The Future of Books; the Future of Writing
If you’re reading this newsletter, it’s safe to say that you love (or at least like) books. Which means you want writers to keep writing great books, unforgettable books—books that will stay with you for years to come. You might also be here because you’re a writer, which means that you want to keep writing the sort of books that people just want to hug because they love them so much.
Last newsletter I said that I’d just come back from the Historical Novel Society Conference in Las Vegas. At the conference, there were a couple of fascinating panels featuring publishers and agents discussing what they think people will want to read to read over the next few years. Obviously this is of huge interest to writers; we want to write the books that publishers think readers want because, if we do, those publishers are more likely to publish them. I think it’s also interesting for readers to know what publishers are predicting they’ll like—because that’s what you’ll find in bookshops over the next few years.
But does anyone really have a crystal ball that can predict any of that with accuracy? And what were the trends everyone was talking about?
A Good Story Isn’t Enough on its Own
Even before the conference, I’d had a few conversations with my agent as I put together a synopsis for what will be my next book after THE CHATEAU ON SUNSET. And I know from talking to her that, while once upon a time a good story idea would have been enough for a publisher to be interested, that's no longer the case. In the historical fiction genre, as my agent put it, and as was reiterated in most panels at the conference, what you need now is “historical fiction plus”.
So, what does “historical fiction plus” mean and is this advice specific to historical fiction or is it applicable to other genres?
Historical Fiction Plus
Historical fiction plus essentially means that a writer’s idea has the backbone of a recognisable historical novel, but they've added another element to it. That could be magic. Or witches. (Or magical witches!) That element could be something fantastical. Or that element could be something very high concept, which I’ll come back to.
Certainly the most popular trend idea at the conference was witches. And I love a good witch book. But with all the love being directed at witch books, I hope they don't become the next World War II—where publishers take on so many that in a couple of years time, nobody will be able to sell a witch book
I think that if you're writing a witch book right now or have already signed a contract to write one, you’re in a good place. But I don’t know that I’d start a new one (unless it was really high concept). It could be that you’ve already missed the boat, given you probably need at least a year to write it, plus another year of editing etc. Will witches still be big business in 2-3 years time? I don’t know! And that’s the thing with trends—timing is everything.
The other “historical fiction plus” idea that was discussed at the conference and that made sense to me was historical fiction with fantasy elements, given that romantasy is so big right now. But, again, when will the romantasy bubble burst? Nobody knows!
Should You Follow Trends as a Writer?
I believe every writer needs to do what they think is the right thing for their career. But I do think it’s worth being cognizant of the fact that a strong idea for a typical historical novel might not sell to a publisher right now. And that's probably true across all genres; a good story idea without some kind of hook will struggle to attract the interest of a Big 5 publishing house.
To me, that’s worth knowing. If I’m considering a few different ideas for my next book, I’m going to choose to pitch the “hookiest”. Or I’m going to think a little more about how I can make the story idea I really love appear to have more of a hook.
Whether or not you decide to follow trends probably also depends on how fast you can write a book. And I think it also depends whether you love the ideas that are trending. If you do, go for it! Above anything else, you have to love what you’re writing.
“High Concept” Rules
For at least a decade the term “high concept” has been bandied around, that thing that nobody quite seems to be able to describe succinctly. But right now, high concept is king.
