Men read action, adventure, exploration.
Women read emotions, relationships, drama.
There is some overlap, naturally, but for the most part men and women have significantly different reading preferences.
Keep this in mind as we go along.
/1
Women read emotions, relationships, drama.
There is some overlap, naturally, but for the most part men and women have significantly different reading preferences.
Keep this in mind as we go along.
/1
In my lifetime, I have witnessed the decline, if not outright extinction, of fiction genres appealing to men.
Men's adventure.
Vigilante pulp.
Military action adventure.
Westerns.
/2
Men's adventure.
Vigilante pulp.
Military action adventure.
Westerns.
/2
Other genres died out long before my time.
Railroad.
Aviation.
Boxing.
Baseball.
Tall tales.
/3
Railroad.
Aviation.
Boxing.
Baseball.
Tall tales.
/3
To be sure, you can still find stories like these if you look hard enough. But, they tend to be:
1. Long-running series
2. Old books
3. Indie published
4. Written by industry mainstays
/4
1. Long-running series
2. Old books
3. Indie published
4. Written by industry mainstays
/4
Today, there's only one major genre in the market that unabashedly appeals to men.
Thrillers.
There are also only a handful of smaller genres that appeal to men:
Military and police-themed SFF, noir and crime mysteries, tech-focused SF, adventure-centric fantasy. /5
Thrillers.
There are also only a handful of smaller genres that appeal to men:
Military and police-themed SFF, noir and crime mysteries, tech-focused SF, adventure-centric fantasy. /5
Aside from thrillers, these genres are very niche markets today.
Compounding matters is that few authors have the knowledge and experience to convincingly write in these fields.
Even fewer have the writing chops to capture and retain the readers' interest. /6
Compounding matters is that few authors have the knowledge and experience to convincingly write in these fields.
Even fewer have the writing chops to capture and retain the readers' interest. /6
With the proliferation of technical knowledge over the Internet, and with hard-won experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, readers of these genres are increasingly knowledgeable.
To satisfy them, writers must be able to competently portray the skills employed in their stories.
/7
To satisfy them, writers must be able to competently portray the skills employed in their stories.
/7
Male-oriented genres have a high barrier to entry.
It's not enough to simply churn out a book. The characters, skills, jargon, mindset, EVERYTHING must be authentic.
If what appears on the page does not match a reader's knowledge, you're likely to lose that reader. /8
It's not enough to simply churn out a book. The characters, skills, jargon, mindset, EVERYTHING must be authentic.
If what appears on the page does not match a reader's knowledge, you're likely to lose that reader. /8
Compounding matters is that the publishing industry is overwhelmingly female.
Publishers today prefer to publish and promote books by women, for women.
And to propagate the myth that women are underrepresented in fiction.
/9
Publishers today prefer to publish and promote books by women, for women.
And to propagate the myth that women are underrepresented in fiction.
/9
Go back to the first tweet about what women read about.
That is also what women writers tend to write about.
And what men tend to not read about.
Now throw in SocJus propagandizing, male bashing, and other progressive tropes, and you will turn off men. /10
That is also what women writers tend to write about.
And what men tend to not read about.
Now throw in SocJus propagandizing, male bashing, and other progressive tropes, and you will turn off men. /10
Further, publishing and promoting books requires money. Lots of it.
It's a zero sum game. Publish and promote one author, others don't get published and/or promoted.
Elevate female-oriented fiction, male-oriented fiction falls behind.
This is how genres die. /11
It's a zero sum game. Publish and promote one author, others don't get published and/or promoted.
Elevate female-oriented fiction, male-oriented fiction falls behind.
This is how genres die. /11
With a dearth of fiction aimed at men, fiction that doesn't degrade men, it's small wonder that men today tend to prefer non-fiction or stop reading altogether.
However, with the advent of self-publishing, there is now a surge of male-oriented indie fiction on the market. /12
However, with the advent of self-publishing, there is now a surge of male-oriented indie fiction on the market. /12
The pulp days are back.
The gaps in the market are being filled.
Boys and men have a much wider range of books to choose from, and that range is growing.
With skillful writing and strategic promotion, we can get men to read fiction again.
/end
The gaps in the market are being filled.
Boys and men have a much wider range of books to choose from, and that range is growing.
With skillful writing and strategic promotion, we can get men to read fiction again.
/end
