What is Commercial Fiction (and Why It’s Not a “Dirty Word”!)

In this article, The Novelry editor Sorcha Rose explores the wonderful world of commercial fiction: a category that encompasses a wide audience of readers across the globe. She tells us why “commercial” is not a derogatory term, why writers should be proud of their book if it falls under this category, and details five key elements of commercial fiction for authors aiming their stories at this particular shelf.

Before joining The Novelry, Sorcha was an Assistant Editor at Hodder & Stoughton, a division of Hachette and home to many bestselling authors, where Sorcha worked closely on Sunday Times bestsellers like The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly, and Will Dean’s The Last Thing to Burn, which was shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger. At The Novelry, Sorcha works with writers who are editing their novels on The Big Edit and The Ultimate Manuscript Assessment.

Keep reading for Sorcha’s five great qualities writers should bear in mind when tackling commercial fiction.

Simply put, commercial fiction — also referred to as mainstream fiction, and often as genre fiction — is fiction that has a wide readership, and therefore has the potential to sell a lot of copies. These books are likely to be plot-driven and be a real page-turner for readers.
— The Novelry

Why is commercial fiction so misunderstood?

Something important to recognize about commercial fiction is that it isn’t its own genre. Instead, it is an umbrella term that includes many different genres across a whole range of complex themes and plotlines. For example:

• Crime and suspense
• Historical fiction
• Romance and Up Lit
• Science fiction and fantasy

Commercial fiction often includes thrilling adventures and high-stakes stories that are widely accessible to the reader, no matter which genre they prefer. The key? These books have high entertainment value for the person turning the pages. So, how do you write one?

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The line between literary and commercial fiction

Another aspect to consider is that it can sometimes feel like books blur the lines in terms of what category they fit under. The two most common categories are commercial and literary fiction, but sometimes a book can share similarities across both.

If you think your novel might sit on the literary fiction shelf, where the story may feel more internal than external, perhaps with an ambiguous ending, try this guide to literary fiction by editor Sadé Omeje.

The categories of book club or upmarket fiction often blend literary and commercial elements together, and if this seems more appropriate for your story, you might like to read this guide to book club fiction by writing coach Libby Page.

You might find it hard to know where your book sits right now, but having an idea of how to signpost what your novel is to literary agents, publishers, and readers will help them understand more about your book and the reading experience.

With that in mind, let’s look at what qualities make for an excellent commercial fiction novel.

Five qualities of an excellent commercial fiction novel

1. Understanding your reader

Readers of commercial fiction will be used to certain tropes in the genres they read and will look out for them. Examples of popular tropes within crime and thriller could be a murder, an unreliable narrator, or a disappearance. Most readers will know the tropes of the genre they are reading, and because of this, they will expect to see them in the commercial novels they pick up.

Some readers even look specifically for their favorite tropes in the books they read. In the romance genre, there are so many beloved tropes that many readers look for. For example, they might want to read more enemies to lovers, grumpy sunshine, fake dating, forced proximity (the list goes on!), so knowing a book includes these tropes could encourage them to select a certain title for their next read.

But does this mean all commercial books within one genre are just all the same? The answer here is no. Some of the best writers with the most effective commercial novels utilize tropes by finding creativity within them. So don’t be afraid to use tropes, but add your own writing flair to them.

2. Writing a plot-driven story

Commercial fiction is known for being more plot-driven than literary fiction or book club fiction. This is due to the plot being essential to commercial readers. It’s what keeps them engaged in a novel from the very first chapter. This means commercial books must include something that is actively happening that propels the character and reader forward, adding pace to the story.

A commercial novel needs to have a plot that feels entertaining enough to have a reader reading to the very last page — and desperate to do so! Characters should be going on a journey where they are pushed out of their comfort zones and forced to work for what they want. You can think of plot in a commercial fiction being a bit like a roller-coaster: twisty and fast-paced, focusing slightly less on the more literary elements as it heads toward a satisfying resolution.

A commercial novel needs to have a plot that feels entertaining enough to have a reader reading to the very last page — and desperate to do so!
— Sorcha Rose

3. Crafting compelling characters

Though plot is important, don’t forget about your characters and make sure they feel authentic and relatable. Like any book, your characters should be compelling to read. A novel could have the most original, exciting, and fast-paced plot, but if a character is one-dimensional and readers don’t connect with them, why would they care about what happens to them?

Characters within commercial fiction still need strong motivations and a well-developed character arc that will make readers want to invest their time in them. Cardboard cut-out characters won’t do the job! Think about commercial book series — readers care so much about the characters authors have created that they read numerous books just to see what they do next. (Harry Potter, anyone?) It is key to make sure your story has relatable characters that are developed fully to keep your readers hooked.

You might find this article on character development helpful.

4. Keep your writing style strong

Some say commercial fiction is for entertainment, and less about the art of writing. You might even have heard people referring to commercial books as “an easy read,” but writing fiction that flows effortlessly on the page takes expertise. Writing commercial fiction means your story must be entertaining, but this doesn’t mean you can slack on honing your writing!

Commercial novels are usually more accessible, meaning they are targeted toward a mass audience. Having a book that is for a wide readership means a writer needs to create a book that many will find readable and compelling, which makes good writing essential.

Something to remember is that commercial novels usually have less nuanced or abstract ideas, as these side more with the literary fiction market, but this doesn’t mean the writing and prose style isn’t any less important. Both literary and commercial fiction require strong prose to keep a reader’s attention.

5. Honing your hook

A killer hook — or pitch — can be the very thing to interest readers and make them pick up a book, whether this is a commercial, book club, or literary novel. However, with a commercial fiction pitch, this can be even more important for a reader to be excited about a story, so it’s important to make a commercial pitch punchy and have people think “I want to read that!” straight away. To do this, the pitch needs to be snappy and pull out the stakes of your novel, as this is what will excite your reader.

Integrating tropes and highlighting the strands of your book that make it original are key in a commercial pitch. For example, looking at The Love Hypothesis, you could say it is a fake-dating romance novel, with this signposting the trope included in the novel, but by adding that it features women in STEM, this shows the unique aspect of Ali Hazelwood’s book.

For more examples, take a look at this article on what makes a killer pitch by Bloomsbury publishing director Darcy Nicholson.

A literary landscape readers love

Commercial fiction is a brilliant category of fiction that is a dynamic area of the book market and has a voracious readership. Whether you are writing an action-packed thriller, a high-stakes science fiction blockbuster, or a steamy romance, these tips will help elevate your commercial novel and leave your readers hungry for more.

For more tips on writing and editing your novel, join us on a creative writing course at The Novelry today. Sign up for courses, coaching, and a community from the world’s top-rated writing school.