So, is your novel Literary? Commercial? Upmarket? Book Club?

Whenever I submit one of the six novels that I recently rewrote in trusting the process to an agent, I’m often asked, via online, what is the category?  This in not so much about genre (romance, horror, sci-fi), but about marketability.  Is it Literary?  Commercial?  Upmarket?  How about Book Club?  Well, that depends (and depends on which book)… One day I’d say, literary, then the next time I’d lean more toward commercial, or I’d think (wishful thinking, perhaps) maybe it’s upmarket… 

I used to know, but a lot has changed in the marketplace in the last ten to twenty years.  Even within Malaysia/Singapore.  Suddenly, I’m not so sure of today’s distinctions between literary, commercial, upmarket, book club.  Some seem to overlap.

To re-educate myself I did some digging and found this informative article by Louise Tondeur of Jerico Writers:  “Upmarket Fiction: Everything You Need To Know.”  She did a great job defining what upmarket means (comparing it to literary and commercial); gives some examples, and shows how to achieve that in your own writing, and offers tips.  Her other links seem useful, too.

The next time someone (an agent, a friend) asks about the book you’re working on (not just the genre or the plot, but its market), you’ll feel more confident in your answer.  If in doubt, get educated!  Education is ongoing no matter how long you’ve been writing or how many books you’ve written.  Markets change, so does the marketability of your book.  In fact, might be a good idea to think about your market before you write your next book.  Ask yourself:  Who am I writing this book for?  Who do I see reading it?  If it’s just you (and others like you) or for someone special—great, start there.  Later, you can add readers along the way…

            —Borneo Expat Writer