoof. It's actually part of a rather successful series, so the author must make it believable at some point. I probably just judged it too soon.


Success doesn't mean the book is believable or readable. Maybe the audience is as clueless as the author. I can easily suspend belief, but when the internal logic of the book doesn't hold, I'm outta there.


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## Kristen Painter (Apr 21, 2010)

I see a good handful of contemporary romance writers about to come out with silver fox/older hero books. I could see that becoming a new sub-genre. Readers seem to be looking for those enough to create a trend.

Personally, I'm not that interested in trends. I mean, it's nice if you happen to be writing what's trending, but chasing one can cause you to lose valuable time writing something else that could have a longer shelf life. Of course, if you're a really fast writer who doesn't have fans waiting for the next book in your series and you can whip one out, why not try it?


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## writerbee (May 10, 2013)

Kalen ODonnell said:


> Okay but you forgot to mention that they were llama-shapeshifters. Were-llamas. In a blood feud with crime boss Alpacacino and his murderous were-alpacas.


Alpa-ca-cino! LOLOLOL! :-D


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## writerbee (May 10, 2013)

Michele_Mills said:


> When it comes to romance Carina Press is usually good at having their finger on the pulse. They always have these two pages updated. By periodically checking on them you can get an idea of what's hot in romance trends:
> 
> http://carinapress.com/blog/submission-guidelines/
> 
> http://carinapress.com/blog/2016/05/what-the-carina-press-editors-want-updated-spring-2016-edition/


This is really helpful, thank you!


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## LauraWestbrook (Jun 8, 2016)

brkingsolver said:


> Please tell me it was written as a spoof.


I'd read that!


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## Usedtoposthere (Nov 19, 2013)

BeMyBookBaby said:


> Sorry, what do you mean without new adult romance?
> 
> Do you mean that your backlist is all within the same sub-genre, but different niches, and there is no crossover? If so, that is annoying because for GOD'S SAKE couldn't somebody do SOMETHING to make finding an audience a little less pin-point-specific?
> 
> ...


I get tons of crossover between series, including between light feel-good sports romance and issues-based real-deal romantic suspense. Any of my books will have its 15 first also-boughts be all my other books.

EXCEPT . . . my one book written to trend. On that one, the first also-boughts are other books in that trend. And it's nothing super specific, just "alpha billionaire boss." But readers just go on to read other "alpha billionaire boss" books, not my other books.

If you want crossover, don't write to trend. Readers of trend books are a different kind of reader. They are trend-loyal, not author-loyal.


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## Crystal_ (Aug 13, 2014)

BeMyBookBaby said:


> Sorry, what do you mean without new adult romance?
> 
> Do you mean that your backlist is all within the same sub-genre, but different niches, and there is no crossover? If so, that is annoying because for GOD'S SAKE couldn't somebody do SOMETHING to make finding an audience a little less pin-point-specific?


Oops, Swipe plus autocorrect. Within NA. I have nine books in three series, all NA romance. One series is a way off market trilogy (normal CR but the FMC is cheating with the MMC in book one and the MMC is more of a "beta male"), one is billionaire themed, and one is rock star themed. I do get some crossover but it's pretty minimal if my also-boughts are any indication of things. It's only the superfans who read everything I write. And even then few of them pick up my first series.


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## BeMyBookBaby (Apr 18, 2016)

To be honest, between both of your responses Crystal and Rosalind, you've made the decision much easier for me. I had tried to convince myself to write a book or two to market but I really didn't want to. I understand if it would help my future backlist but if I would have to stick to that trend following to have support, I'm not overly interested. I have enoug ideas rolling around in my head that I can't decide which to write and stick to first, without trying to force unnatural ones. That being said, one of my two current WIPs is more marketable, so I will try and focus on that one.

I think if people can write to market, and enjoy it, there's no harm. But in some ways, it sometimes seems akin to those fake celebrity romances you hear about sometimes. Where the gay guy is dating the hot female because he's afraid coming out will hurt his career? It's forcing yourself to be something your not just to please the market. I wish I could do it, but my current muse isn't keen. When it is, I'll happily follow it. But I think there's a lot of merit in balancing both writing to market and writing what you love, so at least you're still enjoying chasing the audience, rather than miserable.


Crystal_ said:


> Oops, Swipe plus autocorrect. Within NA. I have nine books in three series, all NA romance. One series is a way off market trilogy (normal CR but the FMC is cheating with the MMC in book one and the MMC is more of a "beta male"), one is billionaire themed, and one is rock star themed. I do get some crossover but it's pretty minimal if my also-boughts are any indication of things. It's only the superfans who read everything I write. And even then few of them pick up my first series.





Rosalind James said:


> I get tons of crossover between series, including between light feel-good sports romance and issues-based real-deal romantic suspense. Any of my books will have its 15 first also-boughts be all my other books.
> 
> EXCEPT . . . my one book written to trend. On that one, the first also-boughts are other books in that trend. And it's nothing super specific, just "alpha billionaire boss." But readers just go on to read other "alpha billionaire boss" books, not my other books.
> 
> If you want crossover, don't write to trend. Readers of trend books are a different kind of reader. They are trend-loyal, not author-loyal.


