Commercial Fiction?

"Commercial" fiction has always bothered me as a class. Isn't all published fiction hoping to be commercial (except for stuff put out free on the web)?

I think it's a distinction from "literary fiction" which has a much more conservative notion of what makes marketability.

I think that makes three big classes.

1)Literary fiction which is best going to sell thousands

2) Commercial fiction which is hoped to sell even hundreds of thousands

3) Genre fiction which sells . . . . I guess it depends upon the genre.

Literary fiction tends to be more ponderous perhaps to the average reader.

Commercial fiction might be bought by anyone even if they prefer other kinds.

Genre fiction which tends to be bought by people who MOSTLY buy that genre and do not necessarily look at other sections of the book store.

Regards,
Scott

"Commercial fiction" is an umbrella term that includes genres and mainstreams for mass market consumption. It's to distinguish from "literary" fiction.

commercial

It means they want novels that stand a chance of showing up on the New York Times Bestseller list.

I can't define commercial fiction, but I know what it is and what it isn't. Michael Crighton and John Grisham are commercial fiction. Annie Proulx and Toni Morrison are literary fiction.

Everyone will probably offer a different definition, but for an agent--as distinct from a reviewer or a reader--I think it means fiction that appeals to broad popular taste, but doesn't fit a genre definition and can't be pigeonholed as literary.

- Victoria