Note from Edie. Neither Cyle nor I is advocating writing in some of these trends. The purpose behind this post is to make sure we've got our eyes wide open to the trends swirling around in the publishing waters.
by Cyle Young
@CyleYoung
@CyleYoung
Every
few months it seems that the hot genres, subgenres, and trends changeover. Some
previous trends cool off, while others heat up.
There
is a significant correlation between popular movies and television show release
dates and the desire for readers to purchase books of similar style, content,
and feel.
After
examining what’s selling right now and testing it against what editors are
looking for, I have found that these 3 trends are hot across the publishing
industry right now. I’m not advocating that you write any of the genres or
subgenres listed, but it’s always good to be aware of what’s going on in the
industry.
Space
Opera
The
Space Opera trend is innately a science fiction trend. Space Opera books deal
with stories entirely set in outer space. They can range from tales of galactic
conquest to thriller/horror books like Aliens.
One
thing is true about the “hot” books in the space opera trend. Those books
embrace the tropes. A lone battleship captain, up against all odds, a mercenary
crew, a vile plot to overthrow the galactic government, and more.
If
you love writing science fiction this trend may be for you. I recommend reading
some of the authors who are selling very well to discover the tropes in the
niche. Try reading: Nick Webb, Daniel Arenson, Chris Fox
Dark
Romance
The
definition of a dark romance varies from person to person, but one thing is
consistent, these books are gritty, raw, unfiltered, and push the envelope of
acceptability to an uncomfortable extreme. These books can span every subgenre
of romance and almost always hold a risqué edge.
Why
is this trend so popular right now? You can thank the 50 Shades of Grey
phenomena. Its sequel recently released, which dredged up more interest in dark
romance.
Even
though this may not be a subgenre for all writers, sales are flourishing and
new books are releasing in dark romance every day.
YA
- LGBT
Hold
on before you get frustrated that I might be telling you to write LGBT stories,
I’m not. What I am sharing is that the LGBT trend has hit publishing in full
stride. Dozens of large traditional publishers are seeking LGBT manuscripts
from Children’s picture books through adult. But right now, the hottest market
for this seems to be in YA.
How
do you embrace this trend in the Christian market? We’ll to be honest, you
write real stories about real life. I’m also a pastor, and I can tell you that
public school kids deal with the students who have embraced LGBT lifestyles on
a DAILY basis. A contemporary story about modern public school students should
include some kind of interaction with the LGBT community.
Warning,
if you an include LGBT characters or discuss issues related to same-sex
attraction, homosexuality, etc., you will have a hard time publishing in the
traditional Christian market, but those are the real kind of stories that
modern teens are buying and reading.
Some
publishers are starting to realize Christian books have to embrace the modern
culture if they want to be relevant. You don’t have to affirm anything, but
teenagers struggle with discovering what they believe about real life issues,
and YA books should include teens working at understanding culturally relevant
ideas.
As
an author and agent, I find great value in knowing the market. I hope
these trends help you get an understanding of the current state of publishing
and will give you some new insights that may help you as your plot out your
next project.
What
genres have you seen trending right now?
Cyle Young is thankful God blessed him with the uniqueness of being an ADD-riddled…SQUIRREL!...binge writer. Not much unlike the classic video game Frogger, Cyle darts back and forth between various writing genres. He crafts princess children’s stories, how-to advice for parents, epic fantasy tales, and easy readers.
Thank you Cyle, my audience is homeschoolers. I've been telling them for a few years that things are changing, and keeping your kids in a bubble hasn't ever guaranteed a particular outcome. How can we fight if we don't know what we're up against?
ReplyDeleteThis is real life, my sons friend who has one year of college left announced at Christmas that he is now a she. Women and girls are foolishly calling 50 Shades "good entertainment".
We need to be battle ready, we're not in Kansas anymore.
Great, honest and enlightening post. As a fan of space opera, I am thrilled to see it trending. Although in my opinion, no one can write space opera like Iain Banks.
ReplyDeleteGreat, honest and enlightening post. As a fan of space opera, I am thrilled to see it trending. Although in my opinion, no one can write space opera like Iain Banks.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your help.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cyle, for keeping it real. Like it or not, we need to know what the book-buying public wants.
ReplyDelete