In my previous post, I talked about all the things I learned from self-publishing in 2020. This year I plan to take what I learned into my latest project. In 2021 I’m releasing the long-awaited sequel to Before the Legend entitled Roman Identity.
Granted some readers may have already read the chapters for Roman Identity posted on Wattpad and FictionPress. Readers may not know that I have made a lot of changes since I first published it for free online. And now that I’m getting it beta-read, you can expect even more critical changes to be made before the final version become available for sale. What can you expect from the 2nd book in the series? Read the blurb below.
Teaser cover
Blurb
Troy is not the same doe-eyed four year old. He’s fourteen going on fifteen. But with growth comes growing pains as Troy must now survive adolescence on top of his new role in the Kingdom. In this coming of age tale, the young prince finds himself thrust in new challenges and moral dilemmas that will test him to his breaking point. Will he rise to the top or sink to the bottom?
Have questions on the newest book? Check out my newly designed page for Roman Identity where you can learn more about the plot. Updates related to this book will be posted weekly so stay tuned.
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This week I decided I was going to cash in on Black Friday and run a Kindle Countdown Deal on my book, Before the Legend this weekend. Considering it was a fairly last minute decision I had to scramble the week before to find a list of sites that would promote my book while not spending anything in the process (besides time). I’ve done free runs before but never a Kindle Countdown deal so this is still new territory for me.
For those not familiar with Amazon promotions, authors enrolled in KDP Select have several different options to promote their book. One way is through a Kindle Countdown deal which is what I’ll be focusing for most of this post. The main difference between a free run and a Kindle countdown deal is that the latter is simply discounting your book from its normal sale price by a significant margin. Your promotional period can range from 1-5 days. You can split your promotional period into separate days (i.e.. Monday & Wednesday) or have it run consecutive days (i.e. Monday-Wednesday). If you want you can set the price points at a certain time and date between the start and end of your promotion.
In my example, I decided to set my eBook to $.99 from Friday 11/29 6am PST-12/1 12am PST. Then starting on 12/2 (Cyber Monday) the price will jump to $1.99 before the book resumes its normal price of $2.99. Note the time of your promotion is set in Pacific Standard Time regardless of your time zone so keep that in mind when you’re spreading the word to others.
Once you select your promotion dates and pricing info you will not be able to add another promotion until the selected promotion period ends. If you realize you made a mistake you can still go back and make changes to the initial promotion you created or cancel it altogether. Note you cannot make any changes within 24 hours of your promotion’s start date.
Getting the word out
To maximize the success of your promotion whether it be a free run or a Kindle Countdown deal, you want to get the word out to many people and channels as possible. There’s many different ways to get the word out.
Social Media
Get the word out to your network of followers whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Goodreads.
In Facebook you can generate some buzz around your promotion by creating an event if you have a Facebook page. You can then invite your friends to the virtual event. Don’t forget to post pertinent information such as the price, promotion dates, and link(s) where your book can be found.
Twitter: This is another social media platform that could be helpful in getting the word out granted you have a lot of followers. I tried using trending yet relevant hashtags in my promotional tweet. If you can have other engaged followers that can share your tweet that could prove helpful in getting your book out there.
Promotion Sites
Another important arsenal in getting the word out on your Kindle promotion are book promotion sites. There are hundreds of sites that will promote your books. When choosing a site you will want to note each site’s policies, prices, and acceptable genres. You will also want to note how far-reaching their promotional efforts go. What are some of the ways they promote their books to readers (i.e. newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)? How large is their readership? The larger their readership the more exposure you can get from being featured which can help boost sales. Those are just some of the questions you will want to ask yourself. If you’re on a budget like myself and looking for sites that will promote your discounted book for free you can check out this extensive list of sites with some offering free submissions.
Important: while some sites allow you to submit your book for free they cannot guarantee your book will be granted a slot due to the number of requests they get. For additional book promo services to promote your discounted book check out this page.
