We aren’t entirely sure how to market this

[bodgei]

"We aren’t entirely sure how to market this" was one of the reasons the publisher used for dropping my novel.  In all honesty I get that one.  The novel ended up being a paranormal, sports romance.  And the sport involved isn’t one of the bigger sports, it is ice hockey.  My husband (a lifelong hockey fan and a man who played until he was in his 40

Comments

[trystan830]

i find myself reading a lot of urban fantasy and paranormal romances too. throw in some time-travel too.

at the moment, i'm reading Star Wars, so also add alternate universes with my scifi.

[bodgei]

I will say I don't read a lot of romance (but I do have 2 on my pile right now)

[trystan830]

i have scifi on my to-be-read pile. i have an AU of sorts (otherworlds) and a paranormal/supernatural detective story along with scifi on hold from the library.

if sidney sheldon counts as romance, then i have that on my pile as well.

[bodgei]

I'll be honist - I've never read a sidney sheldon.

I have a sports romance called "the penalty box" and a bunch of non-fiction books about hockey (including a book on the 'great expansion' that covers the beginings of teams like the Flyers) and a book on the bias aganst French speeking players in the NHL.

I have about 6 horror and the rest are mostly fantasy.

Mind you some have been on the pile since this time last year.

[cornerofmadness]

urban fantasy/mystery without a doubt.

good luck figuring out how to handle that novel. I can see why it would be a bear to market.

[bodgei]

I love my urban fantasy as well.

The funny thing about the novel is that when they signed the cotract they knew what it was. Mind you about a month before they dropped me, they lost an editor and the head of marketing, so that may have more to do with it than any of the reasons in the letter.

hey, it's not like I need to push open a sub-genra in the next few years. I have at least 25 more years of 'day job'.

[cornerofmadness]

yeah I suspect that is it. The people that were there might have had ideas but the publisher didn't get those or doesn't care. good luck

[bodgei]

thanks - I have another publisher that is interested in the peice, so we will see.

[writerfreek]

I just read a lot of teen lit haha.

Your story has a very interesting combination. It may not be too easy to market, but it's compelling.

[bodgei]

I read some teen lit as well - it's a lot of fun.

I just need to work on makeing a nitch for myself - it'll be worth it if I do.

[scribbleomania]

I teach elementary kids, so I've been reading a LOT of children's books lately. Though, some of them are the best books I've ever read (anything by Diana Wynn Jones, for example). Otherwise I go for fantasy, paranormal; though less romance and more epic adventure kind of things.

[bodgei]

I think children's lit is often beter than adult books. I have to say I'm most fond of the Susan Cooper books and the Tove Jansson books for kids. But maybe that is becasue I'm older and they were books I read as a kid.

[scribbleomania]

I'm not sure why that is, but it's often true. I love the Susan Cooper books! I don't think I've read any of the Tove Jansson books, though I have heard of them.

[bodgei]

I have to get my but in gear to market myself. Hopefuly the novel will end up with the publisher who has the Hyena shorts.

Right now my nonfiction reads seem to be history or hockey related. once or twice both.

I like the sounds of all three of those stories you are outlining.