Writing both SF and Fantasy - how to approach publishers.

[Montero]

Hi
Been lurking here a while and think this is a great site. Just got around to registering, because, guess what, I have a question

I've written both SF and Fantasy, not published, not approached publishers in a while due to pressures of day job. Anyway, a few years ago I was told that I should really make up my mind to be either an SF writer or a Fantasy writer and that to submit in both genres to a publisher would make it even more unlikely that I would be published, as it would cause "brand confusion" and make me harder to market.

Any comments anyone?

Also, if the answer to the above is "yes", what is the length of a publisher's memory (ok bit of a length of a piece of string) or more to the point, what sort of records are kept? As in this year I submit an SF, next year I submit a Fantasy to the same publisher - would anyone notice? Do publishers keep a data bank of their rejections and do they search it?

[Meadowhawk]

I'll defer to those more familiar with big house publishing, but my two cents would be 1) I wouldn't simultaneously submit more than one work to a specific publisher, and 2) I wouldn't think it would hurt to follow a rejection of one mss with another (even better) mss in another genre. What I think you may find is, once you have a novel placed with a uber publishing house, they will want you to keep doing the same thing (genre) over and over for them. Especially if you were wildly successful with your first novel.

[Havlen]

I'm not sure why anyone would tell you that submitting to multiple genres would create brand confusion. If you haven't been published, you aren't a brand. Your goal: to put yourself into a position where brand confusion would be something you might think about!

An editor isn't going to be cross-checking where a manuscript has been submitted or what other submissions have been made by a potential author. Either they are interested in the manuscript and think it will sell, or they aren't interested or don't think it will sell. Beyond that, I wouldn't worry about it.

Once you get published, you might need to give it some thought. But there are plenty of authors who do Science Fiction and Fantasy books.

Add to this the fact that you don't need to use your real name and can always published a different genre under a different name and I think the whole idea of being told that it can hurt you in any way can be safely filed under 'hogwash'.

[Teresa Edgerton]

Originally Posted by Montero

Also, if the answer to the above is "yes", what is the length of a publisher's memory (ok bit of a length of a piece of string) or more to the point, what sort of records are kept? As in this year I submit an SF, next year I submit a Fantasy to the same publisher - would anyone notice? Do publishers keep a data bank of their rejections and do they search it?

No, no, you don't have to worry about any of that. It's just that when you are writing a query letter -- or a cover letter for a synopsis and sample chapters -- when you come to the part where you might otherwise mention what else you are currently working on (or other completed manuscripts that you have to offer) in order to show that you aren't going to be a one-novel wonder, you're better off not mentioning anything that isn't in the exact same genre.

And if your book is accepted and published, don't expect your publisher to jump at the chance to publish your next book if it isn't in a similar vein -- even if they are already publishing older, well-established authors who have been making the switch back-and-forth all along. If your book sells well enough that they're ready to offer you another contract, they'll want more of the same, until and unless you have enough fans (which would be a very great many) that your name alone would be a selling point, or the market undergoes a radical change.

Although ... if an agent or an editor were sufficiently impressed to say that they like your writing even though the current manuscript isn't exactly what they are looking for, and they would love to see something else -- then the question of whether to send SF when they liked your Fantasy, or Fantasy when they liked your SF, might be a little more complicated. If that situation were to come up, I'd suggest that you ask John Jarrold what your best course would be.

But for now, write what you like, submit what you finish, only mention one genre per submission, and brand-name confusion shouldn't come into it at all.

[Troo]

I'd ask this one in the "Personal Questions to John Jarrold" thread, Montero. John's an active agent and has his finger on the pulse of the UK genre markets. He can tell you what's what in the here and now

[Montero]

Thanks everyone, much appreciated.

Yes, when I was told about "brand confusion" I thought 'what about pseudonyms?'.

I've now added the question to "Questions to John Jarrold" modifying it a bit in light of all your answers.

[John Jarrold]

Originally Posted by Montero

Thanks everyone, much appreciated.

Yes, when I was told about "brand confusion" I thought 'what about pseudonyms?'.

I've now added the question to "Questions to John Jarrold" modifying it a bit in light of all your answers.

Although you should be aware that no publisher will be in the least interested in publishing you under a pseudonym until you've had a number of very successful novels published under your own name, and it's obvious that you can write two books a year to the same very high standard and in equally commercial areas.