Out of the mist, I see.

Out of the mist, I see.

After all these years, literary fiction has been demystified for me. I was also not used to the term, Upmarket (see second list below). Thank you, Carly Waters for the following explanations. Carly is a VP & senior Literary Agent at P.S. Literary Agency.

Literary fiction:

1.      Is driven by craft & quality of language.

2.      Often has open endings.

3.      Blurs or bends genre expectations.

4.      Pace is methodical & slower due to emphasis on language not plot.

5.      Originality of thought where the aim is art.

6.      Often award winning.

Examples: The Goldfinch, Station Eleven, All the Light We Cannot See.

Upmarket fiction:

1.      Aim is thoughtful discussion because of accessibility to real life.

2.      Blends lines of commercial & literary.

3.      Appropriate for book club discussion.

4.      Accessible Writing.

5.      Quality writing tackling commercial plot topics or themes.

6.      Women’s fiction often falls in this category.

7.      Character driven.

8.      Universal themes everyone can connect to.

Examples: Water for Elephants, The Passage, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Labor Day, Maybe in Another Life, The Husband’s Secret, Me Before You.

Commercial fiction:

1.      Includes genres like romance, crime, thriller, mystery, sci-fi, & fantasy.

2.      Reaches broad audiences.

3.      The aim is to entertain.

4.      The writing is fast paced.

5.      Concise hook that is trying to solve a very specific problem.

6.      Creates a satisfying experience that readers have come to expect.

7.      Ending that close all open doors unless a series.

8.      Plot driven.

Examples: Hunt for Red October, A Perfect Life, A Walk to Remember, One for the Money, The Pelican Brief.

Now, with insight, my critiques in my critique group can be less tentative. I had always asked myself if the critique I was contemplating giving would not be based on the art and craft of writing, but on my understanding of commercial fiction. I would often hold my tongue unsure if my advice was solid. Now, with these lists I will be better able. I might even read some upmarket or literary fiction.

On a personal note, literary and upmarket has been creeping into my writing for years, without me realizing it. This will help me better market my future projects. The one I’m working on now is going to be published by a traditional publisher. Guess what, at some point, I’ll ask my editor, where she would place me. I know the answer will be genre romance NA, but I’ll like to see her take on how much bending I did. I promise it was not on purpose, LOL.