Fantasy in the Frum World

amother

Thu, Apr 20 2023, 10:36 pm

Is there a need for YA/Adult Fantasy novels in the Frum market, or are most people who enjoy a good fantasy novel reading secular books anyway?
I have an offer from both a Frum publishing company and a non-jewish publishing company for a fantasy novel I’ve written.
The secular company is a better offer monetarily but I would need to remove any heavy religious themes in the story. (Characters happen to be Jewish, but that is not the basis of the plot).
The Frum company’s offer is less lucrative in the long run and they want MORE religion brought in, which I am OK with.
I would rather publish in the Frum market, because I feel there is a need for this genre and I would love to fill it. (There is also basically no competition…)
But is there any point in pursuing this option? Is there even a market of Frum readers looking for this or do most people go for the secular books for this genre anyway?

amother

White

Thu, Apr 20 2023, 10:53 pm

I would read it Smile

Always looking for more variety in frum literature.
I generally stick to Jewish books so as someone who loves to read its frustrating that there aren't more quality books out there.

Nice of you to consider the frum offer even though it's less lucrative!

theoneandonly

Thu, Apr 20 2023, 11:13 pm

If you want to make money, go for the non -Jewish offer. If you want to be idealistic, go for the Jewish offer.
(Personally as a huge fantasy fan I would avoid Jewish -published fantasy completely because I'd assume it's bad...)

amother

Aster

Thu, Apr 20 2023, 11:17 pm

amother Alyssum wrote:

I think there is a market if it is good. I have been waiting for this to happen. Maybe you will start a new trend?

This. When there's a good fiction book in the frum world, my reader daughters tell all their friends, who tell theirs. For example, dd's very literary friends who hate most frum literature have all read The Betrayal series. Plus, it lets the girls bring the book to camp, school, etc, which means they or their parents will pick it up for them and tell them to try it. And the bais yaakov girls get to use it for book reports and tell their high school interviewers that they are reading it and like it.

WitchKitty

Thu, Apr 20 2023, 11:53 pm

M Kenan has a great book, I don't think it's translated yet? Takes place 100 years from now. Everyone around me enjoyed it.
(America has a dictator who claims he is a reincarnation of J- and expels the Jews, most of the world belongs to Australia and the other half to Iran)

seeker

Fri, Apr 21 2023, 2:30 am

I answered secular in the poll based on myself. However, I would definitely be in the market for frum fantasy for my kids. It bothers me that they like this genre while the only real place to get into it is very non Jewish. I'm cool with Harry Potter but have qualms about the other worlds they're getting into while I can't keep up with them personally. I'd love to know there's something presumably more kosher to offer them.

amother

Dodgerblue

Fri, Apr 21 2023, 2:35 am

If it looks interesting enough, I'd probably buy and read frum fantasy. But I'd also keep reading secular ones. It would be a welcome addition but not a replacement.

LovesHashem

Fri, Apr 21 2023, 5:33 am

WitchKitty wrote:

I would not cosndier this fantasy. Sounds like science fiction. Is there any magic or supernatural things?

I love her writing but my Hebrew is not on that leve so I'm patiently waiting for translation.

LovesHashem

Fri, Apr 21 2023, 5:36 am

Are you on soferet? There's been countless discussions about why and why not there is not much fantasy in the frum world.

Personally what I'd love to see is some fantasy based on real information from Torah sources. Unicorns, mermaids etc. Lots of these things have sources in the gemara and Torah sources and I think the Jewish market would be open to introducing such creatures if they were based on Torah sources.

imasinger

Fri, Apr 21 2023, 6:41 am

Regardless of where it's published, if it's good, lots of people will be interested. So much fantasy these days is loaded with what feels close to avoda zara (worlds run by gods based on some mythology or another).

I'd rather see it get a wider market (and get you more money) from the secular company. JMO.

amother

Jetblack

Fri, Apr 21 2023, 9:17 am

I like the idea of expanding the Jewish literature market to include fantasy. My question to you is why can’t you do both for the frum market and secular market?

amother

Forsythia

Fri, Apr 21 2023, 9:25 am

I feel a huge need for frum fantay. Especially for young kids. Everything is so literal in Jewish kids books. Kids need imagination!

I just think it would be difficult to pull off. Fantasy in frum needs a lot of work to not turn out corny. You don’t want it to sound too secular, you don’t want it to sound too religious, you can’t exactly use fairies and wizards. It’s a fine line and would take great skill to achieve.

An author that comes out with a really good frum fantasy is probably really skilled. There’s a reason we haven’t really seen it yet.

amother

Buttercup

Fri, Apr 21 2023, 9:59 am

I've done both. If your secular publisher is a high-quality one who will distribute your book widely and offers an advance, it's worthwhile to pursue that if only because there is a dearth of Jewish (even lightly Jewish) fantasy in the secular world as well. A popular book will make its way to the Jewish world no matter what.

If your secular publisher is a small publisher who can't guarantee good distribution (and no advance means that they have zero motivation to try to sell your book), I would go with the frum publisher. Frum publishers are also small publishers, but they aren't doing Kindle-only sales and can guarantee that your book will be distributed, at the very least, to frum bookstores.

tigerwife

Fri, Apr 21 2023, 12:47 pm

I would love to read more clean fantasy lit. I disagree that it needs to be published with a frum publisher; if anything I believe it will be more interesting and enlightening to read about “normal” Orthodox Jews without overt religious messaging. There are also a lot of frum book snobs who won’t read anything published by frum publishers…

In general, I always wonder how to avoid the “kishuf” aspect…

PinkFridge

Fri, Apr 21 2023, 2:08 pm

If it's done by the right person, I'll read it. But one word: Verisimilitude. That means that there has to be a hook to allow you to suspend disbelief. And frankly, I can't see how typical fantasy can work for a frum plot.