Gone girl by gillian flynn, eleanor oliphant is completely fine by gail honeyman, the girl on the train by paula haw. Its the kind of fiction that makes summer reading lists. Good examples of literary fiction are books by toni morrison and john updike. I always wanted a more indepth plotting outline and cheatsheet, but theres so many conflicting story structures out there this week however, i managed to put together a 24 step chapter outline for commercial fiction. For popular examples of genre fiction, consult the book racks in airports and grocery stores.
They presume some pricey lawyers devised standard legalese, and they dare not depart from the norm. One of the most common questions i get from new selfpublishers is, what do i put on the page. Commercial fiction is sometimes called genre fiction because books of this type often fall. My first issue with this infographic is the assumption that commercial fiction substitutes fast pace for good writing and thus that if the writing is good, the book is not commercial or. The more interesting the disclaimer, the more likely it will. Fiction that aims to, and often does, reach a wide audience and make a lot of money is, in effect, commercial fiction. The more you have of one the less you need of the other. Remarkable fiction and nonfiction from homegoing to the nickel boys. Having not read enough of the original books by ian fleming. Its literary fiction, so its pretty damn good writing, but it has commercial potential. Literary fiction usually centers around a timeless, complex theme, and rarely has a pat or happy ending. For some reason, the page has the power to intimidate some people, with its small print and legalistic language, not to mention all those mysterious numbers. I write womens fiction and had been labeling my work literary, with commercial appeal and feeling a bit of a fraud in the process.
A 24chapter plot outline for your novel free fiction. As a side note, nineteen eightyfour walks a fine line between literary fiction and genre fiction as david barnett points on in this article for the. It has the ability to infiltrate lots of book clubs and start discussions and take off as a product. Definitions of fiction categories and genres writers. Commonly referred to as book club novels, a book that is upmarket fiction addresses universal, elevated themes while remaining accessible to the general public. Fiction that, one argues, has a value that exceeds its commercial appeal. Commercial fiction can sell very well because it usually has a tight premiselogline someone is trying to kill the president.
Upmarket fiction is a classification or a publishing term, not a genre distinction. Below, weve collected 23 different agent pitch letters. Examples of commercial fiction authors include dan brown, j. While many works of genre fiction still feature excellent writing and welldeveloped characters. It means that the writing is outstanding, but accessible.
The law does not require a disclaimer to be boring. Looking at it now, i realize that the novel incorporates everything i have ever. Commercial fiction has a distinct genre, the story tends to happen above the surface, and the plot unfolds in a way that makes the novels themes easy to recognize by the reader. Many authors assume the legal disclaimers at the front of their books are supposed to be boring. Commercial fiction is plot driven and theres no need for quality writing, i guess, because that sure isnt mentioned.
Commercial fiction or popular fiction is generally made up of genre fiction and young adult novels that place reader engagement, plotdriven. I find this an interesting dissection of these two terms. Literary fiction is universally understood as symbolic or thematic fiction that critics consider to have literary merit. The da vinci code by dan brown, the shining by stephen king, something borrowed by emily giffin. Commercial fiction is also known as genre fiction or category fiction because books of this type can fall into various genres like such as romance, comedy, horror, mystery, and thriller etc.
Commercial fiction books often fit into other clearcut subgenres such as mystery, horror, romance, fantasy, science fiction, etc. Commercial fiction definition complete list of book genres. Commercial fiction is fiction with broad appeal and the potential to sell lots of copies. Novels like the da vinci code by dan brown and the hunger games by suzanne collins are examples of popular commercial fiction. Under this meaning, literary fiction encompasses books which stem from the modernist tradition. Oddly, i read almost exclusively literary fiction, but i know as i writer how i want to spend my novelwriting time, i know the audience with which i want to connect, and its found in that magical, captivating blend of quality writing tackling commercial plot. Literary fiction refers to novels that dont fit into any standard genre classification romance, mystery, scifi, for example. Since the goal of your cover is to sell books, the cover of a commercial title should follow, or at least evoke, the standard bearers of its particle genre. Think of the phrase as an adjective since publishers use the term as a selling pointe.
Genrebusting and blending a cocktail of literary spirits. Commercial fiction or popular fiction is generally made up of genre fiction and young adult novels that place reader engagement, plotdriven narrative, and exciting writing ahead of complex prose. Most commercial nonfiction books are between 60,00080,000 words. A few years ago i made the plot dot now free on amazon. Commercial fiction is less intelligent than literary fiction. In allistair macleans night without end, for example, the hero, while. Upmarket fiction is used to describe a book that has a literary feel with commercial appeal. Upmarket fiction combines the best elements of literary and commercial fiction.
