The break out novel

[cathschaffstump]

Finally, we come to it. What makes the successful break out novel? In order to get here, we’ve played with the concepts of literature and genre. Lines are often arbitrary drawn between the two. We’ve also talked about the issue of popularity and how sales don’t necessarily mean a break out novel, although people do get confused in regard to that point.

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Originally published at Writer Tamago. You can comment here or there.

Comments

[squirrel-monkey.livejournal.com]

What do you mean by a breakout novel? I usually see 'breakout' used as a novel that propels the writer to a new level (of sales, acclaim, what have you) without necessarily being a book that crosses over from the genre.

[awelkin.livejournal.com]

I've written about 4 entries to get to this point. I lean towards acclaim and skill rather than cash. Time is also a factor for me. If you read those entries, you'll see where I'm going with this.

My definition is based heavily in literary studies, given that I'm an academic.

Catherine