MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Branded as "chick-lit"

abookreader · 09-16-2011, 01:59 PM

Well - I can see her point.

The problem is, there are very few ground-breakers in publishing anymore because publishing is already a risky and increasingly unprofitable business. A huge percentage of books lose money. Publishers instead desperately try to stick to tried and true formulas

Bridget Jones - Blockbuster, give me 9 more of those!
Twilight - Holy Crap did you see that, do that again!!!!

So any author/agent/editor that is trying to get a book to market almost has to try and shoehorn it into a mold "This is just like ______, only just a bit better" in order to get it published. That isn't unique to Chick Lit, sci fi, mystery, action suspense authors .... they all face the same challenge. Be unique, but be just like (Lee Child, Dan Brown, Janet Evanovich etc etc)

But really, all she needs to do is have her main character max out a credit card at a fashion designer rack sale, throw in a few references to whether or not she can fit into her skinny jeans, and one measly night where she goes out on the town with her pack of 3 best friends (at least one of whom is a gay male), gets smashingly drunk, and wakes up in naked in bed the next morning with the highly unsuitable and irresponsible yet perfectly attractive pretty boy of her college year fantasies. There ya go, instant chick lit!

09-16-2011, 01:59 PM	#2
abookreader Wizard Posts: 1,516 Karma: 2567610 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kindles - Keyboard, Fire, 2-US, iPhone, iPAD	Well - I can see her point. The problem is, there are very few ground-breakers in publishing anymore because publishing is already a risky and increasingly unprofitable business. A huge percentage of books lose money. Publishers instead desperately try to stick to tried and true formulas Bridget Jones - Blockbuster, give me 9 more of those! Twilight - Holy Crap did you see that, do that again!!!! So any author/agent/editor that is trying to get a book to market almost has to try and shoehorn it into a mold "This is just like ______, only just a bit better" in order to get it published. That isn't unique to Chick Lit, sci fi, mystery, action suspense authors .... they all face the same challenge. Be unique, but be just like (Lee Child, Dan Brown, Janet Evanovich etc etc) But really, all she needs to do is have her main character max out a credit card at a fashion designer rack sale, throw in a few references to whether or not she can fit into her skinny jeans, and one measly night where she goes out on the town with her pack of 3 best friends (at least one of whom is a gay male), gets smashingly drunk, and wakes up in naked in bed the next morning with the highly unsuitable and irresponsible yet perfectly attractive pretty boy of her college year fantasies. There ya go, instant chick lit!