I'm Just Saying, Don't Cater to the Reader

Just hear me out, okay?

Last week, I said that you shouldn't choose what POV to write in based on what readers supposedly like.

This week, I'm saying that you shouldn't decide what to write based on what readers like.

This is also something that often comes up: new authors choosing what to write based on what's trendy. Terrible idea, new authors. Don't do that!

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Why not?

Writing a book takes time. It takes a lot of time.

Maybe you've purchased one of those "Write a book in 30 days" workbooks. I have one of those. But what they're promising is not writing a book. It's writing a first draft. Writing a book can take years, especially when you're starting out. (Obviously, this doesn't go for everyone. Nothing I say goes for everyone. And that goes for everyone.)

I wrote the first draft of Sorority Zombies in Space! in November 2022. It is finally coming out this year. And that's a self-published book. If I went the traditional route, it would likely have taken longer.

So basically, if you start writing based on what's trending, the trend will likely be over by the time you publish.

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Here's a Novel Idea: Write What You Care About

She said, dryly. This is not a new idea. But it is a good one.

If you write what you care about, instead of what you think readers care about, you will likely write quicker because you'll be more inspired.

Readers will pick up on that passion. When I read Horrors of The Shopping Mall Ass Slasher, I could tell that the author was genuinely excited to write about this serial slasher of asses. It made the writing a thousand times better.

That passion will show in your writing, too.

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