Couldn't agree more. I, for one, wouldn't even know how to write "for the market." I could never create anything that wasn't authentically me. If that means, I'm destined to never make a dime from my writing, ok then, I guess it's not meant to be. But I can't control that. I can only control what I choose to write and how.
I have a writer friend who was able to get an agent, but the publishing company that agreed to take her manuscript wanted all these changes that seemed inauthentic to her voice and messaging. But she made the changes anyway because she wanted to be traditionally published above anything else. My feeling is that I write for myself first and if a publishing company wants it, then the stipulations have to be clear, or I walk.
I think a lot of aspiring writers don’t realize how slow publishing can be. When I first learned about that, it made writing for myself a whole lot easier, because the timing was ultimately out of my control anyway.
With the glacial pace of publishing, how does any writer even think they can "write to a trend"? And yeah, they better LOVE what they're writing because if they're lucky enough to get published, they'll be talking about their book for at least as long as it took to write it.
Great advice, Mal! I'm currently in revisions, and if I was writing to market, all the time I'm spending with this story would not be as much fun. It's been said that life's a journey, not a destination. True about writing, too❣️
Great post! I hold to the position that we should create what we want to create. Write the story('s) that is inside screaming to come into the world. It's the journey towards our creation that matters most in the end. It's not about how the world views our creation but how our creation changed us as artists.
I really like this take, but I wonder if it applies more to sticking with your vision for the book (your personal motivation for wanting to explore this story at this point in your life), than to its full execution? I think it's a case of "Yes, and" for me. You should absolutely follow your heart and not attempt to write to a (changing, capricious) market, and at the same time really focusing on your reader experience can really help you level up your game when it comes to executing that vision. I also think that writing with a view to maximising reader investment and satisfaction can act as a useful creative constraint when you're drafting and revising. I definitely agree with much of what you say, for me it's more of a balancing act!
I've never really written to market. My books are hard to define.
I started out by publishing three standalones. The indie publishing community said I needed to have a series if I wanted to get anywhere. So I wrote a series. The response was mediocre. So I wrote another series. Aside from a single sale and one library borrow of the first e-book (out of four books), the response has been crickets. And yet, I still sell the odd copy (usually in print) of one of those first three standalones without actively marketing them.
What exactly is "the market"? Is it what authors talk about in craft spaces? Is it what's big on BookTok? Is it a genre, an audience, series versus standalones...? Or is it simply what actually sells?
I prefer writing standalones, so that's probably what I'll continue to do. Self-publishing a single book is a lot less stressful (and a lot more fun) than publishing a series... at least in my experience.
This describes exactly where I am as a writer. I write contemplative work — the kind that asks readers to slow down, pay attention, look again. It's not a crowded market. But I couldn't write anything else, because this is the thing I actually see and want to say. The moment I tried to write for an imagined audience rather than from genuine attention, I think I'd lose the very quality that makes the work worth writing at all. Thank you for naming this so clearly.
I thought this was very interesting and a good read. Thanks for sharing!
Ahh yay!! I’m so glad you liked it (:
Couldn't agree more. I, for one, wouldn't even know how to write "for the market." I could never create anything that wasn't authentically me. If that means, I'm destined to never make a dime from my writing, ok then, I guess it's not meant to be. But I can't control that. I can only control what I choose to write and how.
I have a writer friend who was able to get an agent, but the publishing company that agreed to take her manuscript wanted all these changes that seemed inauthentic to her voice and messaging. But she made the changes anyway because she wanted to be traditionally published above anything else. My feeling is that I write for myself first and if a publishing company wants it, then the stipulations have to be clear, or I walk.
I've always believed that stories choose us, not the other way around.
The best thing we can do is listen. 🤍
I think a lot of aspiring writers don’t realize how slow publishing can be. When I first learned about that, it made writing for myself a whole lot easier, because the timing was ultimately out of my control anyway.
With the glacial pace of publishing, how does any writer even think they can "write to a trend"? And yeah, they better LOVE what they're writing because if they're lucky enough to get published, they'll be talking about their book for at least as long as it took to write it.
Even i write to surprise myself with a truth I didn’t know I was carrying.
Amen!!
You are spot on ! Writing is therapeutic for me. Likes and views are cool but I’m blessed and good regardless
Great advice, Mal! I'm currently in revisions, and if I was writing to market, all the time I'm spending with this story would not be as much fun. It's been said that life's a journey, not a destination. True about writing, too❣️
Great post! I hold to the position that we should create what we want to create. Write the story('s) that is inside screaming to come into the world. It's the journey towards our creation that matters most in the end. It's not about how the world views our creation but how our creation changed us as artists.
I really like this take, but I wonder if it applies more to sticking with your vision for the book (your personal motivation for wanting to explore this story at this point in your life), than to its full execution? I think it's a case of "Yes, and" for me. You should absolutely follow your heart and not attempt to write to a (changing, capricious) market, and at the same time really focusing on your reader experience can really help you level up your game when it comes to executing that vision. I also think that writing with a view to maximising reader investment and satisfaction can act as a useful creative constraint when you're drafting and revising. I definitely agree with much of what you say, for me it's more of a balancing act!
I've never really written to market. My books are hard to define.
I started out by publishing three standalones. The indie publishing community said I needed to have a series if I wanted to get anywhere. So I wrote a series. The response was mediocre. So I wrote another series. Aside from a single sale and one library borrow of the first e-book (out of four books), the response has been crickets. And yet, I still sell the odd copy (usually in print) of one of those first three standalones without actively marketing them.
What exactly is "the market"? Is it what authors talk about in craft spaces? Is it what's big on BookTok? Is it a genre, an audience, series versus standalones...? Or is it simply what actually sells?
I prefer writing standalones, so that's probably what I'll continue to do. Self-publishing a single book is a lot less stressful (and a lot more fun) than publishing a series... at least in my experience.
Well said! There's a reason we became writers, and that is to express ourselves and tell our stories, not to write what the market wants.
completely agree with you!
This describes exactly where I am as a writer. I write contemplative work — the kind that asks readers to slow down, pay attention, look again. It's not a crowded market. But I couldn't write anything else, because this is the thing I actually see and want to say. The moment I tried to write for an imagined audience rather than from genuine attention, I think I'd lose the very quality that makes the work worth writing at all. Thank you for naming this so clearly.