What's hot in the news is a good way for publishers to gauge what to buy. Topics that already have an audience are a guaranteed market. Look at the plethora of CSI TV shows that have popped up lately. People can't seem to get enough of dead bodies, gore and bones. Forensics is a hot topic and has been for almost ten years. Forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs has caught this trend with her Temperance Brennen forensic thrillers and now they, or should I say she, has become a TV series. "Bones" is a one hour drama based on the life of Kathy Reichs. She is also the producer.
What else is hot? Puzzles concerning ancient religious objects such as the DA VINCI CODE and RULE OF FOUR. These books fall into the crossover genre: mainstream/mystery/thriller. Other crossover authors include Michael Crichton who often borrows science fiction elements such as is found in JURASSIC PARK. A bestselling literary author who has borrowed science fiction elements is Margaret Atwood. Her novel, THE HANDMAID'S TALE has evoked heated envy from purist science fiction writers.
In the wake of Sarah Jessica Parker's hit "Sex and the City" and the bestselling novel BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY, chicklit continues to be a sought after market. What is chicklit? It's an offshoot of the Romance genre. Chicklit is so popular that nearly every sector of commercial fiction hopes to carry its own particular version. Nadia Cornier, literary agent with Creative Media Agency in New York City defines the genre as "books in which offbeat single young women deal with life, work, friends, family and shopping." The key to writing successful chicklit is to dig into the angst, but to keep the tone light and fun. Chicklit readers don't want to feel like putting a gun to their heads when they've finished the book; they want to relate and they want to laugh. The best chicklit is edgy, witty and written with self-deprecating humour.
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