I've been a fan of Poppy Z. Brite's Liquor series for quite some time (read my recent review at Voices of Soul Kitchen and D*U*C*K to see how much I love these books). I was very disappointed then to read the letter from her editor that she posted yesterday. Here's a bit:

I think we’ve suffered because there isn’t a single target audience for the series, but several smaller ones, and we’ve tried to get to all of them, to varying degrees of success. We have not been able to tap into the core mystery market, due to content that slants somewhat outside what is the norm for this genre, but also your apprehension on this front. The gay market has responded, but only in the somewhat expected minimal way, and the “foodie fiction� reader we have tried to grab seems to be as elusive as a good bagel in my home town. Even Tony Bourdain’s forays into this genre have been met with so-so sales. Honestly, I think we’ve cast the net too wide and pulled in a small catch in the process.

I know this is not the answer you were hoping for regarding HURRICANE STEW and DOUBLE SHOT, but I hope you will take this to heart—you are a writer with many fans out there, and I have truly valued being your publisher. Our decision to not move forward with this series will in now way affect our commitment to publishing DEAD SHRIMP BLUES well, and with enthusiasm for you and for the cap of our series. I’d very much like to continue our relationship, and take it into a different direction that will hopefully carry appeal for a far wider readership, leading to better results for both you and Crown.

One of the things that surprised me when reviewing Soul Kitchen was that the publisher marketed it as a murder mystery. While there is a murder in the opening pages (and the wrong person is convicted for the crime), solving the murder is only one small part of the story. It's not like Rickey and G-man play detective - that could not be further from the truth. I did not enjoy this book as a mystery really at all - I enjoyed it as the regional fiction that it is. I love soaking up the New Orleans atmosphere and the relationship ups and downs between Rickey and G-man plus how they get along with their family and friends and all the professional drama. It's just fiction more than anything else, wonderful to read, pleasurable to sink into, addictive from start to finish, fiction.

So why the hell can't they just sell it as that?

Why can't the PR people just sell it as fiction, why must it be a mystery or "foodie fiction" or gay or whatever else they decide to sell it as? When did we have to try and turn fiction into genre? It's bizarre enough to me that purely genre books (like YA science fiction) are not called that - but now a purely literary series must be delegated as genre (pick a genre, any genre) in order to find an audience.

And since that doesn't work (duh), the author is shut out.

It is exactly this sort of "one size fits all" attitude towards reading (and writing) that frustrates me so much. When I read about a proven novelist like Poppy being told to "write the definitive Katrina novel" instead of simply writing about people living, loving and working in New Orleans then I see the very small chance that a book like my AK Flying book really has. It is not a conventionally written plot-driven novel (like Poppy's are), it's set in an unusual but not exotic location (whereas Poppy's are) and it involves no romantic relationships at all (but Poppy's do - and the relationship has evolved through each succeeding title). So really - other than some flying, dying and living large in the Last Frontier, what do I have to offer?

My book is not a genre title - no way, no how. And if that's what the PR machines want (or require) then what do we do?

Anyone got an answer for that?