Welcome back to another craft and industry essay! This month we’re tackling that age-old question volleyed back and forth between writers of all stripes in comment sections an one convention floors and in late-night text exchanges: “Should I try to write to trend? If so, how do I do that?”
I’ve worked as a literary agent for a couple of years, and I’ve also worked at an acquisitions assistant at an audiobook company, in addition to publishing in both the indie and the traditional spaces. I’ve heard this big question plenty of times and approached it from a couple of different angles over the years, and I’ve also myself benefitting from accidentally hopping on a trend just as it was beginning to stir (A DOWRY OF BLOOD first released in January 2021, at the very start of the vampire book renaissance). So, let’s explore the question together!
When industry professional talk about “writing to trend”, they’re generally referring to the following strategy: identify a trend in publishing early, whether it’s a trope a subgenre or a style, and then quickly produce work that fits the trend and get it indie published or in the hands of an editor fast enough to effectively ride the wave of reader interest to greater success. For some writers, “greater success” may mean getting that first publishing deal, or seeing a boost in sales, or reaching new readers and audience pools.
It sounds simple in theory, but in practice it’s more complex and yes, more challenging.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Epistle to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.