Are Agents/Publishers Sick Of Vampire Novels?

Darren Frey · Apr 9, 2011

If this is in the wrong place please forgive me.

I was just wondering what people's opinions are on this matter. You have great books like the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice which are exceptionally well written and then you have the Twilight series which seems to have tarnished the name of vampire novels. I am by no means trying to slam anyone's work. I just think vampire novels are not what they used to be. I would love to know what others think about this matter.

thothguard51 · Apr 9, 2011

I know I am...

scarletpeaches · Apr 9, 2011

I've just sold one, so obviously not.

fourlittlebees · Apr 9, 2011

You may be able to sell them in horror. Commercial and YA fiction it's next to impossible... in addition to Twilight, you have Blue Bloods, Marked, Vampire Diaries, Vladimir Tod... and that's just what I can rattle off the top of my head. There are more.

Darren Frey · Apr 9, 2011

My novel is way too graphic to be young adult in terms of violent acts and such. I guess I was just a bit worried throughout the writing process that no one would want to read it since vampires stories are so common nowadays. Thanks for the input though. I really appreciate it.

Parametric · Apr 9, 2011

Morningrise said:
My novel is way too graphic to be young adult in terms of violent acts and such.

If you read YA novels, you might have come across the smash-hit THE HUNGER GAMES, in which the teenage protagonist mercy-kills a teenager so horrifically injured as to be described as a "raw hunk of meat". Is your novel really more graphic than that? Is that even possible?

Darren Frey · Apr 9, 2011

my novel has a part where the main charecter rips the heart from a man's chest and then a female vampire is caught eating an infant boy so yeah it is pretty grahpic.

thothguard51 · Apr 9, 2011

I'm old school

Vampires suck blood, they don't eat the flesh.

Zombies and Werewolves eat the flesh...

Darren Frey · Apr 9, 2011

There is a reason this happens. The vampire dies and is ressurected and while she is dead she is visited by Lilith, the mother of vampires who tells her to kill and eat children as she did in biblical times. Pretty cool huh?

Xiri · Apr 9, 2011

thothguard51 said:
I'm old school

Vampires suck blood, they don't eat the flesh.

Zombies and Werewolves eat the flesh...

Unless you mean something like Rakshasa, who are more like demons or shapeshfiters anyway...

Be well,
Xiri

thothguard51 · Apr 9, 2011

Morningrise said:
There is a reason this happens. The vampire dies and is ressurected and while she is dead she is visited by Lilith, the mother of vampires who tells her to kill and eat children as she did in biblical times. Pretty cool huh?

Depends on which version of Lilith you are referring to.

The first version of genesis where Adams first wife was supposed to be Lilith?

Or the version where she is a succubus that gives men wet dreams? (This is more in line with her daughters though than Lilith.)

Or perhaps the version where she is a demon who searches the night for new born children to steal, or strangle? (I don't recall anything about her eating them though in this version.)

There are many versions of Lilith, and most consider her to be a Judaic demoness.

Today, Lilith represents women suffrage.

Darren Frey · Apr 9, 2011

in my story she is taken from a few aspects. She roams the night searching for children and pregnant wpmen to kill. She would sometimes consume the children. She marries the son of her previous husband, being Cain. She is cursed to where her children are destined to roam the earth feasting only on blood. It is a warped version of her but I guess I took a bit from all 3 of your explanations. I have read quite a few peices of vampire mythology with information about her in it.

holodog · Apr 10, 2011

Aren't most vampire stories these days not even horror?

Yours definitely sounds like horror. I've never read Twilight or Anne Rice but they seem more like romance to me, where the male interest happens to be a vampire.

Darren Frey · Apr 10, 2011

the way it starts out the male charecter is not a vampire yet. He later becomes one. Yes it is because he is in love with a female vampire, but mainly the story deals with revenge and being on the run from vampire hunters. It is not the average vampire novel.