Other ways to get the word out is by word of mouth. As I noted in an earlier post, never underestimate the power of self-promotion. After all it’s free. Other platforms you can advertise is through your blog, author site, or through an email newsletter. These are just some of the ways you can spread the word without breaking the bank. And if you have loyal followers, chances are they will help spread the word whether it’s by sharing your post or tweeting your book to your network. I’ll admit there’s a lot of work that goes into planning a promotion and I’m taking risks along the way. Will all this pay off at the end? It’s too early to tell whether this will be successful or a flop. But with your support anything is possible.
Update 5/5/20: My Kindle Countdown deal from May 1st-4th has ended. Find out the latest sales info here.
Want to discover insider publishing advice for indies? Or maybe you just want to reap a good deal on a book? Join my newsletter and get a free eBook copy of my book, Before the Legend.
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What’s your favorite genre? For some it’s romance, others it’s fantasy, sci-fi or maybe a mystery/thriller. For those that know me well I enjoy reading a variety of genres, so it’s hard to pick one genre over another when I enjoy different books spanning across the many genres of fiction. However if you were to ask me what genre is your favorite to write- in my answer would be a bit more concise. I’ve had a keen interest in history particularly the Roman era. My knowledge and fascination with the period is what inspired my first story which gave birth to a series spanning 4 books total. What I didn’t know when I started out writing historical fiction is how the genre is perceived by the populace at large and the expectations placed on those by the avid and casual fans of the genre.
#1: Historical Fiction is not popular
I must clarify this point because there are books that fall within this umbrella that have experienced a great measure of success and even notoriety. While there is definitely an audience for it, it has a much smaller audience than per say romance or thrillers and that’s to be expected. Unless a reader is an avid fan of historical fiction, the genre is often ignored by mainstream readers. I came to this painful realization when I first published my book to the public on the fiction-sharing site called Fictionpress. The #1 common consensus of those not fans of historical fiction is that it’s boring. True some historical fiction books bore me. It’s no wonder than that it’s tricky to attract new readers who typically don’t seek out historical fiction books. This is the dilemma you’re faced with especially if you’re ready to publish your book for sale. Because you have a smaller market it’s imperative that the book you publish is not only well-written but marketable.
Even within historical fiction it has its own subgenres which attracts its own niche of readers. Historical romance and historical fantasy are probably the biggest and most marketable of the subgenres. Alternate history or alternative history is another subgenre and is the most appropriate subgenre for my series. However alternative fiction makes up a smaller market within historical fiction. Not only do you have to factor the subgenre but also the target audience your book is aimed at. Is it aimed for children, middle grade, YA, or adult? The answer to that question can determine how marketable your book will be which in turn translates into higher sales rankings. Most historical fiction books I’ve run across are geared towards a more mature audience which doesn’t work in my favor considering Before the Legend is geared towards middle grade readers.
2#: High Expectations
Another point to consider is the high expectations that come with historical fiction. Most people expect a well-written book. That’s a given. But for historical fiction books it goes a step further. Readers will expect it to be mostly historically accurate if not 100% accurate to the time period it’s written in. From my observation, fans of the genre come with higher expectations than other genres. True, other genres require some research. If you’re writing a science fiction book that centers in space you’ll want to do your homework on space travel to make the plot more plausible. While that principle of research is also true in historical fiction, there’s the expectation that the book should fully immerse the reader in the era. Everything from their adornment, living conditions, the way they talk, etiquette, means of travel, morality, etc. should be accurate to the time period. It’s all about the details. Any deviation or inaccuracies will not go over well with any reader but especially those who are avid fans of HF. They are not as forgiving!
Because details are of high importance research is essential. Even if it’s alternative or touches on the realm of historical fiction readers will expect it to still be reflective of the time period. And honestly that’s a fair expectation. But living up to those expectations can be very challenging at times. Personally one of the hardest for me was the dialogue. I’ve had readers say my dialogue was too modern. On the flip side others complained it was too formal and stilted. Considering my character is living in Roman times and is of noble blood the choice to not use contractions seemed to make the most sense. However that didn’t bode well with some readers. I was confused and frustrated when it came time to edit because I felt I was given contradictory feedback from both sides.
