fwiw i dont think its readers who are gunshy, i think its publishing. for example: agents and editors for decades were saying, This needs tension, this needs conflict. and at the same exact time tens of thousands of people were reading coffeeshop fanfic where there isnt much tension or conflict. the guy who wrote The Art of Racing in the Rain was dumped by his agent because "no one wants to read a book from the POV of a dog." I'm willing to bet that the only reason we got to see that book (a massive bestseller) is because a different agent and editor guessed (correctly.) they assume what we want, and they often assume wrong, and they often assume "well they liked beefaroni, so lets give them more beefaroni" which isn't really innovative. I'm willing to guess that when we get to see my third book in print it will be HUGELY a function of whether or not it gets into the hands of an editor who has personally experienced some of the stuff in the book--that has nothing to do with the actual market. i wish i had better advice than keep on truckin, or perhaps consider if you could do something commercial that also addresses some of the things youd like it to.
Fuck them. We need to keep writing shit that knocks their teeth out and then laugh as they try to bite into their next sugar enriched, calorie free 700 page totem of bullshit. You’re on my team.
Great take, Jason. I do think there are creative workarounds, though. I’m working on a novel about a man who confronts the current moment by NOT confronting it — by deciding to ditch his digitized existence and live life going forward as it it were the 1970s. I feel like I’m getting to have it both ways.
I’m a 2x bestselling nonfiction author about to turn my hand towards my first novel- a vampire tale. Escapism for me personally as an author, yes- I am tired of writing about my life, & I want to play in the land of make believe for a bit. But even within something as far out as a vampire story, I cannot turn a blind eye towards the current societal nightmare we are enduring. Nina Simone said “An artist’s duty, as far as I am concerned, is to reflect the times”- I believe this is true, & many of the most lauded novelists in history have done just that. I am not a great novelist- hell, I don’t know if I am even a passable one. But I sure as hell will try to produce work that says SOMETHING of gravity. Keep writing!
My last two novels are crime novels, but in the "Beach Read" category. I live in a tourist area, so there is a lucrative market for localized genre fiction. Even though they are intended to appeal broadly, I do touch on the social aspects of living in a tourist destination. I will probably sell a lot of those books this summer. But this fall, I am going to write a very dark and bleak crime novel and I don't really care how well it sells. I need to get some things off my chest about our current world, so this will be cathartic. I do strongly believe that crime fiction should remain a haven for strong social criticism and deep dives into human pathology, so I'm glad you are sticking with it.
This article sums up a lot of what's going on in the market right now. Well done. Thanks for writing and posting this. J. Todd Scott is right—just keep writing what you were meant to write. When it finds its audience, they'll have your best work.
Or, do the next Harry Potter ... just as long as you post photos of you at your desk wearing an invisibility cloak and holding a pint of butter beer. We know you already have the magic wands lying around from your personal collection.
An interesting take, and again, I think speaks to the intersection of art and commerce. But all you can do is write what you want to write, what you want to read, and keep your fingers crossed it finds an audience…
Thanks for this, Jason! My next book (due out in Jan 2026), called WHAT BOYS LEARN is about a mother worrying her teen boy committed a crime against two girls, and the novel's subtext involves cultural conversation about what's happening in our culture re: men and boys. As I was finishing it, even I started to worry. WHO WANTS TO READ THIS DARK STUFF? WHY DID I SPEND SEVERAL YEARS ON THIS? I had already handed it in when ADOLESCENCE came out. So it goes to show. Editors might be saying one thing and audiences another. We hope!
fwiw i dont think its readers who are gunshy, i think its publishing. for example: agents and editors for decades were saying, This needs tension, this needs conflict. and at the same exact time tens of thousands of people were reading coffeeshop fanfic where there isnt much tension or conflict. the guy who wrote The Art of Racing in the Rain was dumped by his agent because "no one wants to read a book from the POV of a dog." I'm willing to bet that the only reason we got to see that book (a massive bestseller) is because a different agent and editor guessed (correctly.) they assume what we want, and they often assume wrong, and they often assume "well they liked beefaroni, so lets give them more beefaroni" which isn't really innovative. I'm willing to guess that when we get to see my third book in print it will be HUGELY a function of whether or not it gets into the hands of an editor who has personally experienced some of the stuff in the book--that has nothing to do with the actual market. i wish i had better advice than keep on truckin, or perhaps consider if you could do something commercial that also addresses some of the things youd like it to.
I’d agree with you, only I haven’t landed a debut yet and didn’t want to anger the Publishing Gods so directly. 😉
Fuck them. We need to keep writing shit that knocks their teeth out and then laugh as they try to bite into their next sugar enriched, calorie free 700 page totem of bullshit. You’re on my team.
The article below I wrote about exactly this.
https://open.substack.com/pub/killyourreaders/p/they-dont-want-delillo-they-want?r=4jealx&utm_medium=ios
I hope there’s room for all kinds of stories, Eric.
Great take, Jason. I do think there are creative workarounds, though. I’m working on a novel about a man who confronts the current moment by NOT confronting it — by deciding to ditch his digitized existence and live life going forward as it it were the 1970s. I feel like I’m getting to have it both ways.
I can’t wait to your yours, Jim. I dug the pitch when you first told me it.
I’m a 2x bestselling nonfiction author about to turn my hand towards my first novel- a vampire tale. Escapism for me personally as an author, yes- I am tired of writing about my life, & I want to play in the land of make believe for a bit. But even within something as far out as a vampire story, I cannot turn a blind eye towards the current societal nightmare we are enduring. Nina Simone said “An artist’s duty, as far as I am concerned, is to reflect the times”- I believe this is true, & many of the most lauded novelists in history have done just that. I am not a great novelist- hell, I don’t know if I am even a passable one. But I sure as hell will try to produce work that says SOMETHING of gravity. Keep writing!
That’s kinda my feeling, too. Best of luck with yours.
My last two novels are crime novels, but in the "Beach Read" category. I live in a tourist area, so there is a lucrative market for localized genre fiction. Even though they are intended to appeal broadly, I do touch on the social aspects of living in a tourist destination. I will probably sell a lot of those books this summer. But this fall, I am going to write a very dark and bleak crime novel and I don't really care how well it sells. I need to get some things off my chest about our current world, so this will be cathartic. I do strongly believe that crime fiction should remain a haven for strong social criticism and deep dives into human pathology, so I'm glad you are sticking with it.
This article sums up a lot of what's going on in the market right now. Well done. Thanks for writing and posting this. J. Todd Scott is right—just keep writing what you were meant to write. When it finds its audience, they'll have your best work.
Or, do the next Harry Potter ... just as long as you post photos of you at your desk wearing an invisibility cloak and holding a pint of butter beer. We know you already have the magic wands lying around from your personal collection.
An interesting take, and again, I think speaks to the intersection of art and commerce. But all you can do is write what you want to write, what you want to read, and keep your fingers crossed it finds an audience…
That’s how I feel. I think. 😉
Thanks for this, Jason! My next book (due out in Jan 2026), called WHAT BOYS LEARN is about a mother worrying her teen boy committed a crime against two girls, and the novel's subtext involves cultural conversation about what's happening in our culture re: men and boys. As I was finishing it, even I started to worry. WHO WANTS TO READ THIS DARK STUFF? WHY DID I SPEND SEVERAL YEARS ON THIS? I had already handed it in when ADOLESCENCE came out. So it goes to show. Editors might be saying one thing and audiences another. We hope!
Hi Jason, thanks for this. Very relatable! Give me the serious book! I haven’t quite pictured myself as bond on that seatless chair, yet, but…
Your first novel sounds fascinating. Is it out there, anywhere?