How to Recognize and Write Upmarket Fiction

Upmarket fiction is a subgenre of fiction books that incorporates elements of page-turning mainstream fiction, while still showcasing the more nuanced prose and complex character development more often found in literary fiction. Upmarket fiction is often referred to as book club fiction as these books are often selected for book clubs.

The lines between upmarket fiction and commercial fiction are sometimes hard to define. Commercial fiction (or popular fiction) is generally made up of genre fiction and young adult novels that place reader engagement, plot-driven narrative, and exciting writing ahead of complex prose. Novels like The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins are examples of popular commercial fiction. Commercial fiction novels often display hallmarks of thrillers, erotica, science fiction, or other popular types of fiction. Upmarket fiction shares a lot in common with commercial fiction, but generally, upmarket fiction authors are more focused on creating nuanced characters and engaging with complex themes.

Literary fiction leaves more open to interpretation and analysis than commercial fiction. Literary novels can have elements of various fiction genres, but they rarely fall into a clear subset of genre fiction. Literary novels often place character development and nuanced prose ahead of plot. This is not to say that literary fiction can’t be plot-driven, just that plot never comes at the expense of more complex themes and well-rounded characters. Upmarket fiction generally has elements of literary fiction, while still incorporating universally accessible plots and occasionally falling into a more clear category of genre fiction.

Upmarket books are easy to find when you look at any list of bestsellers. The genre has become increasingly popular over the past few decades, and booksellers tend to showcase the books in stores and online as they account for a large portion of sales. Some examples of upmarket fiction include:

1. 1. Gone Girl (2012) by Gillian Flynn
2. 2. The Lovely Bones (2002) by Alice Sebold
3. 3. Water for Elephants (2006) by Sara Gruen

Upmarket fiction is an exciting genre to explore as a new writer. If you are considering writing a book that you feel will fall into the category of upmarket fiction, here are six tips to consider as you get started:

1. 1. Center the story around a strong main character. One of the hallmarks of both commercial fiction and upmarket fiction is a strong and well-developed main character. There are obviously exceptions to this rule, but crafting a narrative around a well-rounded protagonist can help guide your narrative, especially as a novice writer. Learn more about writing a strong protagonist here.
2. 2. Write an engaging plot. Plot is another area of overlap between commercial and upmarket fiction. When a literary agent at a literary agency in New York is looking for the next big upmarket bestseller, they are generally looking for a strong and dynamic plot.
3. 3. Embrace complex themes. Incorporating deeper and more complex themes is generally where upmarket fiction books start to differentiate themselves from commercial fiction. Think about what elements resonate with you about your plot and character and explore those deeper themes. Learn more about devising a theme for your story here.
4. 4. Include elements of genre fiction. Upmarket novels generally incorporate elements of sub-genres like thrillers, historical romance, or sci-fi. If your book fits cleanly into one of these categories, try to pick some elements of the genre that you think will fit well.
5. 5. Insist on excellent writing. One of the most important parts of upmarket fiction is strong and engaging prose. Never place plot or character ahead of good writing.
6. 6. Seek professional representation. After the writing stage, the next step for publishing an upmarket novel is usually seeking representation from a literary agent. Once you have a finished manuscript, send a query letter to agents and literary agencies to move your novel one step closer to publication.

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