Recently, I started
a discussion on a Goodreads forum asking readers and authors what
they loved and hated about SFR, mainly to help me avoid some pitfalls
while writing my new book. The responses I got were incredibly
illuminating, so I thought I’d share some of what I learned.
When it came to pet
peeves, weak and whiny heroines stood out as number one. It comes as
no surprise that SFR readers want a leading lady who can hold her own
without complaining, whether through her unique abilities or pure
grit and determination. There was a caveat: the heroine’s abilities
or powers shouldn’t be unlimited or abruptly change. For instance,
if she starts out with the ability to read minds, at 75% in the book
she can’t suddenly develop the ability to shoot electricity from
her eyeballs. So, yeah, readers want an extraordinary heroine, but
one with vulnerabilities and realistic growth throughout the story.
Another annoyance
was the heroine’s debilitating attraction to the hero. According to
the comments, sizzling chemistry is all well and good, but not when
the heroine is incapable of running away from a horde of ravening,
murderous aliens without also obsessing over the cuteness of her love
interest’s butt.
Battered heroines
suddenly wanting crazy monkey sex was another issue; if she’s just
been beaten, or recovered from a coma, or, most particularly, has
been sexually assaulted, readers seem to think she might want to take
breather before getting her freak on.
Regarding
world-building, readers asked for aliens that look like aliens and
believable science without being bashed over the head with
excruciating detail. The use of deus ex-machina was universally
despised; readers asked for a logical build-up to the climax, and
definitely no loose plot threads. Setting up a sequel is all well and
good, but there seems to be a distinct antipathy toward cliffhangers
and dropped plot points.
So what do readers
love? Characters. Almost every comment referred to strong, likable
heroines and heroes with a believable connection. 3rd
person POV seemed to be popular as well; readers want to hear from
both the hero and heroine in equal parts, which I found interesting,
since I predominantly write in 1st person.
They loved complex,
original worlds that leave room for new stories, kick-ass heroines
who don’t wait to be saved, and heroes with alpha tendencies (but
aren’t copy-catted Christian Grays).
Finally, the most frequently mentioned comment: good editing.
Lots of readers will put the book down if the errors are too
frequent; while most said they would give the author’s next book a
chance if the typos were at a minimum.
So there you have
it...a little market research on SFR. If you’d like to see it for
yourself, the link is below. Thanks, and please check out my latest
release, Woman of Silk and Stone, available on Amazon and Smashwords!
Exactly what I like to find in the female mcs.
ReplyDeleteGee, those are my pet peeves, too, when I'm reading any book. Thanks for sharing your "research." Very helpful for us writers.
ReplyDelete