The guardian: Self-publishers are...

[crich70]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

Also, I fit the demographic in the article and I don't write romances. Of my clients that also fit that demographic, only one writes romance (part of the time). The rest write mysteries or urban fantasy. One of the ladies writes horror part of the time (I don't edit the horror so I can't speak to how well it does or how much is being written).

That's not to say romance isn't being written, but most of the queries I get for editing lean to fantasy and mystery pretty heavily. When I do free short story giveaways on my blog periodically (from various writers) I have only ever had one romance writer participate. I've also taken ads at the blog a few times and none have been for romance. It could be a reflection of my own blog readership though.

Well I did say that I didn't think every female author was writing Romances. Though certainly in traditional publishing more women were writing Romance than men were (and male authors used female pen names). I grant that different genre's probably do vary in popularity over time as well. The same thing happens with movies. For a decade or so monster movies are big then it's SF and them Musicals and then cop dramas like Dirty Harry etc. People get a glut of one genre and switch to another for a while til they get tired of it and switch again.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by crich70

Well I did say that I didn't think every female author was writing Romances. Though certainly in traditional publishing more women were writing Romance than men were (and male authors used female pen names). I grant that different genre's probably do vary in popularity over time as well. The same thing happens with movies. For a decade or so monster movies are big then it's SF and them Musicals and then cop dramas like Dirty Harry etc. People get a glut of one genre and switch to another for a while til they get tired of it and switch again.

Agreed. I wasn't picking on you or anything. I just think I am noticing a trend with a lot of readers and writers towards mysteries. And it will change as soon as I write another mystery with no paranormal elements. So, I'm getting ahead of the trend. I better just write paranormal elements.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

Agreed. I wasn't picking on you or anything. I just think I am noticing a trend with a lot of readers and writers towards mysteries. And it will change as soon as I write another mystery with no paranormal elements. So, I'm getting ahead of the trend. I better just write paranormal elements.

Ah ok. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Good luck with your book.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by crich70

Ah ok. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Good luck with your book.

Thanks and no worries. It's all just speculation on my part anyway!

[Phogg]

I am up to 122 titles in my Superhero genre folder. I could have three times as many but I really don't like sex in my escapism so I weed out authors (exception made for Robert J. Crane) that throw erotica scenes in.

The quality of editing in the genre seems to have improved a lot over what it was just three years ago.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Phogg

I am up to 122 titles in my Superhero genre folder. I could have three times as many but I really don't like sex in my escapism so I weed out authors (exception made for Robert J. Crane) that throw erotica scenes in.

The quality of editing in the genre seems to have improved a lot over what it was just three years ago.

Even I have read a couple and it's not really my genre. I enjoyed the one--unique and funny. I have to think of the name of it. D-Villian superhero...D-list? Something. But the other two were meh.

This short story is one of my favorites--but it is FULL of cursing. If you are offended by cursing, do not even scan this story. It's a pastiche. Do not expect serious literature here.

http://www.towndrunkmag.com/2009/kabza_superhero.aspx

The magazine is defunct now, but there were some good stories in it. I wrote this author once and asked if he ever formatted it for e-readers and never heard back so you're stuck reading online. But it's not that long and I got a kick out of it. Yeah, I know. But I thought it was hilarious.

[fjtorres]

I've really enjoyed the two volumes (so far) in the META series by Tom Reynolds.
The first one is a typical origin story but with the second volume he takes standard genre tropes in new directions. Can't wait on the next one.

The BLACK STILLETO series is a very nice Black Canary pastiche. Lots of fun.

I'm tempted to sign up to KU just to check out all the superhero series.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

Even I have read a couple and it's not really my genre. I enjoyed the one--unique and funny. I have to think of the name of it. D-Villian superhero...D-list? Something. But the other two were meh.

This short story is one of my favorites--but it is FULL of cursing. If you are offended by cursing, do not even scan this story. It's a pastiche. Do not expect serious literature here.

http://www.towndrunkmag.com/2009/kabza_superhero.aspx

The magazine is defunct now, but there were some good stories in it. I wrote this author once and asked if he ever formatted it for e-readers and never heard back so you're stuck reading online. But it's not that long and I got a kick out of it. Yeah, I know. But I thought it was hilarious.

You can download the pdf and convert it.

[Phogg]

The D-list Super Villain books are by Jim Bernheimer. There are two now with a third due around Christmas.

Richard Roberts is writing a new series in a similar vein.
http://www.amazon.com/Please-Dont-Te...5749724&sr=1-1

If you like the quirky takes on superhero tropes there is a short story by Edward Winslow that reads as if Douglas Adams had decided to do superheroes.


http://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Brewin...rouble+brewing

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Phogg

The D-day Super Villain books are by Jim Bernheimer. There are two now with a third due around Christmas.

Richard Roberts is writing a new series in a similar vein.
http://www.amazon.com/Please-Dont-Te...5749724&sr=1-1

If you like the quirky takes on superhero tropes there is a short story by Edward Winslow that reads as if Douglas Adams had decided to do superheroes.


http://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Brewin...rouble+brewing

yes, that is the one! Jim B. I know that Chris Strange also has one out (or maybe two by now) but I haven't read it. I liked his Man Who Crossed Worlds (it's urban fantasy not superhero, but that is kind of a superhero thing). I am pretty sure I own the superhero one he wrote, but haven't tried it. It's not *really* my thing, but it's quirky and good for the occasional dip into ... not reality.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

It's not *really* my thing, but it's quirky and good for the occasional dip into ... not reality.

Come on, we're mostly adults 'round here: we're not afraid of the e-word.

Besides, escapism is in these days.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Come on, we're mostly adults 'round here: we're not afraid of the e-word.

Besides, escapism is in these days.

I don't even know if you can call it escapism. Sometimes I just laugh at the sheer silliness that anyone would write such a thing. Some of it is quite juvenile in humor, which isn't a bad thing, but the laughing comes from stringing together such ridiculous scenes. I suppose that might be escapism, but I view escapism more as being totally into the world that I'm reading about--not laughing at the silliness of it all. And that's not a put-down. It's just kind of amazing that someone writes these kinds of things and strings them together and it works.

[fjtorres]

Escapism is anything that helps you forget the evening news, the crappy weather, the stack of bills...
Silly counts.
Giant robots, battling space fleets, people in tights...
...or a flat world atop a giant turtle...

[murg]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

...or a flat world atop a giant turtle...

Isn't there a giant between the turtle and the flat world?

[crich70]

Originally Posted by murg

Isn't there a giant between the turtle and the flat world?

I think depending on your sources it's either a group of elephants or a set of columns that the flat world is shown as resting upon and which in turn rest upon the turtle's back as it swims through the celestial sea.