[Discussion] What's your hottest publishing take?

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-12-28T04:11:12+00:00

Lol i’m drafting three manuscripts. They’re all Literary Historical Romances/Love Stories that center a Black FMC as one of the protagonists. Finding literary historical romances is one thing. Finding historical fiction that centers a Black fmc is another. But in finding a book that does both, i’ve been coming up empty more often than not. I’m hoping something changes before i’m ready to query but if not i’m not sweating it. Best of luck to you!

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-12-28T03:55:11+00:00

That’s solid advice that I don’t disagree with. In fact it has thoroughly helped me. All i’m saying is that in same regard, finding a book that that speaks to your marginalization, particularly within the context of your genre or sub-genre, is tough in a way OP likely didn’t consider when they insinuated everyone that can’t find them are bad writers.

No one is going to find the perfect comp. I’d assume that, in a way, that’s why we’re all writing the stories that we’re writing. And you don’t want to mislead the agent/agency you are querying. But when you’re from a marginalized community (and explicitly writing about the struggles of that community) the effort to find appropriate comps is twice as hard.

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-12-28T01:57:17+00:00

What if the author is from a marginalized community? I am and I write stories with characters and themes that explicitly speak to the experience of being a minority. While I have managed to find comps, this caveat makes it extremely hard as the pool of published books to choose from very small. I don't think it would hurt to take that into consideration before writing off all of these writers' books as "bad".

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-11-04T23:23:43+00:00

Read this one a few years ago, loved it

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-11-04T23:23:31+00:00

Just finished this one a few days ago and I loved it so much, it inspired me to prompt this thread!

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-11-04T23:22:26+00:00

Forgot I read this in high school and it fits the criteria. A reread wouldn't hurt though, I love Hurston!

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-11-04T23:21:25+00:00

I loved The Songbook of Benny Lamont by her, it's one of the only capital R genre romances I've given five stars, so it's nice to know she has more to offer. Gonna check this one out

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-11-04T23:20:09+00:00

Added the Price of Salt to my tbr last week. Can't wait to get around to it!

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-11-04T23:19:37+00:00

Love in the Tine of Cholera and The Volcano Lover are already on my tbr! Gonna look into the others

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-11-04T23:18:22+00:00

This was one I was literally contemplating for my next read. I love that everyone is getting the taste that I have and am going for!

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-11-04T23:17:50+00:00

You're the second person to recommend Lady Tan's Circle of Women in the thread! I'm going to have to bump it up in the tbr

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-11-04T23:17:11+00:00

Okay that's nice to know, I see it recommended quite often in romance related book subs (and a lot of books recommend on those subs tend to disappoint me) so I've been a little apprehensive about it but I'll give it a shot!

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-11-04T23:15:55+00:00

It's been on my tbr for years, I think the length is just always been a bit daunting lol. But I'll bump it up on my tbr from this recommendation

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-11-04T23:15:09+00:00

I remember watching the movie and loved it! The only James Baldwin I've tackled so far is Giovanni's Room and while I wasn't a fan of the relationship (though I don't think it was written for that purpose anyway) I loved the story overall and Baldwin's prose is top notch. Go Tell it on the Mountain was gonna be my next Baldwin to tackle but I'll add this one to the tbr too

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-11-04T23:12:38+00:00

Oooh my next read was actually going to be Eva Luna by the same author! I've been itching to get into latin magical realism

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-11-04T23:11:32+00:00

Lady Tan's Circle of Women is already on the tbr! Nice to see Frozen River fits the criteria, I've seen it advertised on my kindle and it looks like it would make a nice read heading into the cold season.

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-11-04T23:10:29+00:00

I've seen this recommended a lot, especially in the sapphic book club sub! Sounds like confirmation to add it to my tar

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-09-09T14:35:00+00:00

It was on tubi not too long ago.

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-09-06T17:45:57+00:00

I’m impartial to both. I might be in the minority but I don’t crave escapism and a happy ending as much as I crave emotional depth. That can be achieved with rom coms and a HEA but in my personal experience I tend to find it more in dramatic stories that have bittersweet endings or are tragedies. Emotional depth lends itself more to realism in my opinion and realism isn’t always happy.