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## LauraWestbrook (Jun 8, 2016)

Rosalind James said:


> I get tons of crossover between series, including between light feel-good sports romance and issues-based real-deal romantic suspense. Any of my books will have its 15 first also-boughts be all my other books.
> 
> EXCEPT . . . my one book written to trend. On that one, the first also-boughts are other books in that trend. And it's nothing super specific, just "alpha billionaire boss." But readers just go on to read other "alpha billionaire boss" books, not my other books.
> 
> If you want crossover, don't write to trend. Readers of trend books are a different kind of reader. They are trend-loyal, not author-loyal.


That last bit you said about how different the trend readers are is a great learning nugget. It's entirely likely they could bop in to read your billionaire boss story (I wrote one of those too!) and not read anything else of yours. Neither good nor bad, but good to think about. Thanks for contributing!


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## NoCat (Aug 5, 2010)

BeMyBookBaby said:


> To be honest, between both of your responses Crystal and Rosalind, you've made the decision much easier for me. I had tried to convince myself to write a book or two to market but I really didn't want to. I understand if it would help my future backlist but if I would have to stick to that trend following to have support, I'm not overly interested. I have enoug ideas rolling around in my head that I can't decide which to write and stick to first, without trying to force unnatural ones. That being said, one of my two current WIPs is more marketable, so I will try and focus on that one.
> 
> I think if people can write to market, and enjoy it, there's no harm. But in some ways, it sometimes seems akin to those fake celebrity romances you hear about sometimes. Where the gay guy is dating the hot female because he's afraid coming out will hurt his career? It's forcing yourself to be something your not just to please the market. I wish I could do it, but my current muse isn't keen. When it is, I'll happily follow it. But I think there's a lot of merit in balancing both writing to market and writing what you love, so at least you're still enjoying chasing the audience, rather than miserable.


Writing to a trend and writing to a market are slightly different. Writing to market just means making sure you include the things that people who love the kind of book you want to write love to read about. Doesn't necessarily have to be a trend thing.


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## Usedtoposthere (Nov 19, 2013)

Annie B said:


> Writing to a trend and writing to a market are slightly different. Writing to market just means making sure you include the things that people who love the kind of book you want to write love to read about. Doesn't necessarily have to be a trend thing.


This. I write to market but except for one book, not at all to trend. Absolutely off trend. Crystal I believe writes mostly to trend. Both approaches can work, but as I write long books and my strengths aren't served by trends, my way works better FOR ME.


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## Crystal_ (Aug 13, 2014)

Rosalind James said:


> This. I write to market but except for one book, not at all to trend. Absolutely off trend. Crystal I believe writes mostly to trend. Both approaches can work, but as I write long books and my strengths aren't served by trends, my way works better FOR ME.





Annie B said:


> Writing to a trend and writing to a market are slightly different. Writing to market just means making sure you include the things that people who love the kind of book you want to write love to read about. Doesn't necessarily have to be a trend thing.


I have written to trend, but for the indefinite future I am focusing on rock star romances. They are adjacent to the bad boy trend but they aren't particularly trendy. There may have been a time when they were trendy, but it is not now. There are still plenty of readers who love the niche. I am one of them so I'm cognizant of what the tropes are without a ton of extra work on my part (I still make an effort to read other authors in the niche).

When I wrote my first series, I didn't have a clue about writing to market or marketing or even about writing romance. I was writing the kind of thing I wrote as screenplays, a romance women's fic mashup, while still discovering romance novels.

That flopped, so I asked myself what marketable thing could I see myself writing (I really didn't want to give up on writing for a living) and rock star was the only niche that appealed. I had some serious high school crushes on musicians. One of them is still going strong 10+ years later (and my husband loves to troll me about it). I still wasnt as versed in romance as I should have been (I would have saved myself a lot of time if I'd read a few dozen romance novels before I started writing instead of reading while I as writing), but I had an idea I liked that i thought would be popular, so I wrote the first book. But I lacked confidence and everyone was saying write trendy, so I wrote a billionaire serial and published that first. I liked the serial a lot--it's actually inspired by THG and I put in a lot of stuff about sexual politics-- but it never moved me the way my rock star series did. The serial did really well but the follow up spin off only did okay, so I decided to focus on the books that I liked more. They were doing better anyway. I adore that series (I'm dreading its end the way I dread a friend moving away. Ugh I'm on the last book !!!) And I adore the niche. It's the perfect nexus of what I love and what readers want.

It's still easier for me to move units of the trendy billionaire book if I run a sale but I get much less reader interaction, sellthrough, all around loyalty, etc.

There is a lot to be said for writing stuff you are passionate about. I'm way more motivated to work on these books and I'm much happier when they do well, much more excited to interact with fans. But I very cognizant of being marketable, at least in the concept phase. I have more room to play with the series since my readers are invested enough they'll forgive me for pushing the boundaries a bit.

You do want to remember that it's a process. It wasn't until my sixth or seventh romance novel that I really felt like I had a handle on the genre in terms of both what makes a good romance to me and what readers want.

*To;dr* I have written to trend but I'm currently married to the semi popular but not particularly trendy rock star romance niche.