#3: Getting Noticed
All of these factors you’ll want to take into account especially if you’re seriously thinking about publishing your HF book. If you’re going down the traditional publishing route you face even more hurdles to publishing the book. Typically you’ll have to select a literary agent who will act as the middle-man between you and the publishing company. Although I personally haven’t taken the traditional publishing route, it would be advantageous to do your homework on the agent and the publishing company they work for by delving into what types of genres they typically read and publish. Someone who has little or no interest in HF may not fully understand or appreciate your work for what it’s worth. After all the agent will often determine whether the book is marketable or not. If they don’t like it, it will end up in the reject pile. On the other hand you can increase your chances of acceptance if the publishing company is open to or even favors historical fiction.
Of course you can bypass the middleman and opt to self-publish. But that’s only half the battle. With nobody representing you, marketing and advertising will fall primarily on your shoulders. This touches on the 1st challenge I mentioned which is the smaller market you have to work with. Even if you decide your book is ready and that there is a big enough market for the book to be profitable, you still have to find your target audience and attract them. Some important questions to ask when deciding how to get more exposure for your book are…
What regions or countries will my HF book fare better in?
What reviewers will accept my works?
What bookstores or sites will feature my book?
The answers to those questions are important because you want to know which markets will be more profitable. As a writer you want reviews especially those who appreciate HF so potential readers can decide whether to take a chance on your work. As a writer you want to expand into new markets including your local bookstore to get your books in front of new eyes.
I’ll admit that writing and publishing historical fiction series is not easy. You’re bound to get critics. I even had one person suggest I quit writing in this genre. Even more challenging is the marketing. While this post is not intended to discourage anyone from publishing HF, I believe understanding the reality of the market will help you adapt your approach to your next writing project. Granted if you choose to write for the fun of it, don’t let the popularity, high expectations, or visibility get in the way from writing what you want to write. If anything writing more for your personal enjoyment can be liberating from the stress of worrying about sales. But even if you do decide to publish your next HF book for sale, my advice is to do your homework beforehand. Find out what works and what doesn’t work for your book and the genre at large. And above all stay true to what your passionate about.
Want to learn more about the newest project I'm working on?
After three years, Chasing Blue: The Final Saga is finally coming to a close. After just completing the 2nd to last chapter to the final series, I can almost taste the finish line. And as promised the final chapters will build on more suspense until it crescendos to the climax.
The newest chapter: “Insurgence” builds on the prior chapter, “Invasion”. As a recap for those that haven’t read the previous chapter, Troy runs off with Priscilla into the night to find the others including his friend Julius. Although they find a hiding place in the crags, they are reminded they must keep on the move before they are discovered. We see more of the tension and drama building in this chapter as the characters have a fleeting moment of “calm” before it’s time to flee again. Just when you thought things were getting angsty, the latest chapter intensifies the action to a whole new level. In “Insurgence” we see the sparks of the rebellion igniting. The stakes are higher. The action intensifies. Troy is faced with painful decisions with potentially devastating consequences in this heart-wrenching chapter.
Dramatic Music Anyone?
As a personal habit of mines from time, I enjoy listening to a certain song or soundtrack as I read a particular scene in my story. From personal experience the right song enhances the reading experience! When writing out a scene, music plays an integral role in how the scene comes together. Like music, each piece, down to the words should not only flow together but also capture a feeling or mood. When writing some of the darker intense scenes, I found it very helpful to listen to dramatic music that fit the mood I was going for. This included many movie scores especially Hunger Games and Catching Fire, which has some amazing scores in my opinion. This helped me get in the head space I needed to portray more intense, emotional scenes. For more slower moments between Troy and Priscilla, slower melodic pieces were used as I wrote out their scenes.
Here’s one of the intense action scenes from my story when the guards invade the tower, inspired partly by the musical score used in one of the Catching Fire trailers. Credit goes to Dean Valentine, Music Piece: “Dark Matter.”
-Excerpt-
The sentinels returned but the Messenger was nowhere to be found. There were even more horses than before. Each man was girded with breastplates and helmets. They looked like warriors. They looked like a miniature army sent out to destroy us. The negotiations had failed.
