What’s selling to publishers these days? I subscribe to a
newsletter called Publisher’s Lunch Deluxe that reveals many of the recent
deals. My impression is that in fiction there is an increasing emphasis on the
spiritual. Two examples:
“Jennifer Hudson Taylor's PROMISED BLESSINGS, in which two people must learn to trust each other and forgive, while bridging the hate between their clans into a peaceful settlement, but first they must discover the traitorous murderer in their midst and allow God to stretch their faith.”
“Tammy Kling and John Spencer Ellis's THE COMPASS, an inspirational novel, with a companion film on the way next year, about a disconsolate man's journey into the wild, a metaphor for the journey of life in which specific people and circumstances lead you towards your destiny.”
This theme is also reflected in some of the non-fiction titles, including:
“THE JOURNEY--author and concentration camp survivor H.G. Adler's semi-autobiographical novel PANORAMA, translated by Peter Filkins, the story of one of the last of the Prague German-speaking Jews, raised and educated in Prague, who survives the camps and the destruction of his community, and finds spiritual rebirth in England.”
I never suggest trying to catch a trend, but if you already have a book or book idea with a spiritual or inspirational aspect, these tough times may make it more welcome.
By the way, you want to subscribe to the leaner free version of the Publisher's Lunch newsletter, or pay for the full version, go to www.publishersmarketplace to sign up.
(There's lots of useful information on writing and marketing your work in my book, YOUR WRITING COACH, published by Nicholas Brealey and available from the usual online retailers and from especially discerning book shops. There's more information on the site: www.yourwritingcoach.com.)
