I don't think it's related to the author being Canadian, except in that -- possibly -- she doesn't get to 'hit the street' as much down here at the American conventions. I don't actually know how much impact that has on book sales, but it seems like one of the factors that could potentially hurt Canadian authors in the American market. Setting the first two books in and around Toronto didn't really make them 'foreign' in a way that would bother most readers; given the amount of American television filmed in Canada, I think most people have a better mental map of Toronto than they realize!
Her lack of porn-driven plot may be a factor, sadly. The series that go huge are either a) fluffy (like the Undead and Un____ series, or Don't Talk Back to Your Vampire), b) porn (Laurell K. Hamilton anyone?), or c) much more oriented towards the romance side of the market. (This isn't one hundred percent, but it still seems to be a serious trend.) Being darker and more serious isn't going to help her with the 'looking for the hot sexy true love with the sexy' crowd, and her lack of sex isn't going to help her catch the Anne Rice spill-over.
Which then brings her to an issue I've been discussing with several people lately: assumptions made about female authors. It's very likely that Newsflesh will be published under a pseudonym, just to prevent confusion with the Toby books, and it's also likely that the pseudonym will be gender neutral, if not male. Why? Because women only write 'sexy' horror. Newsflesh isn't sexy, but print it with a woman's name and the assumption will be made. So that assumption, combined with her covers, may be driving readers away, since they're assuming that she's just doing Anita Blake all over again.
I am loving my weekly dose of True Blood. Truly, it rocks me hard, rocks me easy, and rocks the pain away. I like the Charlene Harris books, although I sadly lost interest after the fifth or so.
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Her lack of porn-driven plot may be a factor, sadly. The series that go huge are either a) fluffy (like the Undead and Un____ series, or Don't Talk Back to Your Vampire), b) porn (Laurell K. Hamilton anyone?), or c) much more oriented towards the romance side of the market. (This isn't one hundred percent, but it still seems to be a serious trend.) Being darker and more serious isn't going to help her with the 'looking for the hot sexy true love with the sexy' crowd, and her lack of sex isn't going to help her catch the Anne Rice spill-over.
Which then brings her to an issue I've been discussing with several people lately: assumptions made about female authors. It's very likely that Newsflesh will be published under a pseudonym, just to prevent confusion with the Toby books, and it's also likely that the pseudonym will be gender neutral, if not male. Why? Because women only write 'sexy' horror. Newsflesh isn't sexy, but print it with a woman's name and the assumption will be made. So that assumption, combined with her covers, may be driving readers away, since they're assuming that she's just doing Anita Blake all over again.
I am loving my weekly dose of True Blood. Truly, it rocks me hard, rocks me easy, and rocks the pain away. I like the Charlene Harris books, although I sadly lost interest after the fifth or so.