Genre as a Marketing Aspect

This was originally posted on Incandescent Books in August 2011 (blog is now defunct).

I've pasted the guest post here for now :)

=====

Genre as a Marketing Aspect, by Jess C Scott

Jess C Scott, author of Primal Scream and EyeLeash: A Blog Novel

Independent publishing offers tremendous opportunities to writers everywhere. The indie publishing model is speedy and efficient, and allows a writer to have full creative and business control.

I decided to self-publish my debut book (EyeLeash: A Blog Novel) in June 2009. I published my first erotic anthology in August 2009. Both these books (and many of my subsequent novellas/novels) aren’t exactly “commercially categorizable.” They don’t fall neatly into a specific category. These types of books can be problematic for mainstream publishers, who have certain expectations with regards to the business of commercial genre fiction.

I’ve always liked concentrating on giving readers/customers a good story (I usually aim to present a combination of style and substance; to produce something that’s entertaining yet meaningful). I’m less interested in plugging into a hot genre that’s popular today but that could possibly fade away tomorrow. I’m interested in sharing my thoughts and feelings via the written word, and always improving on my craft to be the best storyteller I can be (with both mainstream and alternative work).

Genre and the category are labels I think of when doing marketing/promotion, and/or if I need to keep certain themes of a specific genre in mind (like the rigidly divided social order which features in the ‘cyberpunk’ genre, for instance).

Keeping “the genre” in mind can be limiting, which is the last thing I want to impose upon myself as a writer. Commercially, I’m aware this means I may initially lose out, since I don’t like following fads and trends (which the mainstream publishers -- and mainstream audiences -- demand).
And while I’m not entirely closed off to the possibility of being traditionally published one day, I’ve never intended to keep all my novels in the dark because they couldn’t be neatly labeled.

Maybe one day I’ll write something which does fit neatly into a specific genre, but it won’t be at the expense of my multiple-genre-crossing alternative work, which is the department where I frequently challenge myself to improve both spiritually/artistically, and professionally.

Writing is a craft to me, and I’ve always maintained a strong commitment to quality. This applies to both my alternative (mostly erotic) and mainstream (mostly urban fantasy) projects. No matter what genre label I decide to ultimate place on any project, I always keep in mind the (slightly paraphrased) words of Jeffrey Gitomer (the #1 sales authority in the U.S.):

“Offer value, if not, all that’s left is price/genre/the marketing aspect.”

---------------

LINKS:

Website: http://www.jesscscott.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jesscscott
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jessINKbooks

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jess C Scott is a contemporary writer working in a diverse range of genres, such as experimental fiction, erotic fiction, new media, young adult fiction, poetry, urban fantasy, and cyberpunk.

As a creative professional, Jess experiments with a variety of genres and styles to produce original work which stands out from “the same old re-packaged mass-market pulp (Bibrary.com).” Her erotic writing focuses on psychosexual themes (not porn) and love/emotions (not fluffy formulaic romance).

Jess has always aligned her business goals with her personal values.

She continues to identify herself as an author/artist/non-conformist.

E: missfey@gmail.com | www.jessINK.com

* * *

Alternative versus Mainstream Writing

I set the prices of this anthology a little bit higher than most independently published books, partly to reduce the impulse buying tendency, and partly because I don't want to undervalue my work (I usually charge by quality/value offered -- never by the word count alone).

I've made the shift towards labeling my work as "contemporary fiction (with erotic elements)" since early 2011 (since Amazon banned some of my ince$t-themed short stories in December 2010). It took me a long while to realize that most modern "erotica" is associated with "explicitness" -- it's mostly pornographic, in other words.

I think moving away from that label allows me to better locate and reach out to the right target audience(s). I know smut novels/stories sell very, very well ("sex sells" and there'll always be a market for porn), but it's just something I've not really been spiritually/artistically/professionally inclined to do. I just need to do something more meaningful (it's personal, but how I make money and the type of work I do are important to me). If making a lot of money was my #1 aim, I'd have aimed to have been a porn-star instead, right from the start (lol).

I dabbled with writing/publishing stories in various different genres from 2009-2010 (while completing my bachelor's degree). If I had to narrow it down to two specific categories, I'd narrow it down to the following two (at the moment):

1) alternative / erotic fiction
2) mainstream / urban fantasy

I guess what appeals to me the most is the "fantasy" element (spoken just like a Pisces Moon!). I know that mainstream audiences DO want material that's not too "unfamiliar" (and therefore uncomfortable), but at the same time, I believe that it doesn't have to come at the complete expense of the creator's/writer's unique touch and vision.