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## Usedtoposthere (Nov 19, 2013)

Whoops sorry! Shows what I know. I didn't realize that wasn't a trend. Suffice it to say I can't manage to stay in one writing spot, or even to have a great sense of what's trendy. I'd better just answer for myself, clearly.


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## Lummox JR (Jul 1, 2012)

Any author is bound to have their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to genres and styles. For instance not everyone is suited to write YA, so the fact that YA got so big so fast is irrelevant to those who aren't prepared to go there. If doorstopper high fantasy gets big, how many authors are truly able to do that well? So out of the few dozen or so biggest trends, you still have to pick what works for you.

I think writing to trend would be exhausting, personally. You get the best results by slightly leading the trend, so that your work is perceived as more exciting, but most people end up chasing it instead. To me it's like memes: By the time I see a meme on Facebook, it's probably at least halfway played out already. Unless you keep supremely well connected and have an eye for seeing such things, simple probability says you'll likely end up riding the tail of a trend rather than the crest.


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## Crystal_ (Aug 13, 2014)

I live in fear of rock stars becoming a trend. Romance writers jump on trends fast and saturate then with 6-8 months.

I think the trend right now is sports and babies. So you're actually quite on trend with your rugby series, Rosalind


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## Usedtoposthere (Nov 19, 2013)

Crystal_ said:


> I live in fear of rock stars becoming a trend. Romance writers jump on trends fast and saturate then with 6-8 months.
> 
> I think the trend right now is sports and babies. So you're actually quite on trend with your rugby series, Rosalind


Haha, proof that if you do the same unfashionable thing long enough, the circle turns back around and you're in style. Now if only that would happen with my wardrobe.

(But I have 3 other series also. Now, if rural historical-reenactment reality show books or romantic suspense about principals and cleaning ladies become a trend, I'm REALLY in trouble. And fortunately, both New Zealand and rugby are too esoteric for lots of folks to jump into them. Or maybe unfortunately? If rugby romance got to be a thing, I'd probably be in good shape, huh? *Shouts*: Hey, everybody! Rugby romance! The hot new thing!)

Actually, from what I see in the sports romance list, which I DO look at, it seems to be mostly bad-boy MMA fighters and/or hockey-playing bear shifters. O_O. I'm way too realistic, as usual.


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## KGGiarratano (Aug 14, 2013)

There does seem to be an increased interest in YA psychological thrillers ala Gone Girl. I just read an twisty YA thriller/mystery called The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas. I thought it was very good. 

I see agents asking for YA mysteries but I don't see a lot of them being pitched.


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## LinaGard (Jun 4, 2016)

Going by movies and television, it seems to me the next hot topic will be Scifi.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

RobCornell said:


> According to JA Konrath, it's adult coloring books.
> 
> http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2016/06/chasing-publishing-trends.html


They are definitely "a thing" . . . . but not really right for eReaders.


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## Not any more (Mar 19, 2012)

Ann in Arlington said:


> They are definitely "a thing" . . . . but not really right for eReaders.


Maybe that's the new thing. An ereader for children's books, coloring books, etc. Any inventors in the house?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

brkingsolver said:


> Maybe that's the new thing. An ereader for children's books, coloring books, etc. Any inventors in the house?




I actually think there are some such apps for tablets . . . the kid can use their finger or a stylus to 'color' the picture. Not sure I've seen any aimed at adults yet . . . . and not sure, as I think about it, that they'd be all that attractive. I kind of feel like the thing the adults like about the paper coloring books is that it takes them back to when they were a kid and life was easier . . . and they might not get that same feeling 'coloring' on a screen.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)




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## LauraWestbrook (Jun 8, 2016)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I actually think there are some such apps for tablets . . . the kid can use their finger or a stylus to 'color' the picture. Not sure I've seen any aimed at adults yet . . . . and not sure, as I think about it, that they'd be all that attractive. I kind of feel like the thing the adults like about the paper coloring books is that it takes them back to when they were a kid and life was easier . . . and they might not get that same feeling 'coloring' on a screen.


I've been fascinated by the explosion of adult coloring books. It's practically a movement. The phycology behind it is interesting, and I think you're exactly right about it. I've also heard that it helps people momentarily forget their worries when they hyper-focus on one thing, i.e. coloring in that waterfall.


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## writerbee (May 10, 2013)

Tilly said:


> Hunger Games is dystopian. The OP said numerous YA thrillers were being turned into movies, I'm still waiting for her to respond as to what YA thriller novels are currently in production with movie studios.


Not the OP, but "thriller" is usually paired with something else, like 'psychological thriller' or 'spy thriller' or 'political thriller'. Hunger Games is young adult (b/c of the protagonist) and dystopian, but it's also a thriller [b/c it's incredibly exciting and vs, e.g. dystopian story about someone wandering around in a nuclear wasteland, or whatever] Similarly the Divergent and Maze Runner series.

