Vampires, witches, werewolves , angels and demons... They have invaded our entertainment industry, especially our bookshelves. Every other book cover in the young adult section of the library seems to feature a lovesick young girl in the arms of some kind of half-breed magical creature.
From Wake - book 2 of The Whisper Trilogy
The phenomenon of young adult paranormal romance has so overwhelmed the writing industry that many editors won’t even take a look at these manuscripts anymore. They feel the market is too crowded with this genre and that there isn’t room for any more books like this.
I couldn’t agree less. It is nearly impossible to predict the market when it comes to books. If this wasn’t the case, it wouldn’t have taken sixteen tries with different publishers for J.K. Rowling to sell Harry. No one can know for sure whether a book will be successful or not. To pass on a manuscript because of its genre is missing out on the opportunity to publish an amazing story, a fresh voice.
With the popularity of e-books, it’s so easy for readers to find stories that appeal to them and, with social sites like Goodreads, easy to recommend books to a large audience. The success of a book in our day and age is largely dependent on social media. Blog tours can make or break a book that may have otherwise been unknown.
What should not make or break a book is its genre, even if it contains elements of cliche. Readers love a book for the voices it brings to life, for the adventure and the journey it takes them on, not so much for the elements that eventually become backdrop to characters and plot line. There is still plenty of room for a good paranormal romance on bookshelves, even with the vamps, demons and warlocks taking up all that space. A strong character is going to shimmy right in between all of those other magical creatures and carve out a space for herself. And if her voice is strong, if her story is gripping, she’ll stand out from all the rest.