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Writers. We talk to ourselves all the time, don't we? (When we're not talking to our writing sheep.) So who better to interview a writer than the same writer.
In this one, Polly Iyer tackles genre, a topic so confusing it makes writers want to invent new categories just to fit in. Unfortunately, the traditional publishing industry is not very tolerant of inventiveness. Fortunately, there's another way...
Read Polly's post here: Polly Iyer Interviews Polly Iyer on Genres
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Polly Iyer is the author of seven novels: standalones Hooked, InSight, Murder Déjà Vu, Threads, and three books in the Diana Racine Psychic Suspense series, Mind Games, Goddess of the Moon, and Backlash. A Massachusetts native, she makes her home in the beautiful Piedmont region of South Carolina. You can visit her website for more on Polly and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter. |
A fun read even the second time around. The theme of the post is the problem that faces so many writers who don't write stories that fit into a comfortable publishing slot. What to do? Thanks for sharing, Polly.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Maryann. I love this post. Though this was written more than five years ago, the message is still current.
DeleteI smile a little when writers say genre doesn't matter. You can mix genres, and twist genres, and reinvent genres. But at some point you have to give the reader an inkling of the kind of story promise you make to them so they know whether they will be interested. When I read a muddy or convoluted synopsis, I don;t try the book. Ever. No matter how many people praise it, even if it makes a best selling list.
ReplyDeleteYou can try a sample on Amazon for just about every available book. If the beginning doesn't grab you, don't buy it, but sometimes there are surprises. I'm not as adventurous a reader as you are. I like what I like, veer rarely, and am happy that way.
DeleteLove revisiting this post. You nailed it in the past, and it's just as relevant now. As for self-publishing, that's the only kind I ever seriously considered. Why? Mostly for the fast turn-around time from submission to published book. When I began writing novels, I was too old to
ReplyDeletecomfortably wait the years involved in getting from final (maybe) manuscript to books on Amazon or a bookstore shelf. It works for me. However, each story needs to fit primarily into one genre -- even if elements of others are also present.
I did try to get an agent, got one, but she was new, and although I liked her a lot, it didn't work out. I tried again before the last book I published in October. Didn't get anywhere, and like you, I'm too old to go through that again. I'm thinking I'll put what I think about the pros and cons as I see self-publishing in a post in January, when I get my new computer.
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