The author of The Final Six just scored a movie deal for her WIP even before she got a publishing deal. It's a YA/sci-fi/thriller (about 6 teenagers saving humanity by going to colonize a planet, or something like that. God help humanity, IMO ;-p) http://io9.gizmodo.com/ya-science-fiction-thriller-the-final-six-has-a-movie-d-1775159546

DMac
w/a Victoria Hodge


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## LauraWestbrook (Jun 8, 2016)

writerbee said:


> Not the OP, but "thriller" is usually paired with something else, like 'psychological thriller' or 'spy thriller' or 'political thriller'. Hunger Games is young adult (b/c of the protagonist) and dystopian, but it's also a thriller [b/c it's incredibly exciting and vs, e.g. dystopian story about someone wandering around in a nuclear wasteland, or whatever] Similarly the Divergent and Maze Runner series.
> 
> The author of The Final Six just scored a movie deal for her WIP even before she got a publishing deal. It's a YA/sci-fi/thriller (about 6 teenagers saving humanity by going to colonize a planet, or something like that. God help humanity, IMO ;-p) http://io9.gizmodo.com/ya-science-fiction-thriller-the-final-six-has-a-movie-d-1775159546
> 
> ...


6 teenagers in charge of a whole planet. God help us indeed!


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## EC Sheedy (Feb 24, 2011)

I'm guessing a huge percentage of those coloring book sales were the result of gift giving. I was given three over the past year. They joined with the one that I bought for myself and the stack of still very sharp pencil crayons. I think I've colored one page . . .  

As for writing to a trend, I know nothing. If there's a bandwagon on the road, it always passes without my seeing it.

But I did think one of the Carina Press requests--to see more mature heroes and heroines--was pause for thought. But I'm not sure that passes for a "hot new genre."


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## Secret Pen Pal (Dec 27, 2013)

I think it's veering toward Donkey-Seal twin stepbrother baby romances, with animals and infants on the cover, which is why I don't write to trends.


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## LauraWestbrook (Jun 8, 2016)

EC Sheedy said:


> I'm guessing a huge percentage of those coloring book sales were the result of gift giving. I was given three over the past year. They joined with the one that I bought for myself and the stack of still very sharp pencil crayons. I think I've colored one page . . .
> 
> As for writing to a trend, I know nothing. If there's a bandwagon on the road, it always passes without my seeing it.
> 
> But I did think one of the Carina Press requests--to see more mature heroes and heroines--was pause for thought. But I'm not sure that passes for a "hot new genre."


Interesting. I've never received one as a gift. And I have friends that I know that do adult coloring. It makes sense though.


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## Kathryn Meyer Griffith (May 6, 2013)

It will be...the next GREAT book of any genre. A book will come along, no matter the genre, and it will be so good, written so well and be so exciting that everyone will jump on the bandwagon afterwards.


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## EC Sheedy (Feb 24, 2011)

Kathryn Meyer Griffith said:


> It will be...the next GREAT book of any genre. A book will come along, no matter the genre, and it will be so good, written so well and be so exciting that everyone will jump on the bandwagon afterwards.


This is always true. There are always breakout trend-setting books seeming to come out of nowhere.

I remember a workshop I attended years ago. It was one of Harlequin's top editors. And she said, chances were the person who was _*not*_ in her workshop was writing that breakout book.

Considering I was in attendance, this depressed me more than a little.


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## Libby13 (Jul 31, 2011)

Aine Crowley said:


> Mermaid shifters who solve crimes while experimenting with poop related foreplay.
> 
> I've already started my series. 'Bowel Play: The Mermaid Chronicles: Book One: Sleeping With The Fishes'.
> 
> Just try and catch up, kidz.


I snorted because of this. Laughter Snorts - also the next hot genre.


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## LauraWestbrook (Jun 8, 2016)

Kathryn Meyer Griffith said:


> It will be...the next GREAT book of any genre. A book will come along, no matter the genre, and it will be so good, written so well and be so exciting that everyone will jump on the bandwagon afterwards.


This is interesting. I suppose it can be viewed as a "chicken or the egg" complex. Does the great, well-written book make the craze, or does the book show up within the craze at the right place and right time?


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## Charmaine (Jul 20, 2012)

AvaSterling said:


> This is interesting. I suppose it can be viewed as a "chicken or the egg" complex. Does the great, well-written book make the craze, or does the book show up within the craze at the right place and right time?


I think it's both.

From what I've noticed, the craze starts with a book. From there, people join in and start writing in the new popular genre. Out of those first few new books one is created that will surpass the original.

My best guess for hot new genre?
Romance got dark, so I think it'll be lighter romances.


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## LauraWestbrook (Jun 8, 2016)

Charmaine said:


> I think it's both.
> 
> From what I've noticed, the craze starts with a book. From there, people join in and start writing in the new popular genre. Out of those first few new books one is created that will surpass the original.
> 
> ...


That's a good point. Trends probably are fairly cyclical in nature.


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## Guest (Jun 22, 2016)

I think you would be better off learning what genres are consistently popular over time. Romance, Mystery, Thrillers, Action/Adventure, and Sci-fi/Fantasy come to mind. If you gain traction on any of those genres you should do well. Writing werewolf books during a werewolf craze will make some money in the short term. But sooner or later it dies out and you have to switch gears.


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## KelliWolfe (Oct 14, 2014)

Kathryn Meyer Griffith said:


> It will be...the next GREAT book of any genre. A book will come along, no matter the genre, and it will be so good, written so well and be so exciting that everyone will jump on the bandwagon afterwards.


