Hooking up Dean Koontz and Frankenstein isn’t a big stretch. Koontz has written some creepy stuff. But what do Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott stories have to to with zombies and vampires? What does all that blood and guts have to do with selling your writing?
According to Sniplets.com, Dean Koontz signed with Bantam Books to do three new Frankenstein novels. The first looks like it’s titled Lost Souls and is due out in May 2010, with the other two books following in spring of the next two years.
It’s trending, fellow writers. And if you want to jump on the band wagon, the time might be now. Like NaNoWriMo now! Publishers (print publishers) work 18 months to two years out. They buy stuff that will trend at about two years. No, they don’t have crystal balls, but somehow they seem to either call it right a lot of the time, or they acually create trends. They’re buying horror with twists.
Hooror is trending again. Darcy’s Hunger blends Pride and Prejudice with vampires. If you feel we’re all vampired out, such may not be the case. This particular horror story is written by a teacher, Regina Jeffers, who adores Austen. Now, there’s something you don’t see much of, right? English teachers who love Jane? But hold on!
Seth Grahame-Smith has a book out about Pride and Prejudice and zombies. It seems to be selling, though, from my point of view, we’re going to get mighty tired of Darcy and company. Not only that, but Mr. Grahame-Smith is threatening to do another – Little Women meet werewolves.
If you’re a novelist, this may be your chance to stomp crowds who will, by 2014, doubtless pen Charlotte’s Little Web of Horrors or The Haunting of Cannary Row. Put your mind to it and create your own creepy version of a favorite classic. You’ll need a top-notch book proposal to get in a publisher’s door–more so now than ever (hire a ghost writer to do that if you don’t know how–email me for info about ghosts). It may not be the most original plotting on earth, but it should sell some books.
Read more about writing books:
Libby Hellmann talks about writing and selling your books
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