Zombie lit lives! The undead have migrated from being part of fantasy fiction into their own genre, and it is on fire. (Fire
is one way to try to rid yourself of a zombie problem.) If you're an indie author or publisher looking for a fiction genre that will help you sell more eBooks, you can't go wrong with zombie fiction. While zombie lit isn't necessarily new - Mary Shelley's
Frankenstein would likely qualify - it's popularity is surging. And while every up-and-comer owes a debt of gratitude to
Night of the Living Dead creator George A. Romero, movies like
World War Z and TV shows like
The Walking Dead spur on the enthusiasm for the genre. The CW's decision to make a zombified version of
Little Women will continue to fuel the fire.
But Why Do We Like Zombie Lit So Much?
Zombie fiction author Jeremy Laszlo says, "The undead are the perfect platform for social commentary, to write stories about friendship, love, the human spirit, and how people react under extreme duress." It makes sense - put people under unimaginable strain, and it opens up so many possibilities for what happens next. It does what any good fiction should do: It invites you to forget everything, curl up, and disappear into another world.
Writing Great Zombie Lit
There are elements of zombie lit that don't appear in other genres, namely, a credible reason for the development of zombies. From diseases gone awry to something in the air, the premise of any good piece of zombie lit is the way zