Genre Bending with HarperCollins Debut Author Jordan Dane

Romance is the New Black

Now that I will be a debut author for Avon HarperCollins in April 2008, I’ve looked back on my first novel, NO ONE HEARD HER SCREAM, to reflect upon my first published novel and what it took to sell it. Of course, using hindsight makes it appear as if I knew exactly what I was doing, but that wasn’t the case. Aspiring authors at mystery, romance, and crime fiction conferences ask me—if I want to be an author, how do I decide what to write? To answer that question, it helped me to consider where I began in 2003.

Being an avid reader, I decided the best course of action to pick the genre I wanted to write was to look at my bookshelves and see what I loved to read. Espionage thrillers and various crime fiction books held the biggest sway, so after that revelation I had a basis to start. Then I did my research on what was selling and romance with all its sub-genres held a significant share of the marketplace. Now at the time, I had romances in my collection, but not nearly as many as I do now. I made the decision to learn more about the genre and joined the Romance Writers of America (RWA) and my local chapter. They taught me the basics of writing and I found that RWA offered many useful resources to the beginning author. And I have to say that although romance added depth to my stories, writing it wasn’t easy. It was a challenge, but something was still missing for me personally. Where had my passion for thrillers and crime fiction gone?

I wasn’t sure there was a place in the pure romance genre (as I understood it) for my idea of a thriller or a crime fiction novel. But in the end I made my way, ignoring the perceived rules and what others told me I had to do to sell. I listened to my own voice, electing to write the type of story I wanted to read and incorporate what I’d learned thus far. Any new story would have mystery and action and there’d be a blend of pace and a complex plot to challenge me. I also added forensics and police procedure to taste. And since I’m a fan of subtle humor, I drizzled that into my crime scenes and the sardonic wit of my characters too. Fold in the romantic elements I’d picked up and I finally felt as if I had a concoction worth peddling. And in June 2006, when my first series sold in auction, I’d taken my first step toward discovering who I was as a working author.

But I soon realized I had only scratched the surface of defining where I wanted to be. Thinking out of the box required me to know what the box looked like and I had to understand what boundaries should stay and what I could change. And with each new manuscript, I pushed the boundaries to see where it took me. The exploration has thrilled and challenged me as a writer. Every new project excites me from start to end.

And regarding cross genre stories, I’d like to make another point. The publishing industry works hard at categorizing types of books to make it easier for booksellers to classify the book and shelve it for the reading public. And as authors keeping up with trends, we learn the lingo, but some books defy a strict definition. And it’s been my experience that most readers don’t make a distinction when it comes to the various sub-genres. On MySpace, for example, when I search for reader friends, I do it by looking for words like ‘avid reader’ or ‘mystery suspense’, even though I’m being marketed as romantic suspense or I consider my work to be romantic thrillers. It helps to think like a reader in this instance. If I queried on ‘romantic suspense’, I’d get other romance authors. For those of you making your way on the cyberspace super highway, try it and see what I’m saying.

Given what I’ve experienced, the vast majority of the reading public is eclectic in its reading preferences and that’s good. They also don’t seem to be picky on sub-genres, but I believe they know a good story when they read one—the bottom line. And there are enough readers to go around, enabling an author to cut a healthy slice of readership pie when his or her books are in print. So I like the idea that my books may fit into a number of slots. It makes me feel less guilty when I ask for a second helping of pie. I believe my cross genre stories give my publishing house greater flexibility to market my work. In today’s competitive marketplace, versatility has value.

And if an established mystery or crime fiction author has been thinking of revitalizing their story ideas to better fit today’s market and improve their sales, it may not be necessary to overhaul their entire way of thinking. Perhaps they should consider broadening their appeal to suit a larger segment of the book buying public—women. Compelling romantic elements add emotional depth. And a cross genre story infused with romance may just be the new black.

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http://www.jordandane.com./

After Jordan Dane sold her first 3-books to Avon/HarperCollins in auction, her debut title – No One Heard Her Scream – held more significance. Everyone heard her scream! And that went double for the next 3-book thrillers she sold before having any books released. Prior to selling, Jordan received 33 national writing competition awards. Formerly an energy sales manager, she now is following her passion to write full time. Take a front row seat to suspense with Dane’s back to back releases in April through June 2008—No One Heard Her Scream, No One Left to Tell, & No One Lives Forever.

“ … a dynamite debut … Dane’s smooth style, believable characters and intense pacing will remind readers of Lisa Jackson, Lisa Gardner and Tami Hoag. While Dane’s debut is being marketed as romantic suspense, it crosses over into plain thriller country: the tight plotting and the male characters are exceptional, bad guys and good.” –Publisher’s Weekly 12/10/07