At the YALSA Symposium last November, a librarian talked about "mash-ups," or books that combined two genres into one story. She mentioned BLOOD NINJA, a combination of Japan, the ninja culture, and vampires. A perfect example.
I also put HOLD ME CLOSER, NECROMANCER in that category. It combines humor with paranormal.
Mash-ups can be fun to read -- and smart to write. With the YA fiction market the way it is right now (favoring dark, edgy, moody, paranormal books, to generalize), adding a "mash-up" to your chick-lit, light, realistic novel could be the way to go.
I'm not saying that you have to -- or should -- write for the market. But I do think that if you want to get published, you have to write with the market in mind. Still write the story you are passionate about, but if mashing it up some way with a selling genre fits into the book, go for it! At least write one version that way and see what happens.
My current WIP is a darker speculative story, something new for me, but the plot has been percolating in my head for years and the market seemed right now to get it out. My next idea is a humor-ghost mash-up that I am so excited to write. Back to evoking some laughs but with a touch of ghostiness to give it a possible market. Why not?
Chasing trends is not the way to go, but it doesn't mean you should try to sell VHS players to people who want to watch movies now and in the future. Sometimes you have to go with the flow and see where it takes you.
Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing
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