Writing to Your Market by Dani Collins

This week we have author Dani Collins talking about 'Writing to Your Market'. She has a new Christmas book out this month, Wedding at Mistletoe Chalet.




Award-winning and USA Today Bestselling author Dani Collins thrives on giving readers emotional, compelling, heart-soaring romance with some laughter and heat thrown in, just like real life. Mostly she writes contemporary romance for Harlequin Presents and Tule’s Montana Born, but her backlist of forty books also includes self-published erotic romance, romantic comedy, and even an epic medieval fantasy. When she’s not writing—just kidding, she’s always writing. She lives in Christina Lake, BC with her high school sweetheart husband who occasionally coaxes her out of her attic office to visit their grown children—or travel.


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One of the biggest mistakes I’ve made as a writer (and trust me, I’ve made pretty much all of them) was not understanding early enough how important it is to write to market—if you want to publish.

First, it’s important you understand that writing is yours and no one can take it from you or tell you how to do it. You can write what you want and share it or not, that’s your decision.

However, if you want to sell your stories, you have to be more strategic than simply following your bliss.

Before I published, I did follow my bliss. I wrote many different types of books: Harlequin Presents, romcom, erotic romance, medieval fantasy romance, Harlequin Presents… I won’t say I regret those books. They were learning ground and I’ve since indie published some of them with mixed success in terms of sales.

I had always read widely in romance subgenres so I didn’t see a problem in writing many types of romance. I made it my goal to write aspirational characters. I kept my prose clean even if my language wasn’t. I wrote the kind of book I wanted to write at the time, not realizing that a career is not built on one romcom or one medieval fantasy. Readers who love an author in one genre may not follow to another.

For instance, I might love Nalini Singh’s shape-shifters, but I wouldn’t necessarily pick up an Amish Christmas story if she put one out. While some readers pick up both my Montana Born stories and my Harlequin Presents, many stick to reading one or the other. Readers have preferences. They’re like humans that way!

Which doesn’t mean you can’t take chances. Just be strategic. For instance, this year, I’ve dipped my toe into sweet and wholesome (no sex, no swearing) with Wedding at Mistletoe Chalet.

It’s a standalone book, which is always a risk, but in this case I don’t think I’ll have to start at zero with finding a reader base. It’s enough like my Montana Born books to appeal to those lovers of small town romance.

I also think readers who enjoy sexy books can be coaxed to try a sweet romance, especially if it’s a Christmas story. If I had a dozen wholesome books under my belt and suddenly put out a story with hot love scenes using saucy language, I think it would be a much tougher sell.

Have you found your lane? Or are you still figuring out where your place in the market is likely to be?


New Book from Dani Collins!

Wedding at Mistletoe Chalet 



Eager for a home-style Christmas while she considers a career shift, Kristen Benz leaps on the temporary job at Mistletoe Chalet. Soon she’s wrapping presents, trimming the tree, and helping her new boss’s tween daughter plan a Christmas Eve vow renewal for her parents. The holiday is imbued with a magical glow—especially when Kristen’s high school sweetheart appears on the doorstep.

After years of medical school, Finn Garrett has promised his parents he’ll be home for the holidays. His detour to see his first love is supposed to provide closure, not rekindle their long-ago romance.

Can a matchmaking tween and the magic of Mistletoe Chalet spark the happily ever after that eluded them in the past?


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22 comments:

  1. No, I don't suppose I have found my lane, because I'm all over the road. In your terms, I guess that means I enjoy writing "to my bliss," but I got a late start, and I'm too old to change now. A lot of people love my first book, which is a literary women's lit kinda humorous slice-of-life novel, and some love my second one, which is the first book of a trilogy, much darker, and peppered with F-bombs. Few people love both of them. (Except me...HA!) Book two is much tamer and could probably be characterized as YA. If I ever finish it... :)

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    1. It's a delicate balance, isn't it, Susan? As an author, you have to love what you write or why bother? But if you want people to follow you, the stepping stones have to look a little bit alike or they don't trust as easily. So long as you're happy where you are, there is not problem. :)

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  2. I used to read all kinds of romance books. Then I found the Paranormal romance and just knew that's what I wanted to mostly read. I do still read other romance genres but PNR is my thing/lane.

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    1. Hi Mary, I'm so glad you've found your lane! I wrote one fantasy with a woman who could heal with touch and loved it, but didn't know if I had a lot of books like that in me so I ultimate focused on straight contemporary without the woo-woo elements. If something great came to me, though, I'd totally go for it. I love the sheer fiction of a paranormal. That you make your own rules as far as reality goes. :)

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  3. Hi Kelly - nice to meet Dani ... even though I don't write books - I can see what you're saying relative to my blog - I certainly couldn't change course re style of authorship - it'd throw everyone ... but understand we need to engage readers and that I strive to do re the content of the very varied posts I put up. Great to meet you Dani - cheers Hilary

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  4. I think that's why some writers juggle a couple pen names. They can keep their genres separate. But I agree, readers of steamier novels will read the more chaste romances, but those that prefer chaste romances don't like the more erotic stories.

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  5. Sounds like the perfect read for the season. Wishing you all the best with your wonderful book.


    Hello, Kelly:)

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  6. Thank you for sharing. And I'm with Sandra! Be well, and Happy Writing.

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  7. An interesting post. I think it's great to be able to write different kinds of books. Fun too. Christmas stories should be magical because it's the time of the year. Sounds fascinating. Nice to meet you.

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    1. Hi Beverly. Yes, agreed. Thanks. Nice to meet you too. :)

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  8. I think it's good to know what sells, but sometimes things that are trending now, won't be trending six months from now. So it's also good to follow your muse. You might start the next trend.

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    1. You're so right Sherry! Chasing trends can be a lesson in madness.

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  9. I love the cover and the summary. I think stand alone's can be good for readers who enjoy your other books. I think more readers would be willing to pick up a standalone then start a series.

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    1. that's awesome feedback, Adriana. I keep hearing series, series, series so I'm less inclined to write a standalone these days. It's nice to hear the other perspective. Takes the pressure off :)

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  10. Beautiful cover!

    I have been hearing this advice more recently. Thanks for giving us your honest perspective. Wishing you all the best! :)
    ~Jess

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  11. I didn't really think about writing for a particular market until I started following certain publishers on social media; I paid attention to the kinds of books they published and what the writing is like. Like you said, it's important to pay attention to those kinds of things because then you know who to pitch your writing to.

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  12. Thanks for sharing this great post. You make some good points about writing to market.

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