From The Horses Mouths aka Agent's Blogs:

[Katie-Ellen]

'The one thing you don’t want to do, as you read, is to try to determine what the next trend will be.Trends are often short-lived, and therefore frustrating to chase.Write your book – the book that only you can write.' -

Susan Bent

More here: https://twitter.com/LitRejections

 

[Alistair Roberts]

Interesting, and I would think obviously true. But I dare say some write hoping to get the $ or pounds (no pounds symbol on this pc). Anyway, I write what needs to be written, or more correctly what is 'given' to me. My first 4 novels were written in 3 months each, although I've slowed up somewhat, as I do more editing and refining. I also don't 'plot' a novel, nor do I do any planning. I do write down ideas as they come to hand, but that doesn't mean I use them. Eventually the story writes itself, and even the endings I usually don't know, until the instant I write them. I put this down to my angels who guide me, and the worst thing I can do is try to work out in advance what will happen. Better to let the words flow.

 

[Katie-Ellen]

A member of the threatened specie, agent Hannah Ferguson goes about her working day.




It involves cup cakes.

 

[Alistair Roberts]

Meanwhile we slog away at the real work!

 

[Katie-Ellen]

Yes, she's demonstrating personableness and an instinct for PR but not the other key talents demanded in her line of work.

 

[AgentPete]

'The one thing you don’t want to do, as you read, is to try to determine what the next trend will be.Trends are often short-lived, and therefore frustrating to chase.Write your book – the book that only you can write.'

It’s noble advice, and there’s some truth in advising writers to follow their passion and instincts - but in reality, most people in publishing are forever trying to ascertain where trends are going. Good publishers have great radar.

 

[Alistair Roberts]

And where are trends going? Sci-fi / fantasy I hope, or has that been over done?

 

[Katie-Ellen]

It seems humans have their own forms of mass murmuration. Fascinating how we want one thing, and it's an abstract; it's a certain kind of mental or emotional experience, and we then want another. Where and how does it start, the new wave...a reaction to real life events, the seasons, and what more...

I'll see what I can find...

 

[AgentPete]

And where are trends going? Sci-fi / fantasy I hope, or has that been over done?

Well, there are broadly two types of trends in the biz. The first is pretty much rapid trend-recognition and following, i.e. if books about the Stone Age diet seem to be gathering sales momentum, then rush out quickly and commission a new one. This type of p.o.s. data is expensive (Nielsen) and so only a small number of pubs usually have access. But you might also be able to get a fix via Amazon, and so on. And there’s still a living to be had writing this type of material.

The other type is probably what I’d term a meta-trend. Something that has wider social significance and indication, but hasn’t yet found an expression in book publishing terms (and in fact may not do, that wave may never break on our shore).

I have reasonably good radar for the latter, although timings are always difficult (and in publishing, timing is vital). One of the things on the sci-fi front I’m sensing at the moment is a movement inwards, away from technology for tech’s sake, towards a deepening awareness of human values. Viz EX MACHINA. It won’t be long before we all have to deal with the implications of self-driving cars et al. Is tech our master or our servant? Do robots have rights? Big themes, lots of scope for prescient speculation.

 

[AliG]

What you ought to advise, Peter, is what you want to read. So do you think the next big trend is a vegan cookbooks specifically aimed at avoiding colds while strengthening yoga postures?

 

[AgentPete]

That would be highly delightful... for at least one reader

Personally, at the moment I’d like to stumble across something like GONE GIRL. A bit old-fashioned, certainly, but still majorly commercial. Lots of international and film potential. Simple, blockbusting entertainment.