I've had many conversations with friends ranting about how certain books of ours do so well, while others don't.
DISCLAIMER: We're not being ungrateful for our success, I promise, we're just failing to grasp why certain books appeal to a larger audience and others don't. (I also promise this isn't a rant, it's an inquiry)
Okay so, I always thought (comparing TNS to Wt) that maybe people enjoy urban fantasy more because of the whole "It could sort of maybe happen in our world" rather than high fantasy. Or maybe that teen fictions are something that pull people in over other genres. But there are many examples countering this argument.
I've found that success happens in all different genres, and many readers I talk to don't care what genre it is; they care about the STORY.
So that leads me to think: What do readers look for?
What do you see that makes you read a book?
Is it a likable main character? Magic? Does it have to make you laugh?
& one of my friends and I both write fantasy on weed (high fantasy. Get it?) but both of us were having trouble getting our large amounts of fans to read it. I always wrote it off to it not being the type of book my fans would be interested in. To me it was the indie movie to TNS's Box Office Hit.
And obviously setting a story in a different world takes a lot of work, and my friend (who even wanted to quit on the story, which I discouraged her from doing cause it's a personal wattpad favorite), no matter how hard she tried to get some readers for the story nothing worked. & it's really hard to write something without encouragement.
Like I doubt I would even be a writer had I not gotten the response I did when I began writing (a blog post for another day. If anyone is interested). So when you get so little encouragement, it's hard to keep writing. And as a result, it kind of goes neglected.
I always try to keep writing, especially since I deeply love the story. And I've always maintained that whether I'm writing for three people or three hundred, I'd keep writing. Honestly, I write FOR myself. I don't do something in a story to appease the fans. Not at all. (In case you haven't noticed)
And I am not being ungrateful AT ALL. For some people, the stories of WT & UP are hard to get into. I mean a romance about a man-eating mermaid isn't exactly the most mainstream thing ever, and it's also an odd concept. Plus, as stated, the draft online is in need of work. WT, while it has a romantic subplot, it's more of a fantasy/adventure type story. & Band Camp's main character Ariana isn't exactly an easy character to read in.
So I understand it, but at the same time...I wonder what sets TNS apart? The writing isn't as good as some of my newer stuff (I've grown a lot) and as I stare at the story--It's a mess.
I love that book to death, but it needs tonsikins of editing, so why does this have 2 million reads as opposed to other, better (not just mine) work?
What IS it that you look for as a reader? What captures you?
Because, honestly, I'd like to know.
Please comment and tell me! (You can do it anonymously so I will never your super secret identity in case you're Batman or something).
DISCLAIMER: We're not being ungrateful for our success, I promise, we're just failing to grasp why certain books appeal to a larger audience and others don't. (I also promise this isn't a rant, it's an inquiry)
Okay so, I always thought (comparing TNS to Wt) that maybe people enjoy urban fantasy more because of the whole "It could sort of maybe happen in our world" rather than high fantasy. Or maybe that teen fictions are something that pull people in over other genres. But there are many examples countering this argument.
I've found that success happens in all different genres, and many readers I talk to don't care what genre it is; they care about the STORY.
So that leads me to think: What do readers look for?
What do you see that makes you read a book?
Is it a likable main character? Magic? Does it have to make you laugh?
& one of my friends and I both write fantasy on weed (high fantasy. Get it?) but both of us were having trouble getting our large amounts of fans to read it. I always wrote it off to it not being the type of book my fans would be interested in. To me it was the indie movie to TNS's Box Office Hit.
And obviously setting a story in a different world takes a lot of work, and my friend (who even wanted to quit on the story, which I discouraged her from doing cause it's a personal wattpad favorite), no matter how hard she tried to get some readers for the story nothing worked. & it's really hard to write something without encouragement.
Like I doubt I would even be a writer had I not gotten the response I did when I began writing (a blog post for another day. If anyone is interested). So when you get so little encouragement, it's hard to keep writing. And as a result, it kind of goes neglected.
I always try to keep writing, especially since I deeply love the story. And I've always maintained that whether I'm writing for three people or three hundred, I'd keep writing. Honestly, I write FOR myself. I don't do something in a story to appease the fans. Not at all. (In case you haven't noticed)
And I am not being ungrateful AT ALL. For some people, the stories of WT & UP are hard to get into. I mean a romance about a man-eating mermaid isn't exactly the most mainstream thing ever, and it's also an odd concept. Plus, as stated, the draft online is in need of work. WT, while it has a romantic subplot, it's more of a fantasy/adventure type story. & Band Camp's main character Ariana isn't exactly an easy character to read in.
So I understand it, but at the same time...I wonder what sets TNS apart? The writing isn't as good as some of my newer stuff (I've grown a lot) and as I stare at the story--It's a mess.
I love that book to death, but it needs tonsikins of editing, so why does this have 2 million reads as opposed to other, better (not just mine) work?
What IS it that you look for as a reader? What captures you?
Because, honestly, I'd like to know.
Please comment and tell me! (You can do it anonymously so I will never your super secret identity in case you're Batman or something).
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