Change is not always that friendly buddy in the distance. Sometimes, it’s a force of reckoning. But no matter what we face, Change is inevitably headed your way.
Ironically, it’s not change itself that people fear. It’s more the results of change. If you move, how safe will the walk home be? How long will it take? If you decide on a different major, how much will it cost to begin again? If you change your partner, are you sure the new one will take on their fair share? People like exact answers and they get very nervous when they don’t have one available.
Maybe is a scary, scary word.
Folks get very concerned about what’s fair when change is part of the equation. As if somehow, they face a firing squad that will redecide where to aim. So when an author faces the decision of whether to write category or single title sized novels, it’s enough to make a reader quite nervous.
What if they drop my series? What if they change their style? What if when they writer bigger, they lose what I love about their work?
I’m not asking for an answer for reader concerns. But I do wonder, what goes into each author’s decision on what to write? Do you write category in order to build a readership to take to a Single Title market? Or did you start off in the ST Market because that’s what you’ve always wanted to do?
Just curious,
Dee
Speaking only for myself, I love to write varying lengths. I like to be able to have the big cast of characters and subplots you can do in single title, and I like the challenge of condensing a big story into a shorter length, category or novella.
by Charlene Teglia May 6th, 2008 at 9:31 amI always complete my stories in my head first, then I try to choose which one will have the best shot at publication in any form. Once a story does publish, I’ll choose the next one based on the first. From what I’ve read, it’s important for a newly published author to stay in the first novel’s subgenre until she’s established herself.
by Kimber An May 6th, 2008 at 10:04 amI tend to write “long” because it’s too hard to write short. Although I do have short stories published, they began more as writing exercises, and then when I learned more about structure, I gave them actual plots.
I got VERY brave and tried a totally different genre — I wrote a 1st person police procedural short striaght mystery story and have sent it off. I don’t have the highest hopes, because I sent it to the “biggie” mystery anthology magazine, and the odds of them taking a first submission are slim.
But it was fun. I’ve had agents ask if I’d consider writing category, but I don’t think I can write tight enough for their word counts. I’m barely rolling at 60K.
by Terry Odell May 6th, 2008 at 11:10 amI’m an aspiring author, too, but all of my WIPs are category. I know that there’s more flexibility in single-title, and I do occasionally chafe at the boundaries, but I’m not writing with the ultimate goal of hitting the NYT bestseller’s list, and I’m not hoping to strike it rich…I’m not writing for fame, fortune, or even bragging rights.
I write category-length romance because I love it: I love to read it, love to write it, and I embrace the role it plays in the wider market.
by Kacie J May 6th, 2008 at 11:56 amI think this really ties into Jordan’s post on goals ’cause your path depends on your desired end destination.
My goal is to share my love of business and my love of romance with other women. There is no category for that so I don’t write category. There isn’t a shelf for that in bookstores so I don’t write for print (though Breach Of Trust will eventually be available in print). It is also a very niche market so no NYC publisher is going to be interested.
That leaves me, by default, as a small press single title eBook author. That still suits my goal (plus makes my blog readers happy).
by Kimber Chin May 6th, 2008 at 12:21 pmHey, Dee,
I started in category, and I love every single story I ever wrote for Silhouette. I never felt my editor was holding me back, even when I tackled the burned baby backstory, the convicted felon heroine, the morphine addict hero (not all in one book, but still…!)
As my writing developed, however, I became increasingly aware of leaving parts of the story out . Not because of editorial restrictions, but because of word count. My stories have always focused on the romance. But I also love to see that relationship play out in the larger world of family, setting, and community…and I needed room to explore those things. The stories, quite simply, demanded more pages to be told.
by Virginia Kantra May 6th, 2008 at 3:46 pmRight now I’m trying to do both. My first book is category, my second and third will be released as single titles. ST is my preference, and my priority, but I have a soft spot in my heart for category. Harlequin introduced me to the genre and most of my favorite authors started with shorter romance novels. How to choose? I just have to write the stories in my head, and hope for the best.
by Jill Sorenson May 7th, 2008 at 1:34 amWhen I wrote my first book, I just focused on the story … and discovered I tend to write long. Luckily, it sold as a single title. I’ve since found that I can write novellas; the first was scary, because of how tight the plot focus had to be, but I managed.
However, stories shorter than novella length are impossible and I’d hesitate to tackle category. The pacing for those two types don’t come naturally to me.
by Kathleen Dante May 16th, 2008 at 6:55 am