If a Romance Novel Writer
wrote a story
merely for herself,
to satisfy her muse,
that story is unlikely
to attract readers.
There wouldn’t be a market
for it.
It wouldn’t sell.
On the flipside,
if a Romance Novel Writer
wrote a story
purely to satisfy the market,
that story will likely sell.
It will have a healthy market.
But that turns an artform,
a career,
into a making-widgets-type job.
It kills creativity
and joy.
Most professional
Romance Novel Writers
find a balance between
these two extremes.
When they don’t care
about a story decision,
they’ll choose
the most marketable option.
If vampires are hot,
for example,
and making the hero a vampire
won’t impact the core story
the writer wants to tell,
she will make him a vampire.
“1. Honor the noise
in your head.
Make the work
you believe
you were born to make.
Create things you can visualize
but haven’t seen yet.
Do it
without regard for critics,
the market
or the math of it all.
It’s your handiwork.
2. Embrace your market.
Make what it needs.
Earn a seat at the table
by developing an asset,
and leverage it
to create real value
for those you serve.
Price it accordingly.
3. Stay busy.
Make slightly better
than average work,
for less than average pricing.
It’s difficult to see
how you can do
all three
at the same time
for the same kind of client.
All three choices are valid,
any could work for you,
but it’s worth choosing.”
You CAN straddle
creating for yourself
and
creating for the market.
Compromise
on the aspects
you don’t care about.
Keep firm
on the aspects
you are passionate about.