Torgo · Apr 10, 2011

I would like to see a Twilight/Joe Pitt crossover.

Darren Frey · Apr 10, 2011

one of my favorite parts of the book is when one of my charecters, Xavier says that society tells us that a vampire is a cool thing to be and there is nothing cool about being a vampire and living eternal damnation. In a way I guess it is kinda poking fun at these people who go gaga over vanpires. My vampires are to be feared not fantasized over.

Rhoda Nightingale · Apr 10, 2011

*points out user title*

I for one will NEVER get sick of vampires. I know, I know, never say "never," but I actually went on a movie marathon last year and tried to OD and I still love them to bits.

They might sink out of the public eye for a while, but they ain't going anywhere. Those of us who loved vampires before Twilight will continue to love them afterwards. And that goes for agents and publishers too.

*waits for Kitty to back me up*

Darren Frey · Apr 10, 2011

Thanks for the kind words.

Just for those wondering, the 1st chapter of my book is posted in the horror section of SYW if youd like to see it.

Feidb · Apr 11, 2011

I don't know if they are, but I sure am. Then again, it is a genre all in itself so it should have it's own category just like everything else. It certainly shouldn't be classified as horror. Bloody romance maybe. I've seen too many series I used to like ruined by vampires such as the sci-fi series Area 51. Now I think the TV show Sanctuary is leaning that way. Aaagh!

fireluxlou · Apr 11, 2011

Write what you love, people will still read it after the current craze dies. I write what I like which is medieval historical, hunters, vampire, Grim Reapers, werewolf, fairies, young adult. It'd be silly if I stopped writing it because of other people didn't love it anymore. I don't think you should stop just because the market is saturated at the minute.

Darren Frey · Apr 11, 2011

I didnt know where to ask this so I figured I would just ask it here.

I got an email from Samhain Publishing today. I specificly submitted it to their horror section. They said they didnt know if it was horror or romance so they wanted me to resubmit it and clarify in my query what genre it is. They also requested a synopsis and the entire manuscript so they could send it to the appropriate editor. At this stage what does this mean?

fireluxlou · Apr 11, 2011

Morningrise said:
I didnt know where to ask this so I figured I would just ask it here.

I got an email from Samhain Publishing today. I specificly submitted it to their horror section. They said they didnt know if it was horror or romance so they wanted me to resubmit it and clarify in my query what genre it is. They also requested a synopsis and the entire manuscript so they could send it to the appropriate editor. At this stage what does this mean?

That sounds very promising! Do it. You never what will happen. It sounds like they are eager for your work

.

Jcomp · Apr 11, 2011

If there's still cash in the cow, publishers will continue to milk it. So I'd wager that the answer at present is "no."

When you look at the modern history of vampire fiction, there haven't really been any huge lulls in popularity. It's been fairly consistent. Through books, film and television, there really isn't a significant period of time where vampires haven't been profitable in one form or another

Jess Haines · Apr 11, 2011

Vampires aren't dead (hur hur hurrr), just a hard sell.

Darren Frey · Apr 13, 2011

I got a response the other day after sending my manuscript and synopsis to Samhain. They said something along the lines of "Excellent! We will get this to the editor right away." Does this mean I have a good chance here or just the usual chance everyone else has?

Are Agents/Publishers Sick Of Vampire Novels?

Darren Frey

thothguard51

A Gentleman of a refined age...

scarletpeaches

fourlittlebees

chief sitter on people

Darren Frey

Parametric

Darren Frey

thothguard51

A Gentleman of a refined age...

Darren Frey

Xiri

thothguard51

A Gentleman of a refined age...

Darren Frey

holodog

Wut.

Darren Frey

Torgo

Formerly Phantom of Krankor.

Darren Frey

Rhoda Nightingale

Vampire Junkie

Darren Frey

Feidb

Been Here A While

fireluxlou

Darren Frey

fireluxlou

Jcomp

Jess Haines

Boldly going nowhere in particular.

Darren Frey