A book will come along, in one of the big money making genres, and it will be shallow, vapid, and full of purple prose, but hit the right buttons so that some editor at a big publishing house will convince the Powers That Be that it's a masterpiece and they should go all-in. So it will be ruthlessly promoted before release, the author trotted out on the talk show circuit, stridently billed as the Most *Something* EVAR, and released to a fanfare that would put the Second Coming to shame. Paid reviews in Kirkus and the like will praise it to the stars while movie deals are made in back rooms. The internet will gush with praise for this amazing work, and the author will be showered with accolades from the "In" crowd who stand as the gatekeepers to all that is art.

And the rest of us will read it and shake our heads and go, "WTF"


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## Usedtoposthere (Nov 19, 2013)

KelliWolfe said:


> A book will come along, in one of the big money making genres, and it will be shallow, vapid, and full of purple prose, but hit the right buttons so that some editor at a big publishing house will convince the Powers That Be that it's a masterpiece and they should go all-in. So it will be ruthlessly promoted before release, the author trotted out on the talk show circuit, stridently billed as the Most *Something* EVAR, and released to a fanfare that would put the Second Coming to shame. Paid reviews in Kirkus and the like will praise it to the stars while movie deals are made in back rooms. The internet will gush with praise for this amazing work, and the author will be showered with accolades from the "In" crowd who stand as the gatekeepers to all that is art.
> 
> And the rest of us will read it and shake our heads and go, "WTF"


Umm . . . looks like you've written a billionaire-pays-for-her NA serial. 
??


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## KelliWolfe (Oct 14, 2014)

Rosalind James said:


> Umm . . . looks like you've written a billionaire-pays-for-her NA serial.
> ??


And your point is...?

If you're implying that this is some kind of 50 Shades ripoff, go fish. Millionaires/billionaires were a thing long before that came along, and I've got more Miranda Lee on my computer than I could read in six months. My billionaire MC is not angsty, dark, tortured, nor does he behave like a disgustingly spoiled teenager. The female MC is independent and self-reliant and won't allow him to do much of anything for her. While there is explicit sex, there's no BDSM and he doesn't try to dominate her - in or out of bed. It's really much more of a steamy romantic suspense soap opera (Days of Our Lives fan here).

If you're implying that Kelly Favor and others have already done billionaire serials, I still don't get it. Somebody did something similar before? If we're going to start knocking books based on that, there won't be anybody left here by tomorrow.


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## ShannonHumphrey (May 9, 2016)

KaiW said:


> Haven't heard of any such hype and movie deals. Examples?


Divergent? Mazerunner? Hunger Games? Yes, they're scifi/dystopian, but the hook is thriller action.


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## J.R Haynes (Dec 7, 2015)

Aine Crowley said:


> Mermaid shifters who solve crimes while experimenting with poop related foreplay.
> 
> I've already started my series. 'Bowel Play: The Mermaid Chronicles: Book One: Sleeping With The Fishes'.
> 
> Just try and catch up, kidz.


That's good.


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## Yayoi (Apr 26, 2016)

Kathryn Meyer Griffith said:


> It will be...the next GREAT book of any genre. A book will come along, no matter the genre, and it will be so good, written so well and be so exciting that everyone will jump on the bandwagon afterwards.


Reminds me of Harry Potter. After it broke out, I heard a lot of authors tried to copy that child learning magic trope so much, it's been done to death.


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## LauraWestbrook (Jun 8, 2016)

ShannonHumphrey said:


> Divergent? Mazerunner? Hunger Games? Yes, they're scifi/dystopian, but the hook is thriller action.


Bingo. Exactly right on this one. I can see the appeal of it, and it seems to be an easy mold to continue remaking.


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## Christopher Bunn (Oct 26, 2010)

The next hot genre in books will be Chuck Norris.


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## jvin248 (Jan 31, 2012)

In addition to relying on opinions from the crowd and experts I'd suggest checking out sales data like Amazon Best Sellers (if you look at NYT Best Sellers you will get caught in the games the publishers play). Sample sizes are large for each category (the concept of the writers leading the reader market posted previously)
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense (246,882)
Romance (615,079)
Science Fiction & Fantasy (271,007)
Teen & Young Adult (199,651)

These are the most popular sellers (I'm sure most are familiar with this list, and how it gets more difficult to find from the Amazon front page than in prior years)
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Books-Romance/zgbs/books/23/ref=zg_bs_nav_b_1_b
What I like to do is compare #1 rank vs #100 rank in the categories. Some categories are bunched in the top while other categories exhibit long tails. Bigger money in the bunched up category and easier to break in for new authors and Indies in the longer tailed categories.
A useful comparison, if possible, is to separate Kindle books from hard cover/paperback as more Indie authors are ebook focused, and Indies tend to be ahead of the curve as a group in many industries.

When I see a lot of movie tie-in books in the top, it makes me want to use this release schedule
http://www.imdb.com/calendar/
Which has all the announced movies for several years in the future. ! Godzilla vs Kong is scheduled for 2020, so I might be able to finish a trilogy around those monsters by then. I used to be a fast writer but I have slowed down. The studio might even delay that movie by then.

