Just Another Fad? (Guest post from TJ Amberson)

JUST ANOTHER FAD?

First off, a big thanks to the crew of Free Book Dude for the opportunity to write a guest post!

Now, a question: how many YA authors have received a query rejection letter that says something like, "While the story was extremely well-written and has great merit, we do not feel that it meets the needs of the current market at this time."

And then, after reading such a rejection, how many authors have scratched their heads in confusion, not sure if the letter was talking about literature or the latest trends in the housing market?

You see, once upon a time, I believed that literature was sacred. The countless nights I spent as a youngster reading classic novels led me to assume that nothing could keep a good book down. I figured that books were published because they were, very simply, some of the most well-written, creative, entertaining, and powerful stories in the world.

But in recent years, my bubble has gradually been burst. Contrary to what I once naively believed, I have come to understand that there are many other factors that play a role in dictating when and if a book gets published.

And so, I have been left to wonder: has the business world completely taken over literature?

Is it possible that many YA stories are chosen for publication not based on their merit, creativity, or quality, but on how closely they match current, transient fads? Is that what the world of teenage literature has become?

Granted, teenagers are typically trend-oriented. The need to find acceptance during the teen years leads to conforming in fashion, music, activities, speech, and otherwise. And smart marketers know this. They mass produce whatever is popular at the time.

But, surely not literature. We wouldn't let that same sort of conformity and cloning happen to books...right?

Or, in the saddest of ironies, has the world of literature—the ultimate, ancient form of create expression—sacrificed creativity and chance-taking? Is the written word now viewed as no more important than a popular style of jeans? Is making money with a guaranteed sale more valued to the literary Powers That Be than the story itself?

I hope not.

-TJA

Meet TJ Amberson

TJ Amberson has recently published a YA fantasy, THE KINGDOM OF NERETH, on Amazon. When not busy writing, TJ can be found enjoying a hot chocolate, pretending to know how to garden, or surfing the internet for cheap plane tickets.

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