“Find all three brothers,” one of the chief sentinels commanded the men swarming the hill. “Bring Troy to me but kill the rest of the brutes.” They knew I was here.
Bang!
I could hear them banging the door like madmen. My heart was pounding with every thud. Once the war cries bellowed from below I knew they were inside now. It was time to light the fire. Now! I raced to the rooftop with the withering torch. I hurled the torch, letting the flames lick the straw. It had begun.
I ran back to the corridor where I was greeted with the noises of battle. “Hold them back! Do not let them get past the first level!” Caius shouted to the men below. He raced up the stairs to meet me in the top corridor. “Your father captured the Messenger. This is your father’s response to ‘a negotiation!’ The plan failed us. We have to kill them now!”
“No! There has to be a better way,” I protested.
“There is no other way, Troy!” We both walked in the room as the guard approached Barbarius with the sword. Apollus stuck his foot out causing the man to stumble. Barbarius scuttled over, rocking back in his chair and stomped on the captor’s hands with his sandals. Caius rushed into the room with his sword drawn.
“I will handle this,” I muttered, yanking his free arm.
“No, I will. You did a poor job of handling it!” he said shoving me against the wall.
“Agh!” the man yelled. I looked down as Apollus lifted himself partly erect to head-butt his captor. As Caius came swinging with his sword, Barbarius leaned back in his chair, shifting his weight on the tips of his toes. While still fastened to his chair, he swung around as the sword came slicing the air, striking him from behind. The chains fell to the ground. Without knowing it, he had helped free Barbarius! Enraged he took another swing at Barbarius who was defenseless. He ducked, just missing the knife by a hairbreadth. Desperate, he grabbed a chair leg as his weapon to block his strikes.
“Hold your hands up!” I ordered Apollus. Without objection he lifted his hands. I only had one chance to get it right. With a swift blow, I slashed the chains bounding his two hands. His jaws dropped. He was either stunned I had such good precision or that I bothered to do him a favor or both. Just then the guard from behind grabbed my neck from behind, sending me falling backwards with him.
“Traitor!” he growled in my ears. I elbowed him in the ribs, but his grip only tightened.
“Let me go!” I rasped. Gasping for air, I struggled to reach for my dagger. I looked over at Apollus who was easing his way out the doorway.
“Apollus. Please!” I croaked as his grip grew tighter. Now I was the one that needed mercy. Apollus bit his lip as he stood, frozen. Now the tables had turned…
The wait is almost over. Here is the new proposed book cover for my debut book, “Before the Legend,” a fresh alternative look on history seen the through the eyes of a young precocious boy living in the backdrop of one of the greatest civilizations known to rule. Expect a cover change to the e-Book and print versions across major retailers as early as July. What do you think about the new cover?
While I’m not busy typing away the last chapters of Chasing Blue, I’m working on getting a new book cover for my published book, Before the Legend. As promised, here are some concept covers I’ve been working on as of late. After getting positive feedback on the layout with the boy in the bottom of the arch window from an acquaintance of mine (who mind you does illustrating and graphic design for a living), I thought the choice was obvious and all I needed was just some fine-tuning to make it pop more, hence the last three covers that favor each other. Unlike the first time when I selected my current cover, I wanted to get others involved with the making of my book cover and gather valuable feedback on whether the book cover was eye-catching and if it was conveying what I wanted to the reader. Although I loved my first book cover, a cover redo was needed for 2 main reasons.
1. Title change: I dropped the subtitle “The Prologue” and the old cover still retains that.
2. Although I liked my old cover, I felt it was a little too abstract for my target audience and I feel this created a disconnect between my book and the readers (readers of historical fiction/Alternative and middle grade readers alike).
This time around I decided to get some constructive feedback from readers and experienced writers in the Industry Insider Club on Wattpad. Boy was I in for a wake up call! Most people did not like the cover. The common consensus was that the boy appeared “out of place.” This was largely due to the lighting between the boy and the foreground (which is subtle yet was made aware of), as well as the scale of the boy’s head in relation to the rest of the picture. In the gallery below you can see some of the major changes made in the design process.