I search Google Trends like this for my favorite monsters
https://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=vampire%2C%20mummy%2C%20werewolf%2C%20zombie%2C%20frankenstein&cmpt=q&tz=Etc%2FGMT%2B4
I always liked vampires and zombies and what luck! I did do a Vampire and Frankenstein 'monster-mash'-up though 

It can be applied to genres too 
https://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=fantasy%2C%20romance%2C%20thriller%2C%20science%20fiction%2C%20western&cmpt=q&tz=Etc%2FGMT%2B4
Do be a little cautious with the data ... this search will hit on a trend for Western Hats as much as Cowboy stories, but people wearing cowboy hats might be partial to romantic cowboy westerns.

Here are some flavors of romance titles and where you might want to spend time if you write romance titles
https://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=fantasy%20romance%2C%20billionaire%20romance%2C%20vampire%20romance%2C%20young%20adult%20romance%2C%20dark%20romance&geo=US&cmpt=q&tz=Etc%2FGMT%2B4


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## 555aaa (Jan 28, 2014)

It's gonna be 2nd person. Probably future tense, too. First and third person are so 2000.


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## LauraWestbrook (Jun 8, 2016)

jvin248 said:


> In addition to relying on opinions from the crowd and experts I'd suggest checking out sales data like Amazon Best Sellers (if you look at NYT Best Sellers you will get caught in the games the publishers play). Sample sizes are large for each category (the concept of the writers leading the reader market posted previously)
> Mystery, Thriller & Suspense (246,882)
> Romance (615,079)
> Science Fiction & Fantasy (271,007)
> ...


Ooo, I love crunchy stats, so your post was well received. Thanks!


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## katrina46 (May 23, 2014)

jvin248 said:


> In addition to relying on opinions from the crowd and experts I'd suggest checking out sales data like Amazon Best Sellers (if you look at NYT Best Sellers you will get caught in the games the publishers play). Sample sizes are large for each category (the concept of the writers leading the reader market posted previously)
> Mystery, Thriller & Suspense (246,882)
> Romance (615,079)
> Science Fiction & Fantasy (271,007)
> ...


Dark romance seems to be good. I publihsed a brand new pen name with the 1st installment of a serial May 30th. I didn't promote at all because I wanted to wait until I got part 2 up. My sales on that one lone book under a name no one has ever heard of have not flat lined once all month. I don't know if it's an underserved niche, or if I nailed the keywords, but it's holding all on it's own with no push at all.


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## Flay Otters (Jul 29, 2014)

LitRPG


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## jaehaerys (Feb 18, 2016)

Jane_Dough said:


> I'm looking for the definition and coming up confused, so I'll just ask: what is dark romance exactly?


A story similar to the one in the Reese Witherspoon film 'Fear'?


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## jaehaerys (Feb 18, 2016)

Jane_Dough said:


> Oh. I was thinking more along the lines of Gothic. *snort*


You may wind up being correct. My answer is a complete guess. Hoping an expert will pop in here to give us the real answer to your question.


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## cherylsterling (Feb 23, 2016)

Excellent research! Thanks for taking the time to do this.


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## katrina46 (May 23, 2014)

Jane_Dough said:


> I'm looking for the definition and coming up confused, so I'll just ask: what is dark romance exactly?


Something along these lines. https://www.amazon.com/His-Dark-Erotic-Romance-Novel-ebook/dp/B00OOAXT28?ie=UTF8&qid=1466648845&ref_=la_B00OS6RR0I_1_6&s=books&sr=1-6


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## LauraWestbrook (Jun 8, 2016)

Jane_Dough said:


> I'm looking for the definition and coming up confused, so I'll just ask: what is dark romance exactly?


This is my total guess, but I would imagine heavily flawed/conflicted characters, edgy actions, lots of sex and violence? Sort of like Breaking Bad but for romance is what I imagine.


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## katrina46 (May 23, 2014)

AvaSterling said:


> This is my total guess, but I would imagine heavily flawed/conflicted characters, edgy actions, lots of sex and violence? Sort of like Breaking Bad but for romance is what I imagine.


That's it. I enjoy writing it because the characters are seriously twisted so I get to have a lot of fun with it. I don't read the sweeter romance much and writing it just bores me stiff, so when I discovered dark romance I knew that was for me.


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## Athena Grayson (Apr 4, 2011)

jvin248 said:


> What I like to do is compare #1 rank vs #100 rank in the categories. Some categories are bunched in the top while other categories exhibit long tails. Bigger money in the bunched up category and easier to break in for new authors and Indies in the longer tailed categories.


This is what I don't really get, even after having read Chris Fox's book and other articles about writing to market/genre. I think I have a mental block or maybe a numbers block. When you're targeting the market, you're supposed to look for HOT and HUNGRY--essentially a subgenre that's both in-demand AND under-served.

I get the HOT part--the top 20 will all sit somewhere in the 1-4-digit places of the general kindle store. What I'm missing is how to determine the HUNGRY part - what does a book at #100 in a hungry subgenre look like? And what does it mean when book #100 in that subgenre is down in the #100,000 or so? Or is that even something you pay attention to? What does a long-tail look like from a genre standpoint?


