the glamorous struggles of an aspiring author...

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Lack of Stats

With a dazzling display of "gut" statistics, i.e., I have no stats at all, I am going to spin my analysis of what readers will want in the upcoming months. (Did I mention my degree is in economics and I suffer from a compulsive need to analyze?)

With the increase in unemployment (those stats I have), I predict a correlating increase in the supply of manuscripts. Most of them will be ill-advised attempts but, some will undoubtedly be brilliant. For those in the brilliant category, I predict these categories will be in demand:

Non-fiction:
1. Self-help (as in how to get a job, keep a job, start a business, make millions of dollars with an at home business, etc. Lots of money to be made here.)
2. How to (change a light bulb so you don't have to pay an electrician to do it for you)
3. Biography (people who endured hardship and lived to thank their deity of choice, Shackleton, you are the man)

Fiction:
1. Fantasy/Horror (the more gory and over the top, the better)
2. Thrillers/Mysteries (exotic locations, clothing optional)
3. Romance (from steamy to morally edifying, lots of money to be made here)

That's my take.

2 comments:

K. A. Jordan said...

I'm all for writing the romance novels!

The trick is to get them published once they are written.

Mary Lindsey / Marissa Clarke said...

I think you are right about fiction with the escapist premises being in demand. That's why I switched over to romance for my current project. My last book was YA.

I enjoyed your writing in the post above this one. Well done.

have a great week.