Reimagining SFF: Fantasy & SciFi for the modern market with Lee Harris

My first workshop on Sunday involved Science Fiction.  Now, I have a confession to make here... I love Science Fiction movies but I rarely read Science Fiction books. In fact, even though many class my Evolution Trilogy as Science fiction, I see it as Romantic Suspense with an edge (or with a paranormal twist).

So, I really enjoyed this workshop - I learned a lot about a world I know nothing about.  I also got the chance to chat to Lee about my Evolution Series at the end.  He gave me some great advice and I decided my series was going to become a Trilogy... it took a lot of pressure off! Thank you Lee for taking the time to give me advice and for being so nice...

So first, let me introduce Lee Harris

Angry Robot’s Editor. Helps Marco decide what an Angry Robot author looks like, and does more than his fair share of marketing and making the tea. [NB, we don't drink tea.] Nice guy – politer than him, that’s for sure. Also publishes a well-known weekly fiction eZine -Hub, reviewed TV shows for the excellent (now sadly defunct) DeathRay Magazine, blogs and writes for SFX and occasionally updates his own blog at LeeAHarris.com. He’s also a Twitter bod, and the current Chair of the British Fantasy Society.

http://www.angryrobotbooks.com/

SCIENCE FICTION

• Space Opera/ Western (Firefly)
• Cyber Punk - HiTec Machinery (biological)
• Post Apocalyptic
• Steam Punk (Victorian)/ Diesel (WW1/ WW2)/ Cyber
• Contemporary/ Modern - Urban Fantasy (Paranormal Romance)
• Alternative History
• Dystopian/ Utopian
• Soft SF (Economics)
• Hard SF (Physics)

FANTASY

• Urban Fantasy - Paranormal Romance
• Zombie Fiction
• High Fantasy

POPULAR WRITING CHOICES

1) FILMS

If you write to market you might miss the boat... not if SF

2) BOOK SALES

Everyone else will have the same idea and try to come up with similar books...look at Twilight, Fifty shades - the market was flooded.

3) BOOK COVERS

This is less emotional/ more about trying to connect with the reader (for example - and this made me laugh - how many of you have seen the picture of the girl in a long dress looking over her shoulder, sometimes holding a sword?)

Personally, I stopped looking at books because the covers were the same when I was in my Twilight obsession...lol

4) WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE MARKET

Trends...

• Steam Punk
• Retro Geek punk - Player One
• Geeks rule the world
• Elitist HiTec
• Robot book
• Dystopian - Hunger Games
• Comic SciFi
• Time Travel
• Fiction from other cultures - Gods/ Godesses
• Fantasy set in another country

Best chance of success

• Compare to recent success
• Influenced by...
• Reminiscent of...
• Include "reviews"
• Should appeal to...

TO STAND OUT

1. Write well
2. Research the Market
3. Think of a fresh concept within a Genre
4. Make it a good read...
5. Commercial