There are a number of things that you need to know if you want to be a successful writer. As we covered in our previous article, one of the topics that you have to understand is copyright and intellectual property. Knowing this will help you succeed.
However, that is far from the only topic you need to understand. It is also important for you to understand the key differences between literary and commercial publishing. While there are some similarities between the two, there are also important distinctions, as well. Without further ado, here is what you need to know about the differences between literary and commercial publishing.
Literary and Commercial Publishing Have Different Focuses
One of the key differences between literary and commercial publishing is how they focus on different aspects of the literary work. When it comes to literary publishing, the key focus is on the quality of writing in the work itself. Literary publishing also focuses on themes and character development since the primary goal is to create a literary work with the highest possible standard of writing.
Commercial publishing, on the other hand, deals largely with literary works designed to appeal to a wide audience. Because of this, it focuses on pacing, plot, and readability. In other words, its main focus is on aspects of literature that can make a work more appealing. This is not to say that these works are necessarily inferior to those distributed in literary publishing, but the focus is vastly different.
Writing Style Differs Between Literary and Commercial Publishing
Writing style is another important distinction between literary and commercial publishing. As previously stated, commercial publishing focuses on making the work as easy to sell as possible whereas literary publishing focuses on creating a work with the highest quality of writing possible. As such, the standard writing style for literary and commercial publishing is not the same.
Literary fiction typically includes a variety of features such as experimental language, vivid imagery, and complex sentence structure. This is meant to improve the quality of writing as much as possible. However, on the other hand, commercial publishing seeks to make the work highly accessible to large audiences. Commercial fiction usually employs a writing style that is straightforward and clear.
A straightforward writing style tends to appeal to a large audience. That is why it is the typical writing style for commercial fiction. Commercial and literary fiction also have different target audiences.
Commercial and Literary Fiction Appeal to Varying Audiences
One more key difference between commercial and literary fiction is that they appeal to different target audiences. This is likely unsurprising, given the distinctions between the two types of writing. Literary fiction is designed to appeal to readers who are looking for literature that explores characters and themes deeply and provides intellectual stimulation.
In contrast, commercial fiction is meant to appeal to readers who want to read an entertaining story that ends with a satisfactory conclusion. Commercial fiction targets a broad audience while literary fiction targets a more niche audience. This is clear to see when considering the differences between what these two types of fiction focus on.
It is also worth noting that the difference in target audiences plays a major role in the perceptions readers have of commercial and literary fiction. Many consider literary fiction a form of art and view it as something to stimulate one’s intellect, much like a painting might. Readers tend to perceive commercial fiction as a form of entertainment. They see it as something to enjoy and have fun with, regardless of whether or not it is intellectually stimulating.
Commercial fiction and literary fiction are also different in how they approach genre.
Commercial and Literary Fiction Take Contrasting Approaches to Genre
Genre is naturally an important factor of any type of literature, particularly fiction. However, commercial and literary fiction approach the topic of genre differently. It is possible that literary fiction can follow genre conventions and can be classified as part of a specific genre. Despite this, literary fiction might not follow these conventions and can be a mix of different genres. This is quite common for literary fiction, which is why categorizing it by genre can be challenging.
Commercial fiction approaches genre quite differently. Typically, commercial fiction clearly belongs to a particular genre. It is far easier to categorize in this way because it includes settings, themes, or conventions that are common in a specific genre. A few examples of genres that commercial fiction could belong to include thriller, science fiction, romance, and mystery. Naturally, commercial fiction can belong to several genres at the same time.
Regardless, categorizing commercial fiction this way makes far more sense than it does for literary fiction. Literary fiction often doesn’t follow genre conventions. Commercial and literary fiction also differ in terms of the different expectations regarding sales and critical reception.
Literary and Commercial Fiction Have Different Expectations
As previously stated, literary fiction tends to appeal to a more niche audience compared to commercial fiction. This is not necessarily a negative. However, it does mean that literary fiction typically doesn’t sell as well as commercial fiction. Critics are more likely to acclaim literary fiction and literary fiction is more likely to win literary awards than commercial fiction. Essentially, there is usually a trade-off between greater critical acclaim and decreased financial success when it comes to literary fiction.
It is quite different with commercial fiction. Commercial fiction often doesn’t receive critical acclaim or win literary awards. However, commercial fiction tends to sell more copies than literary fiction does. This is because of the fact that commercial fiction appeals to a larger audience than literary fiction. Commercial fiction is better if you want more financial success and literary fiction is better if you want critical recognition or awards.
Literary and Commercial Fiction Have Many Differences
As you’ve seen, there are quite a few differences between literary and commercial fiction. Both have literary value. Commercial fiction entertains readers while literary fiction provides intellectual stimulation. It is best to keep these differences in mind when writing your work.
Check back next time to learn more about building your personal brand as an author.
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