1st Concept
2nd Concept
Scaled down the head and repositioned the author name
Blurred the background and played some more on the lighting on the face.
book cover a user came up with.
Despite my editing attempts on the 4th one, it was clear by some users that the boy had to go. One user who seemed to understand my motivation behind the book and how the young boy pictured the protagonist which the story revolved around offered some very valuable suggestions. If I wanted to focus on the boy I would have to change the layout. Another alternative was to capture a scene in the story within the constrains of the arch. She has definitely given me the framework to go off, but the hard part is going back to the drawing board, changing what I want to capture and finding the right pictures to convey that new image.
Now I see why most writers don’t get involved in this process and go straight for the cover designer! It’s definitely a whole lot easier! Having just a “good” book cover isn’t enough anymore. I have to make it pop. I need it to communicate what the story is about. I need it to connect with readers. Before I go down the route of hiring someone to do it for me (I’d have to do some hard persuading to get my acquaintance to do it for me, although he helped pick out the pictures, I am willing to give it another go. What do you think about the covers I’ve come up with so far? I would love to hear your feedback on them? Does the design work? If not what direction should I go with?
As promised from my last post, I want to inform readers and followers alike regarding the new changes affecting my two stories: Before the Legend and Chasing Blue- The Final Saga.
Before the Legend
Title Change!- For those that haven’t already seen my announcement on my Facebook Page, my debut book: Before the Legend’s subtitle has been officially dropped for both the print and eBook version. Instead of being listed as: Before the Legend- The Prologue the title now just stands as Before the Legend. Why the change? Originally when writing this book I intended this to be a prologue (prequel may be a more fitting term) to the series, considering the first book I wrote for the series was in fact Roman Identity. However Before the Legend is more than just a prologue and is really a small story in itself with a beginning, middle, and end. After some comments I received on a forum post, I realized I don’t want to give the impression to new readers that this book is nothing more than an “info dump.” Hence after much consideration, a title change was needed. The change is already reflected on retailers such as Amazon, Kobo, B&N, and Smashwords and will trickle across to other retailers as well.
New Book Cover!- Since I just dropped the subtitle the cover used for the book will also need an update. This gives me the excuse to flirt with new cover designs which I hope will attract new readers to the book. I hope to work with an acquaintance of mines who works as a graphic designer for a living and has worked with multiple clients in the past to help come up with a new concept. Stay tuned in the weeks to come for new concept covers. For the first look at new cover designs and new updates for Before the Legend and Chasing Blue you can sign up here!
Chasing Blue
The newest chapter is out for the fourth and final book to the series. Troy teams up with old characters as they travel to the port city but new members are joining the crew and they plan to shake things up! Read on in “Ides of March.”
Snippet from new chapter…
“Troy, they are getting the cargo ready so I think it might be time to start boarding…” Hyros’ voice trailed. Instantly his eyes darted to Maximus and a band of men who were heading to the boat. “Wait a moment,” he said, walking towards the entry of the boat. “Are these lads lost or something? I believe you have the wrong boat,” Hyros said, sticking his chewing stick between his teeth.
I watched as Maximus stepped foot on the ramp. Hyros met him midway on the incline, blocking his entry. But Maximus kept on walking closer to Hyros.
“I believe you have the wrong boat, sir,” Hyros said, crunching down on his stick.
“Is this boat set to depart before the sun strikes the western skies?” Maximus asked.
“If the winds are favorable, then yes,” Hyros answered.
“Then this is the right boat, sir,” Maximus replied staring at him. Hyros scrunched his brows. Then he looked back at me as I stood on leveled ground looking up at the two of them.
“Since when were you authorized to set foot on this boat?” Hyros mumbled, letting out a snort.
“Since I paid my fare,” he said pointing to a distinguished young man talking to some other crew members. It was Jason! I had no idea he was returning again.
“Oh, no,” Hyros said, shaking his head. He removed his chewing stick. “You cannot possibly be serious,” he said, his tone turning solemn. “I am not letting you or your men get on this boat. Theseus grants me a weighty task in overseeing things and I am not buying your words. Now please just step aside because these kind men behind you would like to bring the foodstuff,” Hyros said pointing to two men carrying heavy sacks filled with grain.