I guess this is something I've been struggling with (off and on) since I was sixteen (I'll turn 25 later this year).

I'm at a point right now where I'm better able to balance the artistic/creative aspects of writing with the business aspects of publishing.

I'll be expanding my "mainstream / urban fantasy" department over 2012, and I'm not sure if one department will outsell the other in future (right now they're about equal, in terms of rate/ratio).

But I enjoy writing hard-to-categorize, original/alternative material, because that's the area where I frequently challenge myself to be a better writer/artist. The feeling of stagnation really irks me, because the feeling of commoditization sets in along with that sense of stagnation, and as an artist, that is something I never want to truly become.

I've seen several people get very defensive/rude/outspoken when there's talk of this "artistic" vision (or anything of an artistic nature). These individuals can be very vocal about how financial security is more important than satisfying an inner muse, so on and so forth. That's not entirely untrue, but perhaps different people have different goals with the written word.

As someone who's spent a long time been passionate about and dedicated to improving their craft, I continue to maintain a sense of commitment to quality with the work I do (whether it's mainstream or alternative writing).

Good stories/books/products are remembered, and stand the test of time.

That's what I want my work to be in future, even if it means a slower, less glamorous/loud beginning.

I've stopped relying on Amazon rankings and ratings, because I've seen how quickly and easily those dynamics can change according to the retailer's whims and fancies. This means I'm literally getting ahead a lot slower than I could be (if I wanted several neatly-categorized projects to always be highly ranked and "very visible"), but I think the jessINK brand will be able to organically evolve based on the strength and value of the products/books themselves (and the customer/reader testimonials to back them up, many of which are unsolicited).

I have a couple of "financial targets" to hit over the next two years. I'll do my very best to make sure I succeed (since writing is both a passion and purpose to me). And I'll continue to provide as much value to the reader/customer as I can, with both my mainstream and alternative projects.

"Rome wasn't built in a day" = a quote I appreciate more, the more mature, focused, and emotionally stable I get ^^.

Synopsis, Primal Scream

Primal Scream is quite a tricky anthology to summarize, so I decided to upload the eBook files and get all the compilations + product links sorted out first (then write out a proper summary for the collections later).

As of 12 August 2011, this is the summary/synopsis on the product pages of Primal Scream:

PRIMAL SCREAM ANTHOLOGY

SUMMARY: jessINK is pleased to present the second (huge) erotic anthology by author/artist/non-conformist, Jess C Scott.

Stories include taboo-themed material, factual fiction, and non-pornographic BDSM stories.

GENRE: Contemporary / Erotic Fiction (the focus is on psychosexual themes, not explicit graphic scenes).

LENGTH: 13 short stories + novelettes | 150,000 words

(followed by a table of contents of the 13 short story titles, and accompanying theme/s)

As of 13 August 2011 (time of this posting), I've decided to leave the synopsis as it is. I kind of like the non-gimmicky and to-the-point description of the advertising copy. It's pretty different from the synopsis for 4:Play (my first erotic anthology, published back in August 2009), but I think I'll try something different this time (since there are quite a few excerpts and reviews on the ever-evolving main jessINK website).

With the above synopsis, the two key phrases and/or key words that stand out (to me) were/are:

1) "non-pornographic BDSM"
2) "psychosexual"

If those can pique the interest of readers/customers, I think the synopsis is doing its job (which means I'm going to leave it as it is ;) -- though I'll certainly update this post if/when I change my mind!).

Related Books / Textbooks

I recently received a friend request on Facebook, followed by an email sent out by the individual (first screenshot below, with the subject title, "Text books on the subject").

I'm not sure how Google's algorithms work (with regards to recommending "similar books"), but it was nice to see Wicked Lovely and Incestiable listed alongside the works of Anaïs Nin and Marquis de Sade (second screenshot below)!



1) "Text books on the subject"



2) "Similar Books"

I first read Anaïs Nin when I was sixteen. I thought Delta of Venus and Little Birds contained the most fantastic erotic short stories.

I'm glad I read her work at the time, because I think it truly "opened my mind/heart" and broadened my perspectives on the erotic life [both writing about it, and living it ;)].