How popular do you think novels in which the characters are gay and lesbian are? Yes, I know how popular Sarah Waters and Allen Hollindale are to nan=me but two, but are they an exeption.
How popular do you think novels in which the characters are gay and lesbian are? Yes, I know how popular Sarah Waters and Allen Hollindale are to nan=me but two, but are they an exeption.
I hope they are quite popular, or else my novel is going to bomb! :)
How interesting that they should actually say that to you. I think your assumption that people don't want to read it is entirely wrong. It's just that you can walk around with Fifty Shades in your handbag and no one would bat an eyelid but if Tipping the Velvet fell out of your handbag in the Post Office, tongues might wag.
Think of all those people who bought adult copies of Harry Potter, took the dust jacket off so they were left with a black book and sometimes even dressed it in a new jacket to cover the spine while they were reading in public. People make judgements based on what you are reading. The book in your hand can say you have taste, are following the crowd or are interested in same sex relationships. I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't risk that last assumption.
If there were more LGBT characters in mainstream fiction the effect would be lessened significantly and I personally hope that is what will happen. After all, who doesn't have a friend or relative who is gay and isn't it strange that something so commonplace in our society is so under-represented in fiction?
I was motivated to ask this question when an agency I sent some chapters to told me not to classify my novel as gay and lesbian (not that I had, it doesn't have a specifically GLBT agenda) because publishers think it wont sell - meaning I suppose that few people would want to read it. Just curious to hear what people think.