“Let us pass,” Maximus said in a quiet but stern tone.
“Sorry I cannot,” Hyros said crossing his arms against his chest. “Now please step aside. Those men look like they are about to drop their sacks.” Maximus tried to push past Hyros, only for him to block his movements. They were merely inches from each other.
“Please do not test me. I am not in the mood you two,” Hyros warned. As quickly as it happened Sergius reached for his sheath.
“I am not in the mood either to play!” Sergius snarled, whipping his knife out at Hyros throat. Hyros took a step back…
The wait is almost over. Like so many writers out there, I’m eager to find out what others think about my work. It didn’t take too long after publishing my book, Before the Legend, that I realized just how important reviews can be. Reviews, especially positive ones, can sway an unsure reader to take a chance and read your story. However their is a but. A review that simply says “Good job.” “I like this. Keep writing,” may be positive but they don’t tell a reader why the reviewer likes the book. It may in fact appear that the author’s friends or relatives wrote biased or cheap reviews, which is not the impression an author wants to make. Although by all means it’s great to have the support of family and friends, an honest constructive review carries more weight. At the other end of the coin, having no reviews can be just as bad as getting mixed or all negative reviews. And if you want to garner the spotlight on your book, some sites such as Bookbub factor in the number of reviews you have when deciding to advertise your work to their readers. After all they want to make sure that they are promoting quality books to their followers.
Considering that getting reviews has not come easily for me, I was thrilled to receive a glowing review from a reviewer on Goodreads who also posted it on their blog. Here’s a snippet of their review. The whole review can be found on: “The Bookworm Who Never Stops Reading” as well as on my Goodreads page.
…This story was wonderfully written. This is seriously my first favorite book this year of 2014. The grammar was perfect and the style really brought me to the times. Not to mention I like stories about the Roman times! The story begins with Troy’s nightmare. He dreams that his parents are being swallowed by the earth. Because of this nightmare, he turns to his Mom for comfort during the night. But his Father says that he needs to learn that nightmares aren’t necessarily true and turns him away. He wonders if either his Mother or Father love him. But during this conflict of matters, a great incident comes (withheld in this review so you can pick up this book to find out!) and the consequences prove worse than they had imagined. This book calls for more to it! Yes, the book has a satisfying ending, but it leaves you begging for more!…
In addition to the new reviews I received, check out the spotlight for my story on the blog Pick Your Poison where you can also sign-up for a chance to win a free print copy of my book, Before the Legend, for a limited time only. Also check out my guest appearance with Deborah who hosted me as part of Self-Published Sunday on her blog “Novel Notions.” There you will find an exclusive excerpt to my story and learn some random facts about me.
*****
Earlier I made a statement regarding getting no reviews. But I want to turn this question to my followers and new visitors alike: Is having no reviews really just as bad as having mixed or all negative review? I want to hear your thoughts! Leave a reply below. I might post a poll later too if people prefer that.
Important Update: Check out the page: Before the Legend, for the latest price changes and availability. Before the Legend is now free on Amazon and Kobo Books along with other major retailers. Full list of retailers can be found on the “Buy Now” page under the navigation link, “Before the Legend” at the top nav bar.
Want to stay on top of stories I’m currently working on? Do you want first dibs on special promotions? Sign me up now!
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This evening I released the official book trailer to my debut novelette, Before the Legend. The trailer is now up on YouTube. For my loyal fans, it’s being featured on my Facebook page on the side, and premiering here on Writer’s Nook. Inspired by the first book trailer I made for my story Chasing Blue, I decided a book trailer would be an essential part of my marketing plan for my latest story. It will be going on sale later this week in both print and e-book format. The price for the print book stands currently at $5.99 and $2.99 for the e-book. However there may be promotions coming (hint, hint).
