Unless you've researched what the common factor is for books on the best seller list, chances are you may not be familiar with the term "high concept fiction."
In general, high concept fiction appeals to a large number of readers and also interests the movie guys from HBO, Disney, Warner Brothers, and other powerhouse film companies.
From wikipedia. Most of it applies to novels.
---------------------------------
The plot of a high concept movie is easily understood by audiences, and can often be described in a sentence or two.
The story line is extremely efficient in that every scene and character is used to drive the plot forward. Often in high concept, characters and scenes that at first seem unnecessary are later used to reveal or explain a plot twist.
High concept movies feature relatively simple characters and a heavy reliance on conventions of cinematic genre.
Stylistically, high concept movies tend to be high-tech, crisp, and polished. Such movies also rely on pre-sold properties such as movie stars to build audience anticipation, and use heavy advertising, market research, and test screenings to ensure maximum popularity.
This brings me to the point of tonight's post.
When I began Book #1, I did my best to write a story that I knew I could pour my heart and soul into. In other words, I wrote for myself and no one else.
But being the first time author that I am, I worried if my young adult novel would connect with a mass market audience (my target readers are teens, tweens, librarians, and teachers).
It has taken months of researching and even a few beta reader's constructive criticism to finally convince myself that Book #1 has the potential of being a high concept story.
Whether or not my project finds representation, I guess we will just have to wait and see if an agent believes there is a market for such a story.
In the meantime, please cross your fingers and say lots of prayers!
I wish you all a wonderful night! Tory
Oh this is good...it seems most agents are looking for high concept books right now. It's what sells, and it's where the money is. I think if you can look at your book and can see it on screen, there's a chance it could be high concept--a story with more of a mass appeal. It's also what I'm going for with my YA: something that can cross over into other genres, to be enjoyed by both teenagers and adults alike. Can't say that I've achieved it, but here's hoping, right? I wish you the best of luck as well. It's such a tough business, but it sounds like you're coming into it very prepared.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by my blog and for your very thoughtful, very kind comment. You have such a pretty layout for your blog. How did you get it so that you're not limited to the narrow space blogger provides? I'm such a dunce with HTML, so I haven't a clue how to do much altering. But it's great. You have a beautiful family, as well. I'm now a follower!
Great post! Glad you found my blog. And good luck to you with your agent search!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteYou've got a great blog here!
ReplyDeleteAll the best with your writing adventure. Will be following :)
Carolina, Robin, and Wendy - I'm so glad you gals took the time to check out Head in the Clouds! I look forward to reading more on each of your blogs.
ReplyDeleteGiven that I'm a newbie to all of this, I'm sure I'll be asking lots of questions from time to time.
I hope you stop by again soon! Tory