More market research

Vampires are so far ahead of the competition in my latest poll that it’s ridiculous. Fifty-four per cent of my readers believe there are vastly more bad books about them than anything else on the list. Lagging way behind are faerie and witches at 9%. Daikaiju and ghouls got no votes at all.

On the other hand, my last piece of intensive market research found that faery and vampires were the most popular creatures of the night. What to conclude?

People love vampires when done well, but hate them done badly.
There’s a massive opening for novels about giant monsters and/or ghouls.

Therefore, my next novel clearly has to be about a (reimagined) vampire who battles giant monsters with the assistance of an army of ghouls. Practically writes itself, dunnit? Though it does cry out for zombies . . .

Which leads to my next poll, which you will find to your right.

Posted by Justine at 10:28, 15 February 2008 under Research, Young Adult literature, Zombies | 21 Comments »

Comments

Kathleen Says:

Clearly, the zombie has to be an enemy of the reimagined vampire at first, but joins to his/her cause when it becomes apparent that a reimagined vampire can’t fight giant monsters alone.

Although…I am pretty partial to the “zombies vs. unicorns” thing, if only because it leads to the possibility of zombie unicorns.

February 15th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Gillian Says:

Didn’t we already do the ghouls/govt thing in real life?

February 15th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Phil Says:

Has to be zombies versus unicorns, where, in an unexpected twist, the unicorns are the good guys.

February 15th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
hillary! Says:

I think that you need werewolves! Werewolves hardly get any attention, and if they do it’s all bad, werewolves need to be LOVED! Vampires get all the good attention, it SUX!

February 15th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Mary Elizabeth S. Says:

I second Hillary. Werewolves need to be re-imagined just as much as vamps do, and their re-imagining possibilities are much wider open, seeing as so little has been done with them.

~Mary

February 15th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
6. Justine Says:

Gillian: Didn’t we already do the ghouls/govt thing in real life?

Good point.

Phil: Has to be zombies versus unicorns, where, in an unexpected twist, the unicorns are the good guys.

Not if I write it!

hillary! & Mary: Clearly, you two need to be writing werewolf stories.

February 15th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
limeywesty Says:

You should have vampires AND Zombies, in which, something exciting happens…
But also, I share your love of mangosteens, and I don’t think that they’re portrayed nearly enough in YA literature.

So, either I do it, or you do it…
hmm… the voting is a tough thing. we need more options.
Let me think and I’ll get back to you Justine.

February 15th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Danica Says:

I nearly voted for zombies vs. unicorns…but I know what side you’re on, so I figured I could guess how that story would turn out…

Also, I had my first mangosteen a while ago. DELISH.

February 15th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Mary Elizabeth S. Says:

I am, in fact, but I’d love company.

~Mary

February 15th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
ariel cooke Says:

I’m so sick of zombies! I wish they’d all go take a nap in a nice wet Haitian swamp and not wake (semi wake?) again. I’m with Hillary and Mary Elizabeth. What about werewolves? They’re the perfect metaphor for puberty, too.

February 15th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
11. Justine Says:

Ariel Cooke: I’m so sick of zombies!

Really? I’ve never read a single YA zombie novel. Not a single one. There are lots of movies but not nearly as many novels.

Though I hear there’s a really good one coming out pretty soon.

February 15th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Patrick Says:

Phil – good ‘ELVEN’ unicorns! Seriously, everything is better Elven!

February 15th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
13. Justine Says:

I ain’t never writing no book with elves in it. NEVER!

February 15th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Mary Elizabeth S. Says:

Yay, Ariel! You, me, and Hillary must set about changing the face of werewolf YA culture. Ready, set, WRITE!

~Mary

February 15th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
rebecca Says:

oh my god. can i vote for, like, all of them? i mean, seriously.

but i would love to see what you’d do with vampires.

i think for me it’s a tie between reimagined vampire and zombies vs. unicorns. i’ll have to use eenie meenie mynee mo to actually vote.

werewolf fans: have you read blood and chocolate or tantalize? b&c is all about them, and tantalize features them pretty heavily alongside vampires. both awesome books.

February 16th, 2008 at 12:12 am
Tacithydra Says:

Snowboarding. Werewolves.

Can you imagine how extreme the sports could get when you have super-healing powers and enough fur to insulate from the snow? And imagine the drinking parties in the ski lodges every night!

Nothing more need be said.

February 16th, 2008 at 2:11 am
Patrick Says:

justine – the elves will come an write it for you!

February 16th, 2008 at 9:50 am
ariel cooke Says:

What about Sabriel by Garth Nix? The zombies are called Dead Hands and they’re rotting flesh controlled by evil spirits in the Land of the Dead. And that’s definitely YA. I don’t know if you count The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander as YA but there are zombies in that one too–the Cauldron Born? But basically I’m zombie’d out from Maureen Johnson’s contest.

February 16th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
ariel cooke Says:

Mary Elizabeth–ready, set, howl!

February 16th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Mahek Says:

I love mythical creatures. The story I’m working on has werewolves, werecats and vampires. I’m also working on another one which has just vampires.

I feel sorry for werewolves, they don’t get any fame!

February 17th, 2008 at 4:16 am
Mary Elizabeth S. Says:

Thanks Rebecca. I’ve read Blood and Chocolate, but missed Tantalize. Must check it out!

*howls with ariel*

And, good on you, Mahek!

~Mary

February 17th, 2008 at 3:32 pm