Young Writers Society

With pretty much every story/novel that I write (and I never finish novel-length projects because I’m a disappointment), I start struggling several thousand words in with deciding if I want to write the story exactly how I want, or dial it back a bit in hopes that someday it’s on a shelf in Powells.

Does anyone else have this war with yourself? I know the obvious answer is “write what you want to read and others will want to read it too”, but that doesn’t stop me from being afraid that if I make it too gay (which is usually the thing I’m worried about), I’m blocking the project from ever being considered for mainstream media. (Though I never even finish things, so I’m far off from getting published). It seems I can’t write a straight couple to save my life.

For example, my latest “brilliant idea” is to rewrite Hamlet as a modern-set YA novel. And of course Hamlet and Horatio are the endgame couple. And I know that there are plenty of people out there who would absolutely eat that crap up (like me), but I’m also so afraid of publishers being like, “Why are you trying to publish this gay fanfiction”, you know? And of scaring off the male audience.

I hate that I feel this way because people shouldn’t be afraid to publish lgbt stories. Ugh. Successful books like Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (gay Harry Potter, basically) give me hope though.

So anyways, thoughts?

Hi!! I've been pursuing traditional publication for several years, so I may have some wisdom here, specifically with the YA market in mind.

Regarding LGBT stories in general. There is a huge push in publishing to publish more diverse stories, especially books by "own voices" authors, meaning authors who share a marginalization with the narrator of the book. I've noticed over the years, at least in YA which is mostly what I read, that there have been a lot more LGBT stories being published. Most reputable agents are looking for LGBT content, some will want it more than others, same with editors at publishing houses. There are agents and editors who will fight over a great LGBT story! And in terms of readers, no matter what your book is about and who is in your book there will be people who don't like it or connect with it. Again with YA (I'm sure other age groups are similar) LGBT is selling. People buy it and read it and enjoy it in all genres!

One piece of advice is if you're not already, read a lot of current books in the age group and genre you're hoping to publish in. Read outside your age group and genre too, but start to get a sense of what's currently on the market and what people are reading and enjoying. And current being published in the last three years or so.

Regarding the market in general. If your idea(s) don't quite feel like what's in the market right now, THAT'S OKAY. Don't write something that fits into what's on bookshelves right now. The books that agents and editors are selling right now won't be on shelves for another 1.5-2+ years. You're writing for what might sell a few years from now. Trying to figure out market trends and what someone might want years from now is going to make you go crazy, so don't worry about it. Write what you want to write and what you're excited about and passionate about. When you're ready to start sending it out to agents, their wishlists will give you a pretty good idea of whether this could be the time for this book or not.

So overall, I'd say write what you want!. Agents and editors will not be scared off by LGBT content. Many actively look for it and want it over non-LGBT stories. Read in your genre (and out!) and get a feel for the market. Write the project you're passionate about the way you feel the story should be told.

Happy to chat further if you'd like

I completely understand what you mean, and I've experienced similar worries myself. But trust me when I say that LGBTQIA+ content is highly desirable. There's a huge demand right now for queer stories—especially queer stories with a hook (like a gay, modern retelling of Hamlet, which sounds awesome btw!).

YA publishers, specifically, are seeking more LGBTQIA+ voices and books. You should have no trouble finding a publisher interested in a queer story, and Lord knows there are many, many readers who love both LGBTQIA+ original stories and LGBTQIA+ fanfiction (with the latter category having a particularly large and devoted fanbase).

Your concerns are valid, especially since there was a time when mainstream publishers would've shied away from anything even remotely queer. But now that modern audiences have demonstrated a thirst for this type of material, LGBTQIA+ stories are becoming increasingly mainstream. Out magazine even said we're in "a golden era for queer fiction."

Make no mistake: getting published is a very hard process, and it will probably take years for you to land a publishing deal—regardless of how safe or marketable your story is. But I don't believe the process will be any harder for you just because your story centers on queer characters. (And keep in mind that there are many publishing houses who actually specialize in LGBTQIA+ stories!)

Also, regarding the "male audience": don't worry about that. While it's true that most media caters to the preferences of cishet men, it doesn't have to. Some of the most successful stories in recent years have been marketed exclusively to female readers (the Twilight books are a prime example). If your story doesn't appeal to straight men, that's fine! Straight women and LGBTQIA+ readers are all the audience you'll need.

On a final note, I just want to say that representation is immensely important. The world needs more queer stories, and if you want to write some, you absolutely should. Don't let anyone or anything discourage you. There are plenty of readers, writers, agents and publishers out there who would love to get their hands on this type of novel. I, personally, would be very excited to read it. Queer fiction matters, but it won't exist unless we create it.

William Morris wrote in one of his novels "with the arrogance of youth, I determined to do no less than to transform the world with Beauty. If I have succeeded in some small way, if only in one small corner of the world, amongst the men and women I love, then I shall count myself blessed, and blessed, and blessed, and the work goes on."

Most people haven't even heard of The Well at the World's End, but they've felt their influence. The novel that this quote came from became a pioneering work because he was the first to write fantasy novels set in an entirely fictional world. Gandalf the Grey from Lord of the Rings and Peter from Narnia are both callbacks to it.

He was also a huge advocate of the Arts and Crafts movement, when mass industrialisation was still rising he often talked of the inequality and environmental destruction. Particularly, he feared the loss of individual artistic expression as industry and luxury wiped it out.

It makes him even more relevant when facing that overwhelming pressure to contribute to 'the machine' that demands a think be suitable for mass production or gets churned under the wheels.

When every word that you write becomes an act of arrogance and defiance in order to create beauty in an industrial world, then writing suddenly becomes a whole lot more exciting.