What is the difference between literary fiction and commercial fiction

Some chalk it up to language, categorizing artful and stylistic use as literary. Others put the dividing line at action within the narrative, with commercial fiction focusing more on plot and literary fiction emphasizing character. Still others look at the numbers, deeming work commercial if it has the potential to sell well. Subscribe today to The Writer magazine for tips, industry news, reviews, and much more.

Conversations surrounding the definitions of these terms have also sparked debate in the writing community. Some writers prefer to cast aside these labels.

Many works fall into both categories. What is the difference between commercial, mainstream, and literary fiction? In general, fiction is divided into literary fiction and commercial fiction also called mainstream fiction. Literary fiction is usually more concerned with style and characterization than commercial fiction. Literary fiction is also usually paced more slowly than commercial fiction. Literary fiction usually centers around a timeless, complex theme, and rarely has a pat or happy ending.

Good examples of literary fiction are books by Toni Morrison and John Updike. Commercial fiction, on the other hand, is faster paced, with a stronger plot line more events, higher stakes, more dangerous situations. Characterization is generally not as central to the story. The theme is very obvious, and the language not as complex. The biggest difference between literary and commercial fiction is that editors expect to make a substantial profit from selling a commercial book, but not necessarily from selling literary fiction.

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Rising action then walks readers into the climax of the story that finally ends with a satisfying resolution. Most, if not all, commercial fiction books are meant to entertain readers. They provide them a riveting story that makes them travel into a world away from reality. A great example is the Harry Potter series by J. The plot is the most important factor in commercial fiction novel. The characters may have some inner struggles but their primary purpose would be to serve the plot.

The main character will be shown to have a certain level of supremacy in the defined world. The plot will be based on how the protagonist fights with the challenges and situations that come their way to finally emerge triumphant or defeated.

By the end of a popular fiction piece, you will mostly find conflict resolution, answers to burning questions and, all in all, a tidy ending where characters go back to their normal state. Popular fiction is characterized by language that is plainer and closer to day to day spoken language. Use of dialogue is also generous.

Moreover, because writers write as they speak , the dialogue is packed with language of everyday life. For all the reasons mentioned above, commercial fiction is easier to sell to public and understandably so.

The vast majority of readers are looking for entertaining books that belong to genres they enjoy reading. These also give them a much needed escape from reality. Literary fiction focuses more on artistic prose and does not necessarily fit into any particular genre.

Literary books are more about style, imagery and language. They also provide writers a larger room for character exploration and deep diving into the setting and theme.