Today I got thinking about readers and how easy it is for any of us to get comfortable with our reading material and miss out on some real treats.
With me, my comfort zone is definitely romance, paranormal and sci-fi titles (with the occasional 'science for dummies' non-fiction titles and articles thrown in for good measure). However, I belong to an online critique group consisting of five authors who write fiction in a wide range of genres. I've learnt an awful lot from them... and I've developed an unexpected enthusiasm for hard hitting relationship-led plot lines, historical suspense, comedy and spy novels! (None of which I would previously have picked up off a library shelf - let alone parted with my money for!)
And it seems as if I'm not the only one who's been missing out. Today, a reader of mine got quite excited when she spotted my third book on sale. She mentioned that she would be lending it to a friend of hers after she'd finished with it and then proceeded to tell me that she'd already lent the first two titles to the same friend (who'd been sceptical about whether she'd enjoy them because she 'didn't really read that kind of thing'). The verdict? The first two titles were returned, with the message: "Well, I never would have bought them... but they're rather good, aren't they?" Needless to say, hearing that made my day!
So, for any readers who are contemplating 'genre jumping' - Good on you! You never know... you might end up like me or the lady mentioned above and find another fiction style that will give you hours of pleasure.
With me, my comfort zone is definitely romance, paranormal and sci-fi titles (with the occasional 'science for dummies' non-fiction titles and articles thrown in for good measure). However, I belong to an online critique group consisting of five authors who write fiction in a wide range of genres. I've learnt an awful lot from them... and I've developed an unexpected enthusiasm for hard hitting relationship-led plot lines, historical suspense, comedy and spy novels! (None of which I would previously have picked up off a library shelf - let alone parted with my money for!)
And it seems as if I'm not the only one who's been missing out. Today, a reader of mine got quite excited when she spotted my third book on sale. She mentioned that she would be lending it to a friend of hers after she'd finished with it and then proceeded to tell me that she'd already lent the first two titles to the same friend (who'd been sceptical about whether she'd enjoy them because she 'didn't really read that kind of thing'). The verdict? The first two titles were returned, with the message: "Well, I never would have bought them... but they're rather good, aren't they?" Needless to say, hearing that made my day!
So, for any readers who are contemplating 'genre jumping' - Good on you! You never know... you might end up like me or the lady mentioned above and find another fiction style that will give you hours of pleasure.
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