Genre crossover

[I, Brian]

Originally Posted by John Jarrold

even SF and Fantasy are considered completely separate genres. Publishers will not be impressed by an author who writes three fantasy novels, then says 'Ok, I want to write SF now'.

This is really interesting to me - my own big writing project is split over a 6 novel Fantasy series, and 3 book SF series - with both series being cyclically connected.

I figure that means that if I wanted to continue in that vein, then ordinarily I'd be asked to use different pen names for each genre, even though they are the same world, often using the same characters, at different periods?

Or would I likely have to modify my definition of the applicable genres to get it to work?

I know there's not necessarily any hard answers here, but it's an interesting situation to explore.

[Paradox 99]

That's also interesting to me.
I've written an apocalyptic thriller and a sci-fi novel. Now I'm writing an epic fantasy and also a young adult fantasy. I'm zipping around the various genres, getting a feel for where I write best, but it seems that rather than showing a commitment to writing, this might be not be viewed as something attractive to an agent or publisher.

On that note, hello John, I've got a related question!

I've noticed that many publishers and agents ask in their submission guidlines for the writer to tell them a little bit about themselves.
Reading between the lines, I'm sure they're not really interested in my day job as a Clinical Trials Administrator - what they're really interested in is what makes me tick as a writer, how I would perform in the various stages of the publishing process. Is that right?
That said, and considering your earlier advice, would it be wise to specify what I've already been working on as a writer, or just provide minimal information and tell them I'm a first time writer?

Thanks.

[John Jarrold]

Brian

You'd have to write one or the other, to be honest - or make both series either SF or fantasy. No one is going to take an author on immediately under a pseudonym as well as their own name. They will want to see several books work well in one specifc genre before that has any chance whatsoever of being considered!


Paradox

They really want to know what makes you tick in general. What sort of stuff you like, what you do in your spare time, as well as your job. They won't worry about the publishing process info until they have taken an author on, becaase 99.99999999% of the writers who submit material to them will be turned down.

[John Jarrold]

Paradox

No, I'd suggest you don't send anything to a publisher or agent until you've settled on what you do best and what you enjoy doing - and it's really useful if they coincide!

[I, Brian]

Originally Posted by John Jarrold

No one is going to take an author on immediately under a pseudonym as well as their own name. They will want to see several books work well in one specifc genre before that has any chance whatsoever of being considered!

No problem - that would be absolutely fine by me, as I'd rather focus on one series and see what develops.

[John Jarrold]

Sounds right!

[Paradox 99]

Originally Posted by John Jarrold

When I took on Ken MacLeod's first novel, THE STAR FRACTION, at Random House, eleven years ago, I knew from halfway down the first page that he had it - a terrific writer. So much of publishing is the pricking of your thumbs!

I haven't read this book, so I don't know what kind of quality the writing has yet (or how much it has changed from your original reading of it).

I realise that sometimes it will be personal taste, but was it simply the quality of the writing style or the imagination portrayed by Ken in the opening piece that grabbed you? Or perhaps the depth of characterisation so early on, or obvious pointers to the fact that he's done his research? Perhaps a combo of those?
Can you put your finger on what it was that actually convinced you as you read it?

I guess all us aspiring writers here would love to capture whatever quality it is that lights that spark in an agent.

[John Jarrold]

And if I could answer that question, I'd be very, very rich! Which I'm not. It really can't be quantified.

I said earlier that it's the pricking of your thumbs - and other editors would certainly have turned the book down if I hadn't acquired it within a few days of its arrival in the post from Ken's agent. Basically, any editor worth their salt can tell a special writer in the first page - one who has the mixture of class, style, bravura and story-telling ability. They are just very obviously bloody wonderful writers! Some perfectly good writers will never have it. As an agent or a publisher, you grab it with both hands when you see it, because it's extremely uncommon.

[Wayne Blackhurst]

I looked over this review http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/nonfic...hitedevils.htm of ‘White Devils’ by Paul McAuley, by Stuart Carter. Apart from enforcing my desire to grab a copy at some point (it feels like a blend of ‘Congo’ and the pc’s ‘Far Cry’) I found this paragraph especially interesting:

White Devils sees Paul McAuley continue his move away from writing 'science fiction proper' towards the rich pastures of that strange new hybrid, the techno-thriller. Techno-thrillers usually have a fair amount of new technology in them (as opposed to Science) that somehow goes wrong; technology that is either lusted after by agents of evil or otherwise threatens the status quo. Whereas sf is more likely to embrace, enjoy and explore the changes the future brings, the techno-thriller is innately more conservative and secretly tends to want these changes to go away. Where sf stories can and have taken place over eons of time, the techno-thriller must remain within the bounds of a recognisable future. Any further than that and the world is generally too different for readers of the techno-thriller to want to deal with.

[John Jarrold]

I understand that Paul is now going to be writing more straight SF. In sales terms, the techno-thriller can hit a larger market than a straight SF novel, but it has to be done right. Greg Bear has also written in this area recently, but tells me he is also returning to SF now.