What is the difference between commercial and literary fiction. There you will encounter many of the most successful genre fiction authors including dan brown, danielle steele, anne rice, john grisham, tom clancy, james north patterson, and helen fielding some genre writers tend to straddle a line between genrefocused commercial fiction and the traditions of. It is distinct from womens writing, which refers to literature written by rather than promoted to women. Commercial, mainstream, and literary fiction writers digest. In commercial fiction, the protagonist does the work. How to recognize and write upmarket fiction 2020 masterclass. Examples of literary fiction authors include barbara kingsolver, john lecarre, and toni morrison. Literary, upmarket, and commercial fiction rachel neumeier. What is the difference between commercial and literary.
For example, the idea of good overcoming evil is challenged in george orwells nineteen eightyfour. Consequently, it places greater emphasis on a clear and distinct plot while other aspects like characterization, exploration of theme and fine writing are. Books in the literary fiction genre tend to be more sophisticated than books that are simply labeled as commercial, mainstream, or general fiction. Commercial fiction nathan bransford writing, book editing. Just a small commercial i directed and wrote in my advanced lighting class at full sail university. For many, literary fiction is a genre like any other. Defining upmarket fiction and the role it plays in todays. Commercial fiction, on the other hand, is faster paced, with a stronger plot line more events, higher stakes, more dangerous situations. If this is your first time writing, books are measured in wordcount because page formats differ. Commercial fiction, on the other hand, is faster paced, with a. Ive heard a lot of agents say that they are looking for literary fiction with a commercial appeal, or something like that. Commercial fiction is sometimes called genre fiction because books of this type often fall into categories, such as western, gothic, romance, historical, mystery and horror. Getting creative with disclaimers the book designer. Literary fiction definition complete list of book genres.
Lee constantine from publishizer left an interesting comment on our blog. The quality of writing in commercial fiction is low. There arent any hard and fast definitions for one or the other, but there are some basic differences, and those differences affect how the book is read, packaged, and marketed. Commercial fiction is fiction thats highconcept, meaning easy to explain. This is a fabulous post, and the infographic is ever so helpful for me. The differences between commercial and literary fiction. A beginners guide to literary fiction ny book editors. Mainstream fiction fiction that transcends popular novel categoriesmystery, romance or science fiction, etc. Awardwinning books by margaret atwood, george saunders, marlon james, and more.
Commercial fiction writing where my bread is buttered is fairly straightforward. To my relief, i recently discovered another category that blends the line between commercial and literary fiction. Genre fiction, on the other hand, is often labeled as popular fiction or commercial fiction. Its called upmarket fiction upmarket or mainstream is the kind of fiction that infiltrates book clubs and starts conversations and includes such writers as jodi picoult, sue monk kidd, anita shreve, and anna quindlan. Womens fiction womens fiction is an umbrella term for books that are marketed to female readers, and includes many mainstream novels, romantic fiction, chick lit, and other sub genres.
Copyright page samples you can copy and paste into your book. Commercial fiction is less about style, voice and innovative use of languageform than literary fiction but theres also an area where the two meet and blur thats often called sweet spot fiction and its top of many publishers wishlists. Lee constantine from publishizer left an interesting comment on our blog i find this an interesting dissection of these two terms. On the two sides of the scale you have literary and commercial. Literary fiction can often be considered highbrow, but stuffy. The da vinci code by dan brown, the shining by stephen. It doesnt matter whether a book is published as literary fiction, romance, scifi, crime or any other genre, there are some latent features of bestsellerdom in manuscripts and these.
Chances are, if youre writing commercial fiction youre writing with some genre or genres in mind and are targeting readers of. Sometimes, literary fiction takes a common theme in genre fiction and turns it on its head. Literary fiction definition whats the best definition for literary fiction. Where do you draw the line between commercial and literary.
Definitions of fiction categories and genres writers digest. Well commercial fiction doesnt really exist as its own genre. Examples of commercial or genre fiction are romance, thrillers, fantasy, horror and sciencefiction. In other words, commercial fiction is written in a way story and style thats accessible and likely to be enjoyed by the average reader. Rowling harry potter, john grisham, and stephen king. Once you find an agent you would like to represent your book, the pitch letter is the next step in the traditional publishing process. These genres have cover design styles that were established decades ago. Commercial fiction includes chick lit, a lot of womens fiction, and most books that hit the bestseller list. Youre shooting for a nonfiction book thats industry standard size. In general, fiction is divided into literary fiction and commercial fiction also called mainstream fiction. Curtis brown agent karolina sutton, who represents a wide range of authors including emma healey, says. In other words, it is a story that tries to be bigger than the story itself. The manuscript that sold was the first book id written that was commercial fictionan emotional family mystery.