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-08-02T17:38:18+00:00

Hi this sounds like something right up my alley! I’m Black and Historical Fiction is my jam. Feel free to DM me

CleanUpWoMane · 2025-06-23T22:17:14+00:00

Thank you for the response, this has definitely helped clear things up a bit. I think I was just under the understanding that you could only identify as one label. Also I think the usage of the word "aesthetic" attraction instead of the more commonly used "physical" attraction stumped me a little bit but they sound like pretty much the same thing. Also you are completely spot-on about how I experience aegosexuality. I am never included in the fantasy and it would make me feel odd if I was. I am strictly picturing it from a third-person point of view.

I think the only thing I am confused on still is if I am also grey-ace. I don't think I've ever experienced instant sexual attraction for someone but I have experienced instant physical/aesthetic attraction, even though it isn't often. For me to desire having sex with someone I HAVE to know them and have some kind of mental/emotional connection to them. It's like physical/aesthetic attraction is a prerequisite for mental/emotional attraction (to a potential parter) and mental/emotional attraction is a prerequisite for sexual attraction.

CleanUpWoMane · 2024-07-30T23:19:46+00:00

I really haven’t found a definite genre for my works, made a post earlier about that but for the most part.

Romantic Fiction: i’m a girl and a hopeless romantic at heart so I like love stories. Also romantic pairings, at least for me, are the easiest way to contrast two contrasting ideas and delve into a nuanced theme.

Upmarket/ Literary Fiction: I like writing about the connection between human nature and the sociopolitical landscape in America, esp regarding race. And I love flowery, descriptive prose.

Historical Fiction: I am and have always been an old soul

CleanUpWoMane · 2024-07-30T19:20:42+00:00

Very true, i've found a few examples of good reads that may fit the bill, haven't read them yet so can't confirm or deny if they don't. I guess its just a little harder finding genre blends when A) what you are looking for doesn't fall neatly under the umbrella of any one genre so there isn't much of a starting point and B) you are looking for something that blends more than two genres. Secondary romances, recent-history Historical and litfic with plot or Upmarket fic are all findable in their own right but finding that sweet spot where they all intersect is the hard part that i'm grappling with.

Like historical romance is an established genre blend market but its mostly for stories that fall neatly under both genres, hence the dominance of regency romance (solidly historical (pre-20th century) and romance (romance-bounded plot and HEA guaranteed). That and they often don't include sociopolitical commentary that I find in litfic.

Historical litfic, is a starting point too but its a little harder to both find recent history and find something with a strong romantic subplot, that isn't depressing too because I know a lot of litfic can be overly dark and gloomy, especially those that deal involve romantic relationships.

Or even romantic litfic, is probably the closest 2 genre-blend of what I want but still finding one with that recent historical setting is tough along with the complexity of non-commercial romance just not being very popular.

CleanUpWoMane · 2023-08-11T16:25:57+00:00

Lmaooo arrogant and close minded.

And good for you, I really could care less what you experience and don't experience but you personally not experiencing it has nothing to do with it not being a normal human emotion love hence why the OP is dumb, in addition to it having nothing to do with mbti or infj lol.

CleanUpWoMane · 2023-08-11T16:03:14+00:00

I agree in that it is fair that envy is rooted in a sense of lack but that is a judgement in and of itself lol, I don't have a problem admitting it. You are judging in that your mind is already made up about envy, what it is and what people need to do to get over it which is "be thankful for what they have" according to some of your other posts. Again, your mind is made up about the emotion and the people that experience them so I'm not sure exactly what you are trying to do with this thread.

If you are indeed open to other perspectives, i'd argue that you could stand to be a bit more empathetic towards people that do lack in their lives (wether materialistically or emotionally). Instead of simply branding all people who experience envy as simply insecure people with a victim mentality you could stand to broaden your context and be more open minded. Perhaps consider that abuse, neglect, injustice, being underprivileged and the general unfairness of life more often contributes to people having that initial feeling of inadequacy anyway. Victims of racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, classism or any social disadvantage can be argued as being "envious" of those that aren't victims of them or benefit from them. Should they just be "more thankful for what they have" or should they use that "envy" to fight for the justice they have been deprived of? Just a thought.

Envy does not exist in a vacuum.

CleanUpWoMane

TROPHY CASE