Understanding Book Club Literature

One of the projects I am always looking for are novels that would be fantastic for book clubs. We often hear editors and agents talking about book club women's fiction, but I have often found that
many authors really do miss the mark a lot of times when trying to write this genre. I wanted to take the time today to really think about what we mean when it comes to this book club genre.

First of all, we have understand the dynamics of book clubs. These are chances for discussion and dialogue. These are chances to really dive into characters and events to understand a bit of who we are as human beings. The key is that the books need to promote discussion, and often, the discussions may even move away from the actual story text and to external discussions.

To really understand book club literature, we often have to look at several elements.

• The plot and theme of the story
• The characters
• The writing and voice

PLOT AND THEME Most book club texts are mostly about the theme and the message of the story. Yes, there is a plot that keeps the story moving, but it really takes second fiddle to the theme and the message of the story. In fact, if you ask someone who writes this type of writing, they will focus more on the message of the story and not so much about the plot.

What we often find in stories such as this are universal themes and messages that the general public can become attached to. Even if the characters or the plot is something that might be different and unique, the message itself is one that we can all relate to. Consider, for example, China Dolls by Lisa See. Although this story focuses on 1940 Chinese immigrants, the general reader has access to what they are experiencing. We have all experienced situations of being different, or being on the outside. We may have even experienced difficult family lives such as one of the characters.

This story also gives the readers a chance to discuss historical perspectives and even how these events are seen even in the present day world. Again, the idea is that these are issues most people would want to talk about and discuss There isn't much in terms of a discussion about the plot of the book, but what the characters are going through.

CHARACTERS Very similar to the plot and theme, the characters of these stories tend to be symbolic of universal characters. The key to understanding book club characters is the way they can relate to the general public. If the characters are so unique or so different, while they may be interesting, the general reader simply will not be able to relate.

I often see writers missing the mark here when they create characters with a huge number of problems and issues. For example, if the story is about a wife just trying to get used to being in a new neighborhood with a different population of people, we can connect with this. Add in a kid who is a drug user, a daughter who is pregnant, a husband who is having an affair and then she starts fantasizing over the pool boy, then readers lose that connection. With the exception of Susan Lucci on soap operas, this type of person simply doesn't exist.

THE WRITING The writing for many pieces of book club literature is often a bit more "mature" in voice and style. I am not saying that the writing is full of bizarre metaphors and similes. The writing, instead, encourages a slower and more focused read. This is different than a lot of those stories you might have on your summer reading lists. Those books tend to be light and, for lack of a better word, mindless. This is escapist literature.

As I am reading projects that might have that potential of being a book club novel, I want to see how the author has intentionally forced the reader to slow down and "smell the roses."


Book club literature is a great genre to write, but authors really need to understand that this requires a lot more than simply figuring out plots and characters. This is a complete package. If you are thinking of submitting a story in this area, ask yourself how this really promotes a discussion.

Beware the Cliche Plot Devices

This last weekend, I had a chance to really get through a lot of submissions. As I read through so

many projects, I found myself reading many of the same stories over and over again. Authors seemed to be relying heavily on cliche plot devices. It became very clear that so many authors are confusing the concept of literary tropes with cliche elements.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with building your story around basic tropes: hidden secrets, lost heir, and even the secret baby. You can also stick with some of the common themes including the always popular fairy tale approaches such as Cinderella or Beauty and the Beast. These are fine. Where the problems start arising would be when the authors start relying on cliche devices to tell these stories.

When we use cliche approaches, the story become predictable from page 1! Several of the authors submitted their synopsis with their query letters (which, by the way, they were asked not to do). When I read the query and their brief blurb, those cliche elements immediately starting popping up. I didn't even need to read the synopsis and I knew exactly where the story was going to. Still, just to be sure, I read the synopsis and I was right every time.

The secret to great storytelling s to keep the readers on their toes all of the time. You want them to be thinking one direction and then take them in a different direction. This is not to throw things that are completely out of the blue, but to throw them a twist that you potentially hinted at in those early pages.

As you are writing your story, always concentrate on why you are putting that element in the story. Is it going into the story because it is needed, or simply because you have seen it done before in other stories. If it is the second one, then you may be falling into that cliche trap.

Everyone Sees Their Novel As A Movie - It Probably Won't Happen

I love receiving those query letters where the author has already cast the actors to play the role of their heroines and heroes. They often go on to tell of how they have been marketing their books to major movie studies all around the world. And, while this might be a beautiful thing to see, the odds are really against you of seeing your face on the big screen. The chance is about as good as me showing up in the next Bond movie.

Now, don't feel bad if you are one of those people who have seen your novel play out in your head. Every author does this. The odds are, you have an amazing soundtrack to go along with it. That is really how you are probably writing your story.

But again, the odds are against you. The thing is, the movie industry is really different from the publishing industry. They are looking at a lot of different things when they pick those movies. It isn't just about the story line. It is about how the dialogue works, the way the scenes are set up, the feasibility of carrying out all of those scenes you have carefully crafted in your book.

Now, is there a chance a production company will buy the rights to your book. Sure. You'll get $2000 and the movie will never be produced. It just means someone else owns the rights.

So, if you are a writer, go ahead and keep viewing that novel as a movie. It is probably what makes the story in your head move so much better. But, if you are thinking of bigger things, you'll probably just have to hope for some good luck. It doesn't mean it won't happen, but...

Well, you get the idea. 

Sometimes Great Stories Don't Sell

I know all agents and editors have received a follow up letter after a rejection where the author complains that the person rejecting doesn't know a great book from a hot rock. They often go on to
say that if the "publisher/editor/agent" were more open to things then... I think you get the idea. While I understand that much of this response is purely emotional venting, what these authors fail to think about often is what that this is a business. We are selling a product to a buyer and that would be the readers out there. If the market simply will not buy the product, then your book will not sell.

What is unfortunate, is that we often see some fantastic writing! There are a lot of you who tell some great stories and create some great characters, but that does not mean the book is going to sell.

As agents and editors, when we look at proposals, we are also looking at projects in terms of the market. We are always doing "market research." In some cases, we are looking at hard core data that the marketing departments have acquired. Many publishers, for example, do this when it comes to titles. They know that certain words in the title will bring the book to a screeching halt, while other titles will see spikes in sales. They also take the time to know what type of characters work and what type don't work.

In other cases, that market research is purely casual. Through conversations with other professionals or simply scanning the bookshelves, we can see who is selling, what they are selling and what the trends seem to be.

If you are someone who loves watching SHARKTANK you have seen similar situations. How many times have the Sharks passed on projects that they liked, or that they liked the enthusiasm of the inventor, but they simply saw no way to market the product? A Lot!

As authors, it is always important to take the time before you start a story to really identify if this is a story that will sell, or one you simply want to write. You may love the project, but if the story is simply not going to sell to the general public, this might not be the story to write, especially if you want to be a professional author.

I remember teaching a workshop at a Romantic Times convention one year and this author came over to chat about her book. She was writing a biography about her mother. This author was very enthusiastic about the project and you could clearly see she had really worked hard with the project. The problem, however, was this story was simply not unique and was not going to sell. She was writing about what it was like to grow up in the depression. She was focusing in on how the family struggled and how they had to manage on a limited income...and to take a line from Sienfeld "yada, yada, yada." Her only answer as to what was unique about this story was that it was a story that "had to be told."

This is a case, where that story was one that was indeed important to the other members of her family, or the people who know her mother, but for someone on the outside, this was nothing more than the same things we all read in our US History books.

So, please remember, there are times when we know we are passing on good projects. But, also remember that we are all in this for the same reason. We want to sell those books.