Chick-lit vs Women's Fiction

MsGneiss · Jul 7, 2009

Sorry if this brings up already covered ground. I would love for somebody to explain to me the distinction between "chick lit" and "women's fiction" particularly, as it concerns agents. I notice that some agents list one or the other as their genre of choice, and am extremely curious about what classifies a novel as either.

Thanks!

scarletpeaches · Jul 7, 2009

Chick lit usually focuses on a woman who is desperate for a boyfriend or another pair of shoes, relying heavily on coincidence as a plot device, cliched characters (in particular a gay best friend) and falling in love with her boss.

/sarcasm off.

No, really. Single women in the city, 20s-30s, shoes, shopping and sex. With neon covers.

veinglory · Jul 7, 2009

Chick lit is less serious in tone, typically the women are younger, urban, personally ambitious and fashion-forward. Women's fiction is serious, typically the woman are older, from any area and the focus is on their emotional wellbeing and development and that of their friends and family members.

Kris · Jul 7, 2009

I think it's just a marketing thing (I know I always say that) but I think chick lit has "light" connotations and also has a little bit of the stigma of being trendy a few years ago.

htrent · Jul 7, 2009

That's where the labeling bothers me. When I think of Women's Fiction I think of Nora Roberts and Jodi Picoult. Chick lit is like Candace Bushnell, Lauren Weisberger, et al.

What I write is somewhere in between the two. Decidedly commercial voice, slightly off-kilter/snarky characters; but not based in an urban setting, and not "trendy." Usually when I have to just pick one little box, I'll tick "chick lit," but I think my work gets buried immediately in the "can't sell - market too saturated" trough because of that.

I'm at the point now that when I query it I'm not even going to attach a sub-genre other than "commercial." I'll let the agent work that out!

Lainey Bancroft · Jul 7, 2009

tpridgen said:
That's where the labeling bothers me. When I think of Women's Fiction I think of Nora Roberts and Jodi Picoult. Chick lit is like Candace Bushnell, Lauren Weisberger, et al.

What I write is somewhere in between the two. Decidedly commercial voice, slightly off-kilter/snarky characters; but not based in an urban setting, and not "trendy." Usually when I have to just pick one little box, I'll tick "chick lit," but I think my work gets buried immediately in the "can't sell - market too saturated" trough because of that.

I'm at the point now that when I query it I'm not even going to attach a sub-genre other than "commercial." I'll let the agent work that out!

Hmm, falls to the whole subjective thing I 'spose, but I'd NEVER consider a Nora Roberts, WF.

J. Picoult, Lolly Winston, J.Weiner? Yes. Maybe even J. Crusie or Susan Wiggs.

Chick lit, again, hmm. I'd be inclined to call it humorous WF, according to various sources 'chick-lit is dead', but Sophie Kinsella would probably be where I parked the most recent successful CL tag???

veinglory · Jul 7, 2009

La Nora is romance only as far as I know. Unless she wrote some WF I don't know about. WF is closer to saga and literary than romance.

htrent · Jul 7, 2009

You're probably right on NR being romance. My limited experience with reading romance novels is a couple of slim volumes I bought from a dollar store rack when I was going through puberty. I've read one Robert's book (to review) and gave her the benefit of the doubt on the "women's fiction" label (the book was Tribute). The Lifetime movie adaptation, on the other hand, was clearly romance (and very bad, but anyway...).

I like the "humorous women's fiction" tag, but I'm not sure what people would expect. It's sort of like Janet Evanovich is funny, but you wouldn't necessary market her work as humorous. You'd label it as "mystery," you know?

Tricky!

MsGneiss · Jul 8, 2009

Thanks, everyone, for the wonderful feedback. When I wrote my first novel, I didn't even know that there was a chick-lit genre designation. Sure, I've read Bridget Jones, and have heard of the various others like it, but I never thought that my book was such, despite having a "strong female" lead character. The book was more surreal humor, and there was no romance at all. I pitched it as literary, and that's how my agent is pitching it to editors now.

My current WIP leans much more heavily into the chick-lit category. It's set in NY, the MC is a young woman, there's a love interest, a male (albeit, straight) friend. The plot is quick paced and funny. Sure, there are many unique quirks that distinguish it from the typical recipe (I hope!) but now I have to decide whether I should commit to the chick-lit genre and finish the book in such a way, or switch to a more literary tone. Thus, my initial question.

DeleyanLee · Jul 8, 2009

"Women's Fiction" traditionally centers around a woman's growth as a person and may include a love story, shopping and other things, but the main plotline is her personal growth. Probably the most well-known (and mislabeled as Romance) Women's Fiction movie is Titanic--the story of how Rose becomes a whole, better person because of the events of the story.

Chick Lit has already been covered.

caromora · Jul 8, 2009

My suggestion? Write it the way you want to write it and let your agent worry about how to sell it.

Plenty of chick lit type stuff is being sold; it's just not being called chick lit anymore.

scarletpeaches · Jul 8, 2009

Agreed. Book first, pitch later.

MsGneiss · Jul 8, 2009

veinglory said:
Chick lit is less serious in tone, typically the women are younger, urban, personally ambitious and fashion-forward. Women's fiction is serious, typically the woman are older, from any area and the focus is on their emotional wellbeing and development and that of their friends and family members.

So... Charlotte Bronte is Women's fiction, and Jane Austen is chick-lit?

DeleyanLee · Jul 8, 2009

sleepsheep said:
So... Charlotte Bronte is Women's fiction, and Jane Austen is chick-lit?

Nah. The Bennet sisters don't spend enough time shopping for shoes, eating ice cream, smoking cigarettes while sleeping with the wrong man. :tongue

shameless · Jul 8, 2009

caromora said:
My suggestion? Write it the way you want to write it and let your agent worry about how to sell it.

Absolutely!! Never write for a trend or it will pass you by. Write what calls to your heart. Write a story you feel passionate about. If you write a great book, the genre doesn't matter. A great book is a great book. There have been plenty that didn't fit into any mold that have become successful because they didn't follow the crowd.

As always, JMHO...

MsGneiss · Jul 8, 2009

shameless said:
Absolutely!! Never write for a trend or it will pass you by. Write what calls to your heart. Write a story you feel passionate about. If you write a great book, the genre doesn't matter. A great book is a great book. There have been plenty that didn't fit into any mold that have become successful because they didn't follow the crowd.

Well, in this case, I'm trying to write against a trend, not for it. I do like the way the story is going, and I am only wondering if I should add more literary elements to avoid the chick-lit category. But, yes, I am just going to keep going and get it all down, and worry about that during the first revision.

Chick-lit vs Women's Fiction

MsGneiss

scarletpeaches

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Kris

like motherf&cking Tolstoy

htrent

practical experience, FTW

Lainey Bancroft

Cover Me!

veinglory

volitare nequeo

htrent

practical experience, FTW

MsGneiss

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

caromora

Still alive. Kind of.

scarletpeaches

MsGneiss

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

shameless

Superlative Type A

MsGneiss