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## LauraWestbrook (Jun 8, 2016)

katrina46 said:


> That's it. I enjoy writing it because the characters are seriously twisted so I get to have a lot of fun with it. I don't read the sweeter romance much and writing it just bores me stiff, so when I discovered dark romance I knew that was for me.


Nice! Good to hear my wild guess was right. : )


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## Lisa5 (Oct 23, 2012)

geronl said:


> Billionaire superhero shifter brother-in-law banging naughty alien school vikings...


No I've already seen that one on Amazon ranking 809,000.


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## Lisa5 (Oct 23, 2012)

loganbyrne said:


> I want to write a dark romance possibly involving some type of rape, but it would be a kidnapping situation and she wouldn't be romantically involved with that man. Maybe something with the kidnapping or sex trafficking and then a rescue by the man she loves? I wouldn't describe the rape or anything, but just make it clear that it's happening.


Would that still be dark romance? Would it still fit in with the trope people are searching for. Or doesn't it matter they will be happy to buy in that dark realm regardless? It's funny to see publishers asking for stuff they wouldn't have touched with a barge poll before SP made it popular.


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## Allyson J. (Nov 26, 2014)

Lisa Whitefern said:


> Would that still be dark romance? Would it still fit in with the trope people are searching for. Or doesn't it matter they will be happy to buy in that dark realm regardless? It's funny to see publishers asking for stuff they wouldn't have touched with a barge poll before SP made it popular.


As long as it had a HEA, I think there'd be a market for it. Two of my favorite dark romances are The Flesh and the Devil and The Silver Devil by Teresa Denys (I love TSD most of all). They are DARK. Lots of terrible things happen to pretty much everyone in those books. They are twisted, macabre, brutal historicals. (Yes, even someone gets eaten by dogs  ) They are old school but have a huge following, even now.

I'm currently writing a dark/gothic historical (but nowhere near Teresa Denys' level). I'm hoping its somewhat on trend for next year.


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## Usedtoposthere (Nov 19, 2013)

I'd like to respectfully request that if authors want to discuss dark romance and its tropes and themes, they start a new thread for it and title it as such. Many readers and authors are profoundly disturbed by this genre and see it as helping to justify and legitimize rape culture, especially in the current environment. I will admit that I am one of them. I hate most of all when it's advertised on my product pages. I would much rather that you talked about it in a thread that I can avoid. Thank you. 

ETA: I'm sorry; I didn't mean to shut down your discussion, and I'm sure many people would disagree with me re the above. I just want "fair warning," as abuse and rape of women (or teenage girls) is a hard subject for some of us to read about, especially when it's used for entertainment. I'm guessing I'm not the only one who doesn't want to "go there" by accident.


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## LauraWestbrook (Jun 8, 2016)

I've always wondered if the blending of fantasy and science fiction will become more of a thing. A traditional publisher likely won't touch it, but indies have more flexibility in genre bending.


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## stoney (May 24, 2015)

Athena Grayson said:


> I get the HOT part--the top 20 will all sit somewhere in the 1-4-digit places of the general kindle store. What I'm missing is how to determine the HUNGRY part - what does a book at #100 in a hungry subgenre look like? And what does it mean when book #100 in that subgenre is down in the #100,000 or so? Or is that even something you pay attention to? What does a long-tail look like from a genre standpoint?


You and me both.


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## Lisa5 (Oct 23, 2012)

Vidya said:


> "And also Loveswept, the line Random House revived has some very unique story lines."
> 
> Atunah, would you mind listing some of these unique story lines or providing links to the books that contain them? I'd like to read something different but gave up the idea of finding it in genre romance.


Loveswept seems to do hardly any paranormal.


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## AllyWho (May 16, 2015)

Like Rosalind, I also have a personal issue with dark romance and the sexualisation of rape, kidnapping and slavery type scenarios. Yes I know it is a fantasy, but I still find it objectionable.



bpmanuel said:


> Rape as a construct is a psycho-social phenomenon and that can be a wonderful plot device for character development when done in a realistic way.


I literally feel sick that you just described rape as a "wonderful plot device". Have you been to a rape crisis centre and discussed with the abused women what a wonderful plot device their horrific experiences offer?

Rape is not a result of a "lack of conversation" about sex, your entire post is offensive and speaks volumes about your personal views.


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## kathrynoh (Oct 17, 2012)

I wouldn't say rape is a "wonderful" plot device. I'd say it's an overused and lazy one.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Lots of reports -- Betsy and I will review when we have time . . . locked meanwhile


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## LauraWestbrook (Jun 8, 2016)

Folks, let's just steer the conversation away from it. Come on now.

So, what's everyone's thoughts on novella length books? Is that becoming more of a trend these days?


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## 555aaa (Jan 28, 2014)

AvaSterling said:


> Folks, let's just steer the conversation away from it. Come on now.
> 
> So, what's everyone's thoughts on novella length books? Is that becoming more of a trend these days?


Definitely. I think the new normal for novels is going to be about 60K words. Isn't James Patterson pushing something like this now?

Another thing that we might see more of are adult ESL (English as a Second Language) novels for readers who are still developing their language skills. I think there's a market for that.


