There’s always something new in publishing. New digital presses are still forming, newer formats like audio and apps are trending, and the big publishers are always creating new imprints or touting this month’s hot genres. With the use of smartphones skyrocketing, more people are reading on their phones while waiting in lines, etc., so reading in quick bites is more popular. I am guessing short stories, novellas, and episodic novels will have bigger sales in the near future.
While those are all interesting to follow, and sometimes fun to predict what will be the next big thing, I find it comforting to reflect on the constants.
No matter what form it takes, all readers really want is a good story. Whether your favorite genre is historical romance or sci-fi or paranormal mystery, you won’t read or listen to it for long unless the universal elements are there.
We all crave:
- characters we can relate to or root for
- in extraordinary situations
- doing the things we might dream of or shudder to contemplate.
If the character is boring or the plot is dull, no shiny, new delivery system or sub-genre will make a difference. If the writing is up to snuff, then we readers can sit back and enjoy the story knowing we are in good hands.
In this holiday season, I wish you wonderful books in whatever format you enjoy the most. All the best in 2017, too! :-)
Lynn Lovegreen grew up in Alaska, and still lives there. She taught for
twenty years before retiring to make more time for writing. She enjoys her
friends and family, reading, and volunteering at her local library. Her young
adult/new adult historical romances are set in the Alaska Gold Rush, a great
time for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com. You can also
find her on Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest.
6 comments:
Happy Holidays to you too, Lynn! Publishing is changing so fast it is hard to keep up with it. Great post!
I enjoyed your thoughtful post, Lynee. Happy Holidays!
Very true, Lynn. The characters in our stories are at the heart of it all. The more I write, the more particular I am about what I read. I used to pride myself on finishing every book I started "because I can always learns something from the author if I don't want to finish that book". I'm beyond that point now. I want the good story but I also want it well-written without a plethora of typos, etc. And, I find I'm more likely to close an unfinished book if I don't feel the connection.
Happy Holidays, Lynn. You'd most likely think we had it easy with our temps in the 20's and 30's with blustery winds. I'm reminding myself that this is all relative right now.
Thanks Diana, Sarah, and Judith. Happy holidays to you all, too.
Hope the blustery weather is short-lived, Judith! :-)
I agree that connecting to the characters and the story IS most important. Like Judith, I used to finish any story I started. But I don't have time for that anymore. When I do have time to read, I want a story that will transport me into those characters lives--in whatever genre I'm choosing to read. I don't want to slog through something that makes it difficult to get into the story.
Good point, Maggie. Happy reading!
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