That depends on multiple factors.
What is a hack?
Stephen Pressfield, in his brilliant book The War of Art, defines a hack as someone who “condescends to the audience.” Further, the hack chooses to work not so much with what they desire to write as much as what they think they can write for money. They focus on what they think the market wants first and foremost.
Does that mean that if you write to market you’re automatically a hack? No. However, defining the line is important to me because I desire to be as authentic and genuine as I can be.
That’s not to say that you can’t be authentic and write to market at the same time. And maybe this matters less to you than it does to me. Maybe whether or not this matters is what should be explored first.
Why does this matter?
The first question is – why do I write professionally? Do I create books out of vanity? The desire to see my name and the title of a book I wrote on a website, a bookshelf, or in the hands of a reader?
While I do love to see my books in the world – it’s not about vanity. I have been compelled to write since childhood. I’m a storyteller. Along the way, that’s turned into a career in writing.
It began with fiction. In time, I got to do some journalism, business, marketing, advertising, and other similar bits of writing. Then, in the 2010s, I began in earnest to write regularly. Weekly nonfiction blogs became bi-weekly, then tri-weekly, then at one point 5-6 times per week. For the last 2 years or so, blogging has been a 4-times a week process.
Storytelling is a compulsion. So taking that to the next level and writing stories of sci-fi, fantasy, and the like has been an ongoing passion all my life. The joy I get from writing and sharing my work is the most important part of what I do and why I do this.
Do I desire to make money from my writing? Yes. However, I don’t desire to compromise my personal values and principles. Hence, why I have concerns about defining what a hack is.
Sci-fi and fantasy are niche markets. Steampunk is a step deeper into a unique niche. And while they have degrees of hot and cold associated with them – am I choosing from them what’s hottest and most likely to sell – or what I desire most to create?
The latter. Part of my why behind this is that I don’t desire to become a hack. But that doesn’t mean I can’t write to market. That’s a matter of authenticity and genuine desire.
Write to market if it feels right to do so
There’s nothing to say that my current sci-fi directions – quirky space opera, more or less – won’t become the hot market at some point. Epic fantasy got a real boost from Game of Thrones and The Wheel of Time on TV, just like hard sci-fi got a boost from The Expanse. If an interesting Steampunk story does really well, that market could heat up, too.
If the current hot market in sci-fi was, say, first-person alien-centric mystery – I might find that intriguing. It’s not so removed from my clone-centric conspiracy series. It might be worth researching the market and writing something for it.
If the current hot market is something I have no interest in, that doesn’t stir passion or desire for the idea in me – even if it’s sci-fi or fantasy – I don’t think I could write to market for it. Why? Because to me, that would be disingenuous, and I think pandering to my audience just to make a buck off them wouldn’t feel right.
There is, thus, a right and wrong way to write to market. But you, and you alone, can define that for yourself.
This question will likely become increasingly relevant to me and other writers and artists as new technologies – specifically Generative AI – gain prevalence.
AI and the future
You’re likely seeing things about Generative AI and how it will take jobs, threatens creativity and originality, and will destroy multiple industries.
At present, Generative AI is a tool that can take a prompt from you to create something new and original. The naysayers worry about AI stealing copyrighted and licensed material. In my admittedly limited experience using some of the Generative AI programs – very little of what AI generates doesn’t require at least some human editing after initial input.
Here’s where Generative AI will be in danger of being abused. Bad actors will use Generative AI to write to market. They’ll look at what’s hot, and then use the prompts to create something based on that to produce a work they don’t care about – but want to make a buck with.
The already crowded indie-author market doesn’t need the competition. However, I believe that lacking true passion for the market, what they generate with AI will not be all that and a bag of chips. That doesn’t mean they won’t necessarily make bank from using AI to write to market – but it won’t be sustainable.
Am I too optimistic about this? Maybe. But again, having used ChatGPT, Claude II, and Copy.ai with a few prompts to generate content, Generative AI is a tool that’s only going to be as good as the person using it. A hack will be seen for what they are before long – because their lack of passion for their work will be made clear swiftly by the tool they employ to hack at the market.
New tools always create uncertainty. You get to choose how to employ them – or not.
I can write to market if that’s my desire
What works for me won’t necessarily work for you. My code of ethics isn’t yours – and vice versa.
Why am I even bringing this topic up? It’s because as I’ve finished one series and started work on something new – and potentially quite different for me – I’ve asked some questions to a couple of the Facebook groups I’m on. The topic of writing to market has come up – and I’ve had to examine my personal stance on that.
I’m a natural storyteller. I write what I love to read and what excites me. Hopefully, others will find my work and share my passion. Maybe they’ll join my mailing list for the freebies and newsletter, and maybe become fans and followers. But maybe not.
If the hot market matches my passion – I’m comfortable with writing to market to meet that. If not, it’s not for me. That’s my ethic, my principles – and they are not yours.
The definition of a hack is debatable, and personal. To me, what matters most – even with fiction – is being true to myself, the principles of my art, and the production of something amazing that catches the attention and inspiration of others. That empowers me – and hopefully, in return, empowers you, too.
Thanks for reading. As I share my creative journey with you, I conclude with this – how are you inspired to be your own creator – whatever form that takes?
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