I got an email advertisement from Publisher’s Weekly the other day for Ashes, a dystopian YA which debuts this fall. It seems there are still publishers wanting to put out books in that sub-genre, which surprises me since I think this push will be coming to an end. Then again, with the long lead time of print books, this novel has, of course, been in the works for a while.Agent Mandy Hubbard blogged a recap of her meetings in NY with acquiring editors and apparently, there were a few places still hoping to put out a YA dystopian novel before the wave ends.
So what’s next?
Well, as USA Today predicted last week, mermaid stories are on the rise. And it’s worth noting that our own Tera Lynn Childs was at the forefront of that trend, and before that she was writing about Greek mythology, another trend that’s cresting. I think she must have a crystal ball. Tera, 'fess up!
But really, it’s just amazing how the Collective Unconscious seems to work in the publishing world. A few really great books on a unique subject get other people thinking and writing and then a new wave is born, I guess.
Mandy wrote that what editors hoped would be big (though they couldn't say it would be for sure) was more realistic fiction -- so you can imagine that I smiled at that one. Just the other day I saw a table at my local Barnes & Noble that was marked “For Sarah Dessen fans” and featured books by Justina Chen, Sarah Ockler, and others. I imagined that my books, though they have a supernatural element, could be on that table someday...
The main thing I know about trends and predictions and buzz is that nobody knows anything for real. A great book, no matter the subject, is going to find a home. And with the growing sales of e-books, authors have the ability to put those books out there on their own now, too.
I think readers are smart, especially YA readers. They can smell b.s. They want real characters and compelling stories. They want to be entertained. They want to feel something.
That is the trend to watch. The trend to write to.
What do you guys think? Are you over dystopian fiction? Are mermaids going to make an even larger impact this year? Have you read any vampire books recently?
Hugs,
Heather
www.heatherdavisbooks.com
The Clearing - 2011 Rita Finalist Best YA Romance
Wherever You Go - Harcourt, November 2011
Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen
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4 comments:
Great post, Heather. You just never know what the "next big thing" will be. I'm just hoping that TLC will remember us "little people" when Stephanie Meyer's mermaid book goes big and brings all the other mermaid books with her. LOLOLOL!! Totally kidding! I think all of this creativity is what makes reading books (and writing them) great! = )
It's so hard to say what is the next best thing, but I'm a big proponent of the cross-section, a little bit of everything on the shelf so a reader never leaves a bookstore without a real "find." :)
Aw, thanks for the mermaid shout out, Heath! And if I have a crystal ball, it dates way back to 2006 when I started writing Forgive My Fins. :)
The buzz I keep hearing right now is about sci-fi and aliens. I guess we'll have to wait and see if that takes off.
Wow! Mermaids? My novel just so happens to have one. Well, actually, it has a merman. Does that count?
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