2.19 Talking Niche Genre
So today I'm going to be covering 4 niches of Speculative fiction: Steampunk, Gaslamp, LitRPG and GameLit.
Three of these are Sci-Fi, which may surprise anyone who's seen my bookshelf because I have less than 10 sci-fi books on my shelf.
There is no faster way to start a fight in a niche than to state your opinion on what constitutes that niche.
Please keep in mind, I've read extensively in these four niches, I've written in 3 of them, I would consider myself at least adept to speak of these things but your own definition may vary, and we're allowed to dissent.
Niche typically implies that it doesn't have 'mass market appeal' although I think this is a misnomer as most people have read niche without knowing it.
Niche appeals, usually, to a dedicated market. That is to say, people who are fans of a particular niche tend to be a small but loyal market. I, myself am a huge fan of gaslamp. Just the word gaslamp in a book's blurb will jump up the chances for me buying it.
Niche genre does also get a bit of a 'they only like the same story regurgitated over and over' from broader readers. If you read speculative fiction or romance, you've probably heard someone from a different genre make this remark. Genre itself was a 'niche' for a very long time and there is still a reaction in inexperienced readers to turn their nose at such fanciful notions as Fantasy or Science Fiction. This attitude still persists, somehow. That article is from 3 years ago. Pretty recent, and pretty narrow-minded. I'd like to think this attitude is a minority these days, but it is an attitude you may have encountered.
So if mainstream fantasy is 'niche' and pulp to some, the sub-genres inside it are going to be even more removed. Not a bad thing, just means people may not recognise a niche when they see it, or may not know that they have come up with a great concept that actually describes the heart of a niche.
There is a small and dedicated market for niche work and that means a targetted and strong fanbase which means booksales and dollars in the bank. I'm definitely not encouraging people to write for this reason alone, but there is definitely money in it! My father is a fan of steampunk, he spent $60 on a steampunk art book just a few days ago because it's his jam. He didn't even want to buy a book until he saw it in the shop as we passed the art books on offer. But that's anecdotal evidence, if you want to know what sort of money you'll be looking at for such things, hop on Amazon and check the sales of the books in these genres. They're steady, strong and the niches aren't going anywhere.
I'm only covering 4 niches today, and these certainly are just the tip of the lettuce when it comes to sub-genres.
Similarly, if you've never played an MMO or an RPG (or you don't know what those words mean at all....) you're going to need to do some research for your LitRPG or GameLit novel. Otherwise it is going to show, and show strongly.
Basically, do your homework. Read other works that are popular, identify good tropes to hit and cliches to dodge.
So most people know the name. Steampunk has a flare of the dramatic from its community. People dressing up nerf guns with bronze spraypaint, affixing gears to hats and making awesome 1800's style clothing. Steampunk is a niche of Science Fiction, and this is where a divide starts to appear between readers and writers as to what classifies as steampunk.
The attempt for Steampunk, is to emulate the mad-science and adventure hooks of classic and early Science Fiction novels by authors like Jules Verne and H G Wells. Much of Steampunk is a homage to these early Sci-Fi works and the desire is to keep that feel in atmosphere and language.
The emphasis is on the Steam technology; dirrigibles, trains, early attempts at locomotion, even clockwork devices.
The punk is probably the part that is most often debated on. Usually we have fringes of society; the disowned lord, the uppity female mechanic, mad scientists etc.
Most books are set in 1800s or early 1900s, however that is not necessary nor a requirement of the genre.
Now, here's where things get tricky... Steampunk and Gaslamp. Or, what happens when you want magic in your steampunk world....
Gaslamp is, like Steampunk, typically set in the Victorian era. Adventure and mystery are the two main focus on this genre also, although sometimes there's emphasis on romance. Gaslamp is thrown into the Fantasy section, however, and often 'miscategorised' as Steampunk.
Weirdly, in my experience, most fans of Steampunk are also fans of Gaslamp, but there's a strong desire to keep the two niches seperate and understood by the readers.
Gaslamp does not have to include magic; there are a few relatively mainstream Gaslamp titles and shows that have no magic at all, Ripper Street, The Alienist are both available on Netflix and prime examples of Gaslamp
without magic.
