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Thinking about what is "commercial" and not in books...I realize my most successful book was the one I thought was the least commercial. That would be my lesbian Cinderella retelling, ASH. The one I thought would be most commercial was my biggest flop, sales-wise, ADAPTATION.
(Technically INHERITANCE, the sequel, was actually the biggest sales flop, but I count it as part of ADAPTATION because they're a duology and you need to read both to get the whole story.)
The thing with having a big sales flop that turned my career upside down was that I had to learn to not try to write what I thought would be successful. I had to learn to focus instead on writing the most Malinda Lo books possible.
I've learned that Malinda Lo books often have so-called "unlikable" female main characters. (I love them though.) They're also morally ambiguous in many ways, and require the reader to do some work. They're not "commercial" in the way Hunger Games is ... AT ALL.
And on the back end, a Malinda Lo book requires me to do extensive research--what many would say is too much! But I'm obsessed with realism. I'm really interested in place. I also really love to write gut-wrenching psychic pain. I dunno why, I hate it in reality!
ASH had all of those features. It just took me about another 3 books to realize that's what I do best. So now I'm trying to work with it!
I feel like I should add ... I really loved writing ADAPTATION. It was the most fun I've ever had writing a book! And many people who read it have loved it too. Just ... not quite *enough* people read it. :) But it's still available as an ebook for the bargain price of $5.99!
