literary vs. commercial
"I've been lucky in that my writing's been all over the place since the beginning, so the only pigeonhole I've had to deal with is that of being a literary writer. While I sometimes wish publishers would recognize the genre elements in certain of my novels and market them accordingly—for their own gain, as well as mine—I'm just happy to get the books between the covers."
— Stewart O'Nan
for Creatives | writing, publishing, genre, categorization of art, literary vs. commercial, Stewart O'Nan
"I had to keep arguing for so long that genre is literature just as much as The Grapes of Wrath is. Of course, most of it isn't as good—but most realism isn't as good as The Grapes of Wrath either."
— Ursula K. Le Guin
for Creatives | books, literary fiction, genre, literary vs. commercial, John Steinbeck
Follow Your Curiosity"My problem with realism is that a realistic novel about the psychological problems of middle-class people is a story which is very similar to the life I'm leading, and thus is not too interesting. Whereas the minute you throw in a dragon or global warming, it becomes very interesting."
— Eleanor Arnason
for Creatives | reading, novel writing, literary fiction, writing, Eleanor Arnason, literary vs. commercial
"I do think a lot of bunk is talked about short stories. ... I feel there's a way that the quote-unquote literary short story has unfairly hogged the limelight. A short story is a great way to explore mood, a pregnant silence, a seemingly mundane scenario that's somehow charged with significance. But I don't see why that kind of short story is the only kind or necessarily the most valid. A short story is just short. Beyond that I think anything is possible."
— Marcel Theroux
for Creatives | short stories, literary fiction, Marcel Theroux, literary vs. commercial
"Commercial fiction can have literary qualities ... genre fiction can include good storytelling, and literary fiction can have a plot."
— Jennifer Landels
for Creatives | literary fiction, writing, storytelling, genre, Jennifer Landels, literary vs. commercial
"If you are a screenwriter, LITERARY AND COMMERCIAL translates to INDEPENDENT AND STUDIO. If you are a playwright, LITERARY AND COMMERCIAL translates to CHARACTER DRIVEN AND PLOT DRIVEN. If you are a nonfiction writer LITERARY AND COMMERCIAL translates to JOURNALISM AND NARRATIVE NONFICTION. No matter your intended Story career path, the divide remains… and always will."
— Shawn Coyne
for Creatives | literary fiction, nonfiction, writing, publishing, Shawn Coyne, screenwriting, categorization of art, literary vs. commercial
"There is a great demand for novels that can be positioned at the top of the commercial list—thrillers and/or dramas that women will want to read. All of the big publishers (with a contracting list of exceptions) are on the hunt for a female friendly literary/commercial commodity."
— Shawn Coyne
for Creatives | novel writing, thriller, writing, reaching your audience, women's fiction, publishing, genre, Shawn Coyne, literary vs. commercial
"Ultimately, the question 'Who's the target reader, and why?' must be answered by everyone in the publishing chain (writer, editor, marketer, publicist, publisher). Identifying the audience (the people who will buy your book) defines which of these two cultures 'Literary' or 'Commercial' you belong to."
— Shawn Coyne
for Creatives | literary fiction, writing, reaching your audience, publishing, editors, Shawn Coyne, categorization of art, literary vs. commercial
"Literary/commercial fiction is a forecast of where fiction is heading in the 21st century. It's an approach to novel writing that eschews both snobby pretense and genre dogma. It is personal, impassioned, and even downright quirky, yet through its rebellious refusal to please, it paradoxically achieves universal appeal. It panders to no one. It speaks to everyone."
— Donald Maass
for Creatives | novel writing, literary fiction, writing, genre, Donald Maass, literary vs. commercial
"Literary and commercial: If you are a writer, an editor or a publisher in traditional trade book publishing, you have to decide which of these two cultures you want to align yourself with."
— Shawn Coyne
for Creatives | literary fiction, writing, publishing, editors, agents, Shawn Coyne, literary vs. commercial
"In our new century, literary fiction is selling the way that commercial novels are supposed to. ... Certain commercial novelists, on the other hand, are celebrated for their literary quality and simultaneously sell far better than most in their category."
— Donald Maass
for Creatives | novel writing, literary fiction, the successful artist, Donald Maass, literary vs. commercial