Perhaps the most well-known Gaslamp novel that follows all the conventions of the niche is Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrell. This is a perfect example of the genre. A strong emphasis on the times and also supernatural undertones.
Some strict fans of Steampunk will relegate any book with a Steampunk theme that uses magic into the category of Gaslamp and as a result there is a sort of mixing between these two genres where science and technology might be explained with magic.
I personally think of the niche divide as where the emphasis lies; if problems are solved with magic or a steam-powered grappling hook.
I think the overall focus on Gaslamp novels tend toward an individual level over world-shattering threats in most instances. Certainly, I'm a big fan of the murder-mysteries in this niche...
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which is a sub-category of Sci-Fi. We're two layers deep already and LitRPG is possibly (depending on how you define it,) a third layer. All LitRPG is GameLit, but not all GameLit is LitRPG.
Once that's sunk in, you'll probably be thinking 'I've never seen an example of GameLit'. If you like sci-fi, you probably have.
GameLit is a pretty recent term that spawned to cover 'that which is not pure enough to be LitRPG' in the niche's fanbase. Lots of examples have been around for a very long time and much portal-fantasy is included in this definition as it is hoped to catch what fell out of the strict definitives of the other genre.
While it is in no way a requirement of the genre, the main focus is that of a character in a game environment trying to achieve a game's goals. Achieving results in the game must affect them in the real world. That is to say; if you win the game, you succeed in real terms as well. This is the main convention underscoring the niche. Often it is represented as; you are stuck in the game, if you die in the game, you die in reality.
I'd go so far as to say that game results= real world victory/lose is the cornerstone of the genre. Without it, there's little stakes in the novel.
GameLit is typically without the stat-blocks that you see in LitRPG.
Now, GameLit also is a broad category that is supposed to cover portal-fantasy as well.
Personally I find portal-fantasy to be just that; portal-FANTASY and unless the fantasy has obvious game qualities (such as a HUD) then I would seperate these two, personally. This is coming back to the whole 'fantasy=magic' 'science-fiction=technology' separation between Gaslamp and Steampunk. But niche genre are nothing if not muddy grounds.
You don't have to explain every nuance of the technology involved in how someone ended up in a game-world. Whether it is VR or some sort of digitilisation-ray, as long as the premise is clear.
Short for Literary Role Playing Game. This can include D&D games, but typically is a VRMMORPG in which the hero finds herself. Most work in this niche is YA and first-person tense, although that is common, it is not the be-all. This niche is usually defined by the need to have stat-blocks. Again, as GameLit, the game needs to have real-world consequences or results.
A lot of the current work in this genre are indie authors, but there are some real gems in the current market and while it is harder to find them because of how insula and niche the genre is, there are some great reads. This is a budding niche, like GameLit. while novels have existed that touched on these concepts long before we gave the genre a name, they are not as numerous as other, better known genres.
LitRPG is nothing new to fans of anime. I think the first time I encountered the premise was in .Hack//Sign (yeah, my age is showing here) but it's a reoccurring genre for the Japanese market. In the last 5 years there's been a spike and noticeable increase in manga and anime dealing with virtual reality or travel into a gaming world. These works are popular. I think audiences are hungry for it especially.
I mentioned before that GameLit (and by extension LitRPG) are a niche of cyberpunk and that, I think is why the genre is starting to really take off. We're seeing more and more technological advancements toward having actual VR interfaces and neural links with machines. These stories begin to feel less like a fanciful tale as a result, and more like a promise or prediction. I also think that there has been a demand for genre like these for a long time and not as much supply. Because of their niche, there is less traditional publishing attention on these niche works and demand has not diminished.
And there you have it, 4 niche genres you might not have known about before. Do you agree with my definitions? Disagree strongly? Please let me know your thoughts and opinions!
Three of these are Sci-Fi, which may surprise anyone who's seen my bookshelf because I have less than 10 sci-fi books on my shelf.
A note on my definitions and explanations.
Before I continue, I feel a strong need to disclaimer that these are my own opinions and definitions. Some fans have extremely strict and narrow realms of what does and does not fit their niche, others are much broader.There is no faster way to start a fight in a niche than to state your opinion on what constitutes that niche.
