Questions about vampires...

katci13 · Jun 29, 2012

I have vampires in my series. (And witches and werewolves and shapeshifters.) My plot is not driven by the fact that there are vampires in my world, but some of them are major characters in my book.

I read a blog today by author Roni Loren (via a link from an agent's twitter's feed) who posted a list of 12 things that might get you automatically rejected by an agent. Vampires were number 2 on the list. It said:

2. Vampires
You have to be REALLY REALLY different to get them to even consider another vampire novel.

I'm not trying to freak out (I have before and "quit" vampires for a while even though I love them, because I didn't want to get rejected just because my story has vampires in it. And my vampires are different in some ways. However, they are still vampires and my question is:

Should I worry? And should I work on something else until the whole Twilight and Vampire Diaries things blows over? (Even though I don't really write YA, though I suppose my stories could be marketed to them.)

I don't want to quit vampires again and I've been working really hard, but I'm not trying to hardheaded and stupid by going after my story anyway when agents are apparently sick of vampires (even though I've been writing about them for 15 years.)

Any thoughts?

Silver-Midnight · Jun 29, 2012

I'd continue writing it. The story I'm working on has vampires in it. Honestly, I would worry about it but not that much. I think as long as you made the story interesting and enjoyable, you'll be fine.

LOG · Jun 29, 2012

It really depends on the "vampire."
Kate Daniels has vampires, but they're so far removed from the Dracula tradition (and more in-line with the mythos) that I doubt they gave her any trouble.

jjdebenedictis · Jun 29, 2012

You know, when Twilight came out? People were already moaning about how vampires were so over-done and tiresome and an author would have to come up with something really original to stand out in such a crowded market.

The fact is, vampires have never really gone out of style. They have little ups and downs in popularity, but no matter how many times people declare the coffin nailed shut, the bloodsuckers always come back.

Write your book. If it's a good story, there's an audience for it.

maggi90w1 · Jun 30, 2012

I'm actually quite annoyed by the whole different vampire thing. People who like to read about vampires are perfectly fine with the good old immortal blood-suckers, people who don't like to read about vampires still won't like them if you give them a name you found on the wikipedia page about Papua New Guineas mythology and make them drink "spirit" or "soul" or "life" instead of blood.

katci13 · Jun 30, 2012

Thanks everyone! ^_^
This helps. I guess I just needed some other thoughts on the matter.

That's true about them not going out of style. There has always been some kind vampire book and movie out my entire life...and even my parents' entire lives.

Um, vampires that drink soul? Lol! That's funny. I've never heard of that. Though a read a book with a "psychic" vampire once.

Spy_on_the_Inside · Jun 30, 2012

Old mythos about any creature tend to be vague and leave a lot of room for the writer to use their imagination. And yes, there are vampires that drain psychic energy ('psy' or 'chi' vampires). Maybe people with specific types of psychic energy are especially suseptible to being attacked by these vampires.

Another thing that might help is not to have them fall in love with teenage girls. I they've been alive for more than a hundred years, they're not going to be very will to sit around and listen to someone talk about Justin Bieber. People in their 20's won't put up with that.

CAMueller · Jun 30, 2012

jjdebenedictis said:
The fact is, vampires have never really gone out of style. They have little ups and downs in popularity, but no matter how many times people declare the coffin nailed shut, the bloodsuckers always come back.

Write your book. If it's a good story, there's an audience for it.

This. You'll also see agents saying that paranormal is dead. It isn't. Vampires aren't done, because readers still want them. (Trust me, I run a blog called Vampire Book Club -- 20,000 readers who love vampires and other supernatural beasties. The readers exist!)

Write the best story you can. If by the time you're querying, agents are still on the "I don't want a vampire story" train, then don't label it as such. If it is a good, unique novel, they'll want to sell it.

Reservoir Angel · Jun 30, 2012

How long have vampires been "overexposed" now? It was long before Twilight, Twilight just exasperated it in a lot of people.

But really, there's a simple reason that despite how much people say they're sick of them, books with vampires in them keep getting sold: People just like vampires. They always have, and they probably always will. Because vampires will forever be interesting to us.

Questions about vampires...

katci13

creative genie

Silver-Midnight

LOG

Lagrangian

jjdebenedictis

is watching you via her avatar

maggi90w1

CAVE!

katci13

creative genie

Spy_on_the_Inside

CAMueller

Part-time ninja

Reservoir Angel

Angelic by name, fiendish by nature