The US Writing Experience

This comes two months later but here it is now. In July I listened to Janet Gover talk about the US Writing Experience. Janet has lived in the UK until last year when she moved to the US as her husband had a job there. She gave a talk about what writing in the US is like compared to here. Here is her take on it:

Mainstream = 90,000 words
Romance must be sexy, if not then it is classed as Women's Fiction
Genre definitions are different.
Some genres are missing
Some genres are US centred only
More publishers (bigger country)
Ebooks are critical
Covers are v different.

They do paranormal/fantasy, which is v sexy and sensual
Vampires and shapeshifters
Angels
All these have kick-ass heroines with magical elements (my sort of book)

Romantic Suspense
Women in jeopary who become stronger. Has to be sensual with alpha heroes. Fast paced. Heroine has to ask can I trust the hero?

US women's fiction instead of saga. This is mass market women's fiction, which inc families with sub-plots, contemporary. Small town books and settings can be outside of US. Usually series with new characters and settings in each one.
If you are unpubbed you sell with whole book but if you are pubbed then you sell with only partial and synopsis which is more detailed and series outlined.

Trade women's fiction
Again families and sub-plots. Contemporary historical. Bigger books in all genres (as in 100,000)

YA
Protagonist must be 17-19 y-o.
Paranormal, steam punk, sci-fi, distopia, coming of age. Magic phase. Has romance with sexual tension.

Publisher's want: Paranormal (yay for me), YA, women's fiction (small town series), cowboy, RS (series with ongoing characters).

When submitting: Make sure your genre is current, some prefer agents, outline series.

The state of industry is positive and they are actively seeking new authors, and new imprints are popping up all the time (Avon Impulse is one). Ebooks can expand readership (yay for me again), publishers are active with social media. Self-publishing is moving the balance of power. So royalties for ebooks are moving.

This really heartened me, esp the paranormal part and ebooks. To read why, visit my next post.