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## MCwrites (May 26, 2016)

Athena Grayson said:


> I get the HOT part--the top 20 will all sit somewhere in the 1-4-digit places of the general kindle store. What I'm missing is how to determine the HUNGRY part - what does a book at #100 in a hungry subgenre look like? And what does it mean when book #100 in that subgenre is down in the #100,000 or so? Or is that even something you pay attention to? What does a long-tail look like from a genre standpoint?


Wondering about this also. Even after reading Chris's book I'm having trouble figuring out what defines a genre as 'hungry'. Would love some insight.


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## LauraWestbrook (Jun 8, 2016)

555aaa said:


> Definitely. I think the new normal for novels is going to be about 60K words. Isn't James Patterson pushing something like this now?
> 
> Another thing that we might see more of are adult ESL (English as a Second Language) novels for readers who are still developing their language skills. I think there's a market for that.


Ooo now that's fascinating. I didn't think about ESL reader's desire for shorter books. That makes a lot of sense. I wonder if ESL readers find YA books desirable for their simpler plot and generally shorter length. YA is quite popular these days, after all, for multiple reasons.


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## lilywhite (Sep 25, 2010)

Have I struck my head and begun to freakin' hallucinate or did someone actually just mansplain *rape*?

The mind boggles.



> Rape as a construct is a psycho-social phenomenon


No, actually, it's a vicious, demeaning act of violence, a crime that leaves a nearly indelible mark on the victim, and--to keep on topic here--is actually about the laziest way to handle plotting or characterization.

Boggled. Just utterly boggled.


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## JsFan (Dec 22, 2014)

lilywhite said:


> Have I struck my head and begun to freakin' hallucinate or did someone actually just mansplain *rape*?
> 
> The mind boggles.
> 
> ...


I agree.


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## AllyWho (May 16, 2015)

lilywhite said:


> Have I struck my head and begun to freakin' hallucinate or did someone actually just mansplain *rape*?


If you're really lucky he will also send you an extensive pm further manspalining rape, labelling it "artistic" and then further insulting you by saying your liddle girlie brain couldn't possibly understand what a beautiful plot device rape is... 

And all this from someone who is supposedly writing romance. I'm not so much boggled as sickened.


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## JalexM (May 14, 2015)

lilywhite said:


> Have I struck my head and begun to freakin' hallucinate or did someone actually just mansplain *rape*?
> 
> The mind boggles.
> 
> ...


Not to degrade this argument any farther but men can be raped too. I take offense to the use of mansplain in this instance.


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## Usedtoposthere (Nov 19, 2013)

What I found really interesting was that, in response to my posting a request that people take their discussion of themes/tropes in dark romance into another thread, because for some of us, a discussion of how to write books that use rape/abuse of women as romantic themes is upsetting, he . . .

Told a woman who was clearly and explicitly making a request not to continue that her request wasn't valid, and proceeded to override it by continuing to do the thing she asked him not to do, because his needs/desires overrode her request.

Because rape culture isn't a thing.


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## Usedtoposthere (Nov 19, 2013)

JalexM said:


> Not to degrade this argument any farther but men can be raped too. I take offense to the use of mansplain in this instance.


Very true. Except mansplaining really was what happened! Pretty classic example. Which doesn't mean that every man does it, or that women can't do it too.


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## JalexM (May 14, 2015)

Rosalind James said:


> Very true. Except mansplaining really was what happened! Pretty classic example. Which doesn't mean that every man does it, or that women can't do it too.


I'm just arguing semantics in the way she worded her sentence. 
If she said he was mansplaining rape in dark romance I wouldn't probably have said anything.


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## PB2016 (Jan 14, 2016)

This is some post. I'm not sure what the trends are but I thnk that on a high level, mystery and romance will always be popular.

I would like to see more adventure/chase/quest type books, sort of like Elizabeth Peters, or Gigi Pandian.

I wish there will be more interracial romance and more South Asian characters in everyday situations, with regular problems like making ends meet.


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## 75814 (Mar 12, 2014)

JalexM said:


> Not to degrade this argument any farther but men can be raped too. I take offense to the use of mansplain in this instance.


I don't because mansplaining is a thing that totally happens. It's when dudes decide they're going to undermine the notion that rape culture is a thing that actually exists. And that's exactly what happened here. lilywhite wasn't saying that men can't be raped, that's not what mansplaining is. Mansplaining is when a man tries to take an issue that is of massive concern to a woman and condescends to her about it as if she doesn't understand the issue. It doesn't mean that issue can't also affect men.


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Does anyone mind if we move on from this issue, before the thread gets locked again? I'm finding the discussion (I mean the hot genre discussion) very interesting and useful.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

The Dancing Squirrel said:


> I mind. The hot-genre discussion is nothing but speculation, while the controversial matter is not.
> 
> When people jump in to say we should just shut up . . . well, it reminds me of the time I reported a sexual assault to the police and they buried all the paperwork.


Nevertheless -- we don't allow the sort of condescending tone that's been present in this thread for the last few posts. I AM going to lock the thread for now as I am not in a position to thoroughly review -- and there have been reports.

Plus -- a member had previously asked that the discussion get back ON TOPIC -- it did for a bit, but now it's gone off again.


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