Comments on: Hope for the genre-challenged?

By: Edie Claire

Edie Claire — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:49:40 +0000

Thanks so much, JoAnn! And Mara, I totally know that muse. I swear the little wenches sometimes take pleasure in irritating us. But what can you do? Like our puny human brains could ever come up with such stories without them? No, they know they’ve got us…

By: Mara Rae

Mara Rae — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 12:56:32 +0000

This post was just what I needed. I have received similar comments from agents, stating they loved my book but don’t know how to sell it. I didn’t think of the e-reader as a tool to break through the rigid walls of genre categorization until now. And my current muse must be Ella the Elusive, because she only appears about five minutes before my toddler wakes up from his nap…

By: JoAnn Grote

JoAnn Grote — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 23:02:07 +0000

Great post. The type of books Betty urges you to write sound like just the kind I like to read, and might like to write myself. Just downloaded Borrowed Time and am looking forward to reading it.

By: Linda Poitevin

Linda Poitevin — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 17:59:47 +0000

Wonderful post, Edie! Laughed out loud at your description of Betty. The e-book revolution really is changing the landscape, isn’t it? It will be interesting to see how things evolve…all the very best of luck to you and Betty!

By: Edie Claire

Edie Claire — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:12:41 +0000

Thanks, everyone! I really am excited about the possibilities, because there’s no question that the odds of readers totally changing the way they search for and locate books seem considerably better than the odds of me ever latching onto a market-savvy muse!

By: Patricia Rice

Patricia Rice — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 20:07:00 +0000

Great post, Edie! It may take a while to straighten out publishing so readers can find good books without using artificial categories, but the time is coming! I’m heading off to download the book (because ebook prices are better than Starbucks).

And I think one of my muses is called Sarcastic B*tch and she’s really hard to sell.

By: Phoebe Conn

Phoebe Conn — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:55:51 +0000

Your story shows the beauty of the new ebook world. We can write what we want, and find an audience without a publisher’s “shoulds” for a genre. My muse is an Indian brave who rides a pinto horse and gallops through my office to remind me to write! However, the bare chest and flying black hair are a terrible distraction.

By: Angelia Almos

Angelia Almos — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:30:19 +0000

Thanks for the post and the great reminder.

By: Ashley McConnell

Ashley McConnell — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 15:42:02 +0000

Great post! I love the way you name your muses (I think mine must be Ox the Dunderhead). And I think you’ve nailed the biggest value of e-publishing–how it frees us from other people’s market expectations and lets us write the books we want to read!

By: Kelly McClymer

Kelly McClymer — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 12:38:10 +0000

Betty the Bumblehead, hmmm? My muse may be her ornery twin sister Letty the Lightskirt — always following the most rakishly interesting idea, no matter the ability of said rake to be either faithful or supportive.

Excellent post!