Mangled Manuscript Monday
I got the sad news today. My favorite genre, urban fantasy
is dead.
How can this be? I read and write nothing else. I didn’t
even know it was ailing.
But there it is for all to see. Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literary says editors and agents have reached the saturation point of UF submissions.
She recommends epic fantasy as next big-time seller.
Well yeah. If only I had one tucked away in my Word
docs I’d submit it…hm, there is the 5000 word Epic that I started three
years ago. It was background noise for the URBAN FANTASY I WROTE.
*shakes self* Pardon. I got lost in the rejection heap of ‘what
ifs’.
By the time I finish the Epic, maybe Urban will come back to
life.
Or then again, maybe I’ll change the genre to ‘Speculative
Fiction’ and call it new.
Hm.
I wonder what steampunk counts as..? Sigh!
ReplyDeleteWrite what you write. You don't know what will happen. Everything I read said science fiction was dead, but I wrote my story anyway. Don't give up hope.
ReplyDeleteI think maybe it's just a matter of coming up with a new spin. Maybe UF as it is now is coming close to saturation, but there is always room for something new and different, no matter what it's called. At least, that's what I believe - so I hope I'm not totally misguided. :)
ReplyDeleteI would not read too much into this one opinion. Ms Nelson does not speak for every Editor out there. Urban Fantasy will exist for as long as readers want to buy it and, as a maniac for all things UF, I LOVE it.
ReplyDeleteIs yours finished? I bet UF will have a resurgence just when you need it to.
ReplyDeleteit might be dead now but genres are like trolls, they regenerate after a time :)
ReplyDeleteThis is true! We just have to make a wish under a troll bridge. Or something... :) Yah. I tend to agree. Write what you love. The rest will follow!
Deletewhen i first started figuring out writing & was querying my chick lit, she said the same thing about that genre. who made her the queen of hearts? oh well. there are fads that come and go in writing too, i guess. and yours is different! no vampires!
ReplyDeleteCarol, I don't think your stories fall into their normal idea of UF. Don't give up and we will just figure out a new name for it. ;)
ReplyDeletePublishers and agents are idiots when it comes to actually understanding what readers want. Don't bother with the middle men. Just self publish and go directly to your readers, who are certainly out there.
ReplyDeleteyou are so right--just call it something else!
ReplyDelete