Writing to Market
Knowing that writing to market isn’t copying popular novels, but knowing what your audience wants
Ever heard of the term ‘writing to market’?
For so long, I thought this was formula writing, where authors found a formula that worked and paired it with popular market book trends. However, it doesn’t mean copying popular book trends.
What it is is writing a book that matches existing demands, tropes, and audience expectations specific to the genre you are writing in.
When writing a book, we write what inspires us or a story that we love. But on the other hand, we need to write a story that readers want.
The truth is, going extreme on either option isn’t good for any book. But there is a possibility to strike a balance between both options.
Being Creative Within the Parameters
Genre expectations don’t mean you’re limited as a writer.
For example, a romance writer picks up a romance novel expecting a central romance and a satisfying ending. And mystery readers expect to solve a mystery.
What you’re dealing with are the bare bones of the marketing aspect. But who’s to say that you can’t be creative within these expectations?
Another example is how cross-genre stories have been increasing in popularity. Writers took a chance to be creative within the parameters of the genre and delivered readers something they didn’t know they needed.
Trends Versus Markets
Trends are unpredictable and fleeting when it comes to writing to target them. And unless you can pump out a solid novel in a few weeks, it’s rare that you will be able to meet that trend.
On the other hand, markets of genres and readers are an element that sticks.
Here are the main ones I’d consider:
Genre market — Writing for readers of a specific genre, such as romance, thriller, horror, fantasy, mystery, or science fiction. This means understanding the conventions and expectations of that genre.
Subgenre market — Going more specific than genre. Instead of simply romance, you might target small-town romance, romantic suspense, sports romance, dark romance, etc. Instead of horror, you might write YA horror, psychological horror, supernatural horror, or slasher fiction.
Trope market — Writing around tropes readers actively seek out: enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance, found family, forced proximity, chosen one, secret identity, only one bed, amateur detective, and so on. This is especially powerful in romance and BookTok-heavy spaces.
Age/category market — Writing specifically for picture-book readers, middle grade, YA, new adult, or adult audiences. This affects character ages, themes, word count, content, voice, and how the book is marketed.
Reader-emotion market — Writing for the experience a reader wants. Cozy, comforting, funny, heartbreaking, terrifying, spicy, suspenseful, uplifting, etc. Someone might specifically want a “cozy fall read” rather than caring about a narrowly defined genre.
Trend-driven market — Writing around something experiencing a surge in popularity: a particular trope, aesthetic, setting, creature, genre, or story style. This is probably what people most often think of when they hear “writing to market,” but it’s also riskier because trends can change before you’ve finished and published the book.
Seasonal market — Books designed around predictable periods of reader interest: Christmas romance, Halloween horror, summer/beach reads, Valentine’s romance, back-to-school children’s books, etc. Unlike trends, seasons come back every year.
Niche-interest market — Writing for readers interested in a very specific subject or community: equestrian romance, baking mysteries, gaming LitRPG, military sci-fi, mythology retellings, crafting cozies, or books centered around particular hobbies and interests.
Comparable-audience market — Writing for readers who already love a certain type of book, author, show, or movie. You’re not copying it; you’re identifying an existing audience that wants a similar reading experience. “For readers who love…” becomes important here.
Platform-driven market — Writing with the habits of readers on Kindle Unlimited, Wattpad, Radish, Royal Road, Webtoon, etc. in mind. Different platforms can favor particular genres, lengths, release schedules, serialization styles, and reading behaviors.
Series market — Writing specifically for readers who like consuming interconnected books. Cozy mysteries, romance series, fantasy sagas, and episodic adventures can benefit heavily from this because one reader acquisition can lead to multiple book sales.
As a writer, you need to find where your creativity and interests overlap. Or, specifically, the overlap between what you want to write and what readers want to read.
Deeper than this is the sheer fact that marketing your book becomes easier when you know what to highlight. Being able to share which comparable titles to use will strengthen your marketing. And what kinds of book covers are going to signal to your audience is what will attract your readers.
When thinking about your next story, don’t ask, “What’s selling so I can write that?” Ask, “Who is this book for, what do those readers expect, and how can I give them that while still making the story mine?”
Framing your thinking this way will go a long way.