The book is expected to be hitting online retailers in the next 5-7 days but it depends on the specific retailer when they make the title available so it’s too early to say quite yet. The earliest date it will be hitting stores is tentatively November 19th this Tuesday. Expect to see it on Amazon, Smashwords, Apple, Barnes and Noble and much more in the weeks to come. I will be busy updating the site, which will include more details about the book and how you can purchase it. Expect the latest updates on my Facebook page J.U.Scribe. Now the next thing besides last minute formatting woes for the e-book I have to worry about is obtaining book reviews. I’m kick-starting the tour starting tomorrow. While I’m away enjoy the sneak preview below.
Both carry the idea of constraining something into a fixed space. We put things in boxes mainly with the purpose of organizing things to make it easier to retrieve certain items. As people we love to put things in figurative boxes whether we are consciously aware of it or not. For example if a person has certain characteristics that belong to a certain racial group we identify them as a certain race. And in many cases based on a person’s outward racial identity we assume certain things such as their customs, language, or sometimes how they act.
Thankfully in fiction you say it’s not so ‘black and white’…or really?
In books you have categories. You have: fiction and nonfiction. Seems pretty straightforward so far. From fiction we have numerous categories to categorize one’s work whether it be: romance, science-fiction, fantasy, historical, teen-fiction, adventure, mystery, horror, Children’s, etc. This doesn’t even include poetry or other literary works that are more prose or have a different structure. However you might be wondering why are categories so important anyways? And how does this tie in with marketing or self-publishing?
Marketing and Categories
In extension to the world in general, the literary world breaks literature into categories. The category your work falls under, determines what section your book will be found in the shelves of Barnes and Noble or any other bookstore. If it’s an e-book, your book will be categorized with like works. This is done with the intention it making it easier for the reader to access certain types of information. If a reader had no idea the exact book he or she wanted to read, they might know they want to read a mystery novel. So from there a reader can start broad and narrow down their search until they find what they are looking for.
Some genres attract a certain audience or market. Depending on the genre, you’ll draw a larger market. For example romance novels are still one of the most popular genres. When your book cover and content identify with a certain genre, readers will come to your work with a set of expectations depending on the genre. This ties with my earlier post about book covers and how they can help attract your target audience which you can read here.
The tricky thing about categories is that not everything fits into one neat “box.” Do works have to fit a neat box to be more marketable or more easily retrievable? Not necessarily. Some works may have elements of two or even three genres. Some genres especially romance are easily meshed with other genres (eg. teen-fiction/romance). In those instances readers can have their works appear in both categories. Considering romance is a genre that has a large audience (especially with girls and women alike) making romance a subgenre or vice versa could make other genres more appealing. This is where subcategories come in because it even narrows down the scope of work to a particular niche that’s targeted to a smaller group of people.
History or Fantasy?
Some categories though like historical fiction may have stricter standards of what counts as being historical in the first place. This leads to the title of my post because some staunch fans of historical fiction have strict standards of what counts as historical fiction and adding fictionalized elements especially fantasy creates a blurred line. I’ve recently seen a discussion about what’s considered historical fiction in Wattpad so I got to see both sides of the debate. Let’s start with some elements in historical fiction most people can agree upon…
Set in a period in the past
Reflects the era in which the characters lives in
Can take place during actual historical events that happened that can be documented or verified
With any added elements of fantasy, some argue that the story is NOT historical. Others feel that fantasy can be a subgenre of Historical fiction, granted the work is well researched and stays true to the era in which it’s written. While some stuff is classed as historical and ends up being mostly fantasy or largely inaccurate, some works are based off legends, people or events that could have taken place but there is no proof to verify such. Does that automatically make the story fantasy instead? As I said in another post, when I think of fantasy I think of adding fantastical elements (eg. magic, mythical creatures, or outwardly elements) What if the story takes place in a town or island that doesn’t exist? Does that discredit the historical elements of the story? Although I’ve never had anyone discredit my own stories as not historical, I realize that when I put my work out there for the wide public to see, I will have to be aware of how I categorize my story; both the main category I identify it as and the subcategories. To clarify some points about Before the Legend, I kindly put a disclaimer in my Prologue page to avoid any ‘false expectations’ the readers might have.
What do you think about the questions raised? Can historical fiction have elements of fantasy or should they be separate? Can certain subgenres coexist? Are there better ways to organize fictions works? I would like to hear from you…
Writer's Nook 