Writing to Market

There’s this fun little thing in publishing called “writing to market.” Writing to market means picking your genre, characters, central storyline etc. according to what readers want to read at that moment. It’s a brilliant strategy, right? Unless you’re me.

I don’t create stories based on demand; I can’t. I write based on character. For instance, if the main character from my next book wakes me up at 3 a.m. and introduces herself as a vegan farmer who loves yoga and rolling in the dandelion field, I trust she knows who she is. I don’t tell her, “You know what, readers aren’t really interested in you right now. Would you mind being a carnivorous astronomer with a penchant for billionaires?”

Don’t get me wrong. I truthfully believe writing to market is a brilliant tactic for success, and there are authors out there who are delivering great stories while satisfying the literary craving du jour. I considered it too, for about a minute-and-a-half.

As a writer of romantic comedy, I researched the top selling romcom books on Amazon only to discover a slew of bare-chested men with ripped abs and jeans that just couldn’t stay buttoned. I know, don’t judge a book by its cover, but that idiom doesn’t actually apply to real books. Publishers make sure covers tantalize, appeal, and otherwise hypnotize readers into buying their books. It’s all about the cover. But I digress.

I decided to pick up a couple of these digital tomes to see what all the hoopla was about. At the time, “Romantic Comedy” had very little to do with actual romance or comedy. Not that they weren’t decent books, but when I see the word “comedy” as part the genre, I want to laugh. I expect to. I concluded writing romantic comedy and erotica were two peas in the same pod, and I panicked. But if that’s what romcom readers wanted, then who was I to question them? I have two kids to put through college someday.

So, I pulled up a fresh Word doc prepared to woo a treasure trove of college-tuition-paying fans and started. Here’s what I discovered. My writing is about as sexy as sumo wrestlers trying on bikinis at Walmart. It wasn’t happening. At first, I thought it was because I didn’t want my fellow mothers in the pickup line at school to know the racy goings-on I was capable of. So, I decided I’d become a raging success and pen my tales of erotic dalliance under the nom de plume Stormy Feather. Yeah, no. Stormy could barely manage a handholding without blushing. Her bedroom (kitchen counter/elevator/parking lot) encounters always had her running for hand sanitizer and a toothbrush.

While researching other hot “write to market” categories, I discovered something called Dino Porn, which is exactly what it sounds like: dinosaur/human getting busy kind of goings on. Millionaire authors were created every day in this exciting new genre. I already knew I was incapable of the porn aspect, but I wondered if there was a “clean” dino market. So, I picked up a couple. Wow. I went temporarily blind and may have actually fainted, but when I came to, I knew this was another genre I was incapable of writing.

You know what I did? I decided to keep writing the characters that came to me to tell me their stories.  My latest series has sold beyond my expectations. Who would have thought a Scottish family on a farm in Central Illinois was what people wanted to read about? But they did and they do.

The first two books in the series launched at #1 in humor, made it to the top #100 on Amazon, and won awards. The third book in the series just came out and is on track to do just as well (see previously mentioned vegan farmer who likes to roll in the dandelion field). I can happily report renewed belief in my craft.

If you’re out there struggling to find your niche in an overpopulated market, I suggest you try writing to market to see if you’re one of the savants who can. If you are, I bow to your abilities. If you’re like me though, and simply incapable, don’t lose hope. Keep listening to the voices in your head, and one of these days, they might just match what the market is looking for. Either that, or perhaps you’ll blaze a trail by creating your own market.

Writing is a tough job, but we choose to do it because it nurtures our imagination, it allows us to rewrite history and create the future, it opens up a new world of possibility. My advice is, you do you and I’ll do me, and I just bet there are readers out there for all of us, regardless what the market dictates at any given moment.

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Whitney Dineen is a rock star in her own head. While delusional about her singing abilities, there’s been a plethora of validation that she’s a fairly decent author (AMAZING!!!). After many writing awards and selling nearly a kabillion books (math may not be her forte, either), she’s decided to just let the voices in her head say whatever they want (sorry, Mom). She also won a fourth-place ribbon in a fifth-grade swim meet in backstroke. So, there’s that.

Whitney loves to play with her kids (a.k.a. dazzle them with her amazing flossing abilities), bake stuff, eat stuff, and write books for people who “get” her. She thinks french fries are the perfect food and Mrs. Roper is her spirit animal.

RELATIVELY HAPPY, Whitney Dineen

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Category: How To and Tips