Discussing Upmarket Fiction
Upmarket Fiction is a relatively new genre – we can say that it’s not nearly as old as straight horror, or even gothic horror. Not even the hardboiled detective fiction genre is quite that recent. Upmarket fiction has only come to the writing world in the past ten years or so, and this means that many authors are still trying to find their feet around the genre.
And that’s okay. We’re here to help. Upmarket fiction has been widely discussed amongst authors, and that might give you some really valuable tips about the rest of the industry – and what you should be doing if you want to get into the game of writing upmarket fiction.
You might think that upmarket fiction is too hard to get a handle on, but you might also be surprised to find that you have been writing upmarket fiction all along and just didn’t know it.
Here’s what other writers have been saying about upmarket fiction over the internet.
Upmarket Fiction? Kboards
Kboards is the official message board for Kindle users and fanatics; here, someone asked for some great suggestions for upmarket fiction – and if you’re researching upmarket fiction as a writer, then this is the perfect thread to read through to find out what you should be reading more of to get to know the genre better.
Absolute Write: Definition of Upmarket Fiction
The Absolute Write forums are an excellent resource for authors looking for new exposure to their work – and useful connections with other authors. Here, they’ve got a thread discussion just what upmarket fiction is defined as.
Query Tracker: Looking for Upmarket Fiction Agents
Here’s a great thread on Query Tracker about where you can find upmarket fiction agents if you need someone who is willing to represent your work.
Upmarket Romance Group
Are you a sucker for romance? Then you’ll love being part of the Upmarket Romance Group on Goodreads: Again, this makes an excellent place to start for authors who feel that they are still trying to find your feet in the upmarket romance genre and want to get to know it better.
Cuebon
www.cuebon.com/ewriters/genres.htm
Here’s a very, very useful list on Cuebon that’ll tell you just what you need to know about the different genres. They have comprehensive definitions of each genre on the website, and you can find literary upmarket fiction if you scroll down on the page. Another great, similar website is The Book Genre Dictionary, which is available over here and should give you a clear breakdown of work by genre in case you aren’t sure.
Looking for more practical places to submit your fiction? Take a look at Reedsy’s directory of literary magazines to find just what you’re looking for. You can also take a closer look at their definition of upmarket fiction, what we like to call ‘the forgotten middle child of the publishing world.” If that sounds interesting to you, keep reading and we’ll tell you everything that you need to know.