how well your genre is selling?

Mayusan · Feb 27, 2009

I was curious if there is somewhere you can go to see how well a specific genre is selling.

for example...

what if you wanted to look at how much $$ book on interior designing did in 2008, or what petbooks made from 2008 till today

To see how well your genre is doing in this economy, and possibly to research a good pitch to add to the proposal to say, "Hey, I've told you how my book stands out, now let me show you proof this book is going to sell. Take a look at how much Genre A made in 2008."

seun · Feb 28, 2009

I don't know of a way of finding exact figures but a good start might be to look in a bookshop or library. See what they've got in obvious selling places - front of shop/building, stuff at immediate eye level - or just ask them. Going by the stuff I get at work (which is a library), popular genres are misery memoirs, crime, chick lit, Godawful celeb autobios and fantasy.

Puma · Feb 28, 2009

That's really discouraging, seun (even though I knew it was the case). From what I understand in fiction the hottest genre is mystery.

Mayusan - You might look at Book production statistics put out by Bowker. I found some of those by Googling. Puma

seun · Feb 28, 2009

Puma said:
That's really discouraging, seun (even though I knew it was the case)

Bear in mind that might only be representative of the UK or maybe just a small part of it. Globally, it could be a lot different.

Saskatoonistan · Feb 28, 2009

I'd say the most consistent hot seller since Christ was a cowboy would be romance.

swvaughn · Feb 28, 2009

Saskatoonistan said:
I'd say the most consistent hot seller since Christ was a cowboy would be romance.

I'd agree with this. Romance readers are a voracious lot.

In fact, I'm sure I've seen statistics stating that romance outsells all other fiction. Just can't remember where . . .

However. Apropos of nothing, I once foolishly believed that romance was "easy" to write, and therefore "the best genre to break into publishing with". It's not easy. I salute you, romance writers, for being way better than me.

Mayusan · Feb 28, 2009

lol thanks all.

My genre is pets and animals, and I know there was an upswing thanks to books like "Dewey", "Marley and Me" and "Rescued pets and the lives they've changed"

I was hoping to find more of a percentage or average sales cost for the entire genre to add to my proposal to show it's profitable to take on the project. That's been the biggest thing my agent has found are publishers that are hemming and hawing because of the economy... and if the genre itself is profitable in this economy.

CheshireCat · Feb 28, 2009

Mayusan said:
lol thanks all.

My genre is pets and animals, and I know there was an upswing thanks to books like "Dewey", "Marley and Me" and "Rescued pets and the lives they've changed"

I was hoping to find more of a percentage or average sales cost for the entire genre to add to my proposal to show it's profitable to take on the project. That's been the biggest thing my agent has found are publishers that are hemming and hawing because of the economy... and if the genre itself is profitable in this economy.

Thing is, any agent can find out with a couple of phone calls what "sort" of book is selling according to the publishers, and if the publishers are "hemming and hawing" then it's because they don't like the numbers they're seeing.

Which is pretty much true of every genre now. Even if you were able to point to lots of successes in your genre, the current economy means nobody has a lot of faith that what sold yesterday or last month or last year will be selling months or a year from now.

Publishers are leaning on proven "names" because those writers have established audiences who will -- if they spend money on books at all -- buy what they believe they can trust.

I feel sorry for those of you trying to break in right now, I really do. Because publishers are in the same panic that most other businesses are in. And even those of us with proven track records are being asked to take less upfront, or sign contracts with fewer books --- anything to minimize the pub's outlay of cash.

Robin Bayne · Feb 28, 2009

Romance is indeed doing well.

DMarie84 · Feb 28, 2009

I'd say romance is the top genre followed by fantasy and sci-fi. But then I'm just basing this on the size of the sections at bookstores.

blacbird · Feb 28, 2009

Puma said:
From what I understand in fiction the hottest genre is mystery.

Not. It's almost certainly Romance. Has been for quite a while.

caw

rugcat · Feb 28, 2009

Urban fantasy (as opposed to traditional or epic fantasy) is doing quite well. But the uf numbers are skewed a bit, because a lot of books termed uf are really paranormal romance, or at least uf with a romantic element that is at least as important as the fantasy element.

Saskatoonistan · Mar 1, 2009

Anna over at genrereviews has a great blog posting from yesterday containing a couple of links pointing to what is and what isn't selling. The skinny? Romance, sci-fi and fantasy sales are up. Traditional booksellers aren't doing so well and eBooks are showing huge growth. I also agree with her assertion that...

"while romance, sci-fi, and fantasy are often sneered at by book snobs and considered the trashy stepchild of literature, these numbers say to me some very interesting things. Like how we're still reading. Because, dude, it looks like nobody else is."

Here, here.

Soccer Mom · Mar 1, 2009

Yup, Romance is the backbone of the publishing industry. Its readers are many and they are voracious. Harlequin is still reporting growth and profits.

I see in the articles that the movies which are doing well are also feel-good movies with happy endings. I think that says a lot about where we are now. In hard times people want to feel better and Romance guarantees a Happily Ever After.

Saskatoonistan · Mar 1, 2009

Soccer Mom said:
Yup, Romance is the backbone of the publishing industry. Its readers are many and they are voracious. Harlequin is still reporting growth and profits.

I see in the articles that the movies which are doing well are also feel-good movies with happy endings. I think that says a lot about where we are now. In hard times people want to feel better and Romance guarantees a Happily Ever After.

That or we're kinky as hell because there's a whack of freaky deeky kinky romance stuff out there now.

how well your genre is selling?

Mayusan

seun

Horror Man

Puma

Retired and loving it!

seun

Horror Man

Saskatoonistan

Still the wrong side of Saskatoon

swvaughn

adrift

Mayusan

CheshireCat

Mostly purring. Mostly.

Robin Bayne

~writes for Him~

DMarie84

I wish I had a time machine

blacbird

rugcat

Lost in the Fog

Saskatoonistan

Still the wrong side of Saskatoon

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

Saskatoonistan

Still the wrong side of Saskatoon