a reader poll
This is a general post, but specifically aimed at people who don’t necessarily read fantasy books as a first choice (I know, I know, in my friends, that’s a self-selecting group, but bear with me):
My publishers are looking for what we’ll call “mainstream fantasy”, or books that will appeal to the occasional, rather than the regular, fantasy reader. They’ve cited THE HUNGER GAMES and HARRY POTTER as examples (both of which are problematic, IMHO, as they’re young adult books rather than aimed at the adult market, but we’ll overlook that for now).
So this is kind of a survey: if you’re not a regular reader of fantasy novels, what kind of stories might flip your switch? Or what fantastic elements in an otherwise, say, mainstream thriller, might be appealing? Or, to turn that on its head, what kind of book *do* you like to read, and how might you see a fantastical element worming its way in?
Commentary *very* welcome!
(x-posted from The Essential Kit)