Please keep in mind, I've read extensively in these four niches, I've written in 3 of them, I would consider myself at least adept to speak of these things but your own definition may vary, and we're allowed to dissent.
A note on Niche.
Niche genre seems to be the offspring of two literary conventions meeting and having a strange hybrid progeny for the most part. Yeah, Niche is the Alien/Ripley baby we don't talk about from that Aliens movie we also don't talk about.Niche typically implies that it doesn't have 'mass market appeal' although I think this is a misnomer as most people have read niche without knowing it.
Niche appeals, usually, to a dedicated market. That is to say, people who are fans of a particular niche tend to be a small but loyal market. I, myself am a huge fan of gaslamp. Just the word gaslamp in a book's blurb will jump up the chances for me buying it.
Niche genre does also get a bit of a 'they only like the same story regurgitated over and over' from broader readers. If you read speculative fiction or romance, you've probably heard someone from a different genre make this remark. Genre itself was a 'niche' for a very long time and there is still a reaction in inexperienced readers to turn their nose at such fanciful notions as Fantasy or Science Fiction. This attitude still persists, somehow. That article is from 3 years ago. Pretty recent, and pretty narrow-minded. I'd like to think this attitude is a minority these days, but it is an attitude you may have encountered.
So if mainstream fantasy is 'niche' and pulp to some, the sub-genres inside it are going to be even more removed. Not a bad thing, just means people may not recognise a niche when they see it, or may not know that they have come up with a great concept that actually describes the heart of a niche.
For authors, niches can be profittable.
There. I said it. The thing we're not supposed to talk about when it comes to writing books.There is a small and dedicated market for niche work and that means a targetted and strong fanbase which means booksales and dollars in the bank. I'm definitely not encouraging people to write for this reason alone, but there is definitely money in it! My father is a fan of steampunk, he spent $60 on a steampunk art book just a few days ago because it's his jam. He didn't even want to buy a book until he saw it in the shop as we passed the art books on offer. But that's anecdotal evidence, if you want to know what sort of money you'll be looking at for such things, hop on Amazon and check the sales of the books in these genres. They're steady, strong and the niches aren't going anywhere.
I'm only covering 4 niches today, and these certainly are just the tip of the lettuce when it comes to sub-genres.
Pandering
Deciding to write in a niche should be undertaken with the same research and interest you would any other genre. Fans will know if you haven't researched your niche and it will very quickly show. For a niche, the genre comes with certain conventions, primarily points you should address or at least hit. One young author in early proofing stages for a romance with steampunk elements had described the clothing as 'gear-enhanced' in her novel that I was asked to beta. When I questioned what 'gear-enhanced meant' she didn't have an answer other than 'it has gears on it.' That's not going to fly with most fans.Similarly, if you've never played an MMO or an RPG (or you don't know what those words mean at all....) you're going to need to do some research for your LitRPG or GameLit novel. Otherwise it is going to show, and show strongly.
Basically, do your homework. Read other works that are popular, identify good tropes to hit and cliches to dodge.
Steampunk
So most people know the name. Steampunk has a flare of the dramatic from its community. People dressing up nerf guns with bronze spraypaint, affixing gears to hats and making awesome 1800's style clothing. Steampunk is a niche of Science Fiction, and this is where a divide starts to appear between readers and writers as to what classifies as steampunk.The attempt for Steampunk, is to emulate the mad-science and adventure hooks of classic and early Science Fiction novels by authors like Jules Verne and H G Wells. Much of Steampunk is a homage to these early Sci-Fi works and the desire is to keep that feel in atmosphere and language.
The punk is probably the part that is most often debated on. Usually we have fringes of society; the disowned lord, the uppity female mechanic, mad scientists etc.
Most books are set in 1800s or early 1900s, however that is not necessary nor a requirement of the genre.
Now, here's where things get tricky... Steampunk and Gaslamp. Or, what happens when you want magic in your steampunk world....
Gaslamp
Gaslamp is, like Steampunk, typically set in the Victorian era. Adventure and mystery are the two main focus on this genre also, although sometimes there's emphasis on romance. Gaslamp is thrown into the Fantasy section, however, and often 'miscategorised' as Steampunk.Weirdly, in my experience, most fans of Steampunk are also fans of Gaslamp, but there's a strong desire to keep the two niches seperate and understood by the readers.
Gaslamp does not have to include magic; there are a few relatively mainstream Gaslamp titles and shows that have no magic at all, Ripper Street, The Alienist are both available on Netflix and prime examples of Gaslamp
without magic.
Perhaps the most well-known Gaslamp novel that follows all the conventions of the niche is Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrell. This is a perfect example of the genre. A strong emphasis on the times and also supernatural undertones.Some strict fans of Steampunk will relegate any book with a Steampunk theme that uses magic into the category of Gaslamp and as a result there is a sort of mixing between these two genres where science and technology might be explained with magic.
I personally think of the niche divide as where the emphasis lies; if problems are solved with magic or a steam-powered grappling hook.
I think the overall focus on Gaslamp novels tend toward an individual level over world-shattering threats in most instances. Certainly, I'm a big fan of the murder-mysteries in this niche...
GameLit
Short for Game Literature. So this is a can of worms, but GameLit is a sub-category of CyberpunkOnce that's sunk in, you'll probably be thinking 'I've never seen an example of GameLit'. If you like sci-fi, you probably have.
GameLit is a pretty recent term that spawned to cover 'that which is not pure enough to be LitRPG' in the niche's fanbase. Lots of examples have been around for a very long time and much portal-fantasy is included in this definition as it is hoped to catch what fell out of the strict definitives of the other genre.
While it is in no way a requirement of the genre, the main focus is that of a character in a game environment trying to achieve a game's goals. Achieving results in the game must affect them in the real world. That is to say; if you win the game, you succeed in real terms as well. This is the main convention underscoring the niche. Often it is represented as; you are stuck in the game, if you die in the game, you die in reality. I'd go so far as to say that game results= real world victory/lose is the cornerstone of the genre. Without it, there's little stakes in the novel.
GameLit is typically without the stat-blocks that you see in LitRPG.
Now, GameLit also is a broad category that is supposed to cover portal-fantasy as well.
Personally I find portal-fantasy to be just that; portal-FANTASY and unless the fantasy has obvious game qualities (such as a HUD) then I would seperate these two, personally. This is coming back to the whole 'fantasy=magic' 'science-fiction=technology' separation between Gaslamp and Steampunk. But niche genre are nothing if not muddy grounds.
You don't have to explain every nuance of the technology involved in how someone ended up in a game-world. Whether it is VR or some sort of digitilisation-ray, as long as the premise is clear.
LitRPG
Short for Literary Role Playing Game. This can include D&D games, but typically is a VRMMORPG in which the hero finds herself. Most work in this niche is YA and first-person tense, although that is common, it is not the be-all. This niche is usually defined by the need to have stat-blocks. Again, as GameLit, the game needs to have real-world consequences or results.
A lot of the current work in this genre are indie authors, but there are some real gems in the current market and while it is harder to find them because of how insula and niche the genre is, there are some great reads. This is a budding niche, like GameLit. while novels have existed that touched on these concepts long before we gave the genre a name, they are not as numerous as other, better known genres.
LitRPG is nothing new to fans of anime. I think the first time I encountered the premise was in .Hack//Sign (yeah, my age is showing here) but it's a reoccurring genre for the Japanese market. In the last 5 years there's been a spike and noticeable increase in manga and anime dealing with virtual reality or travel into a gaming world. These works are popular. I think audiences are hungry for it especially.I mentioned before that GameLit (and by extension LitRPG) are a niche of cyberpunk and that, I think is why the genre is starting to really take off. We're seeing more and more technological advancements toward having actual VR interfaces and neural links with machines. These stories begin to feel less like a fanciful tale as a result, and more like a promise or prediction. I also think that there has been a demand for genre like these for a long time and not as much supply. Because of their niche, there is less traditional publishing attention on these niche works and demand has not diminished.
And there you have it, 4 niche genres you might not have known about before. Do you agree with my definitions? Disagree strongly? Please let me know your thoughts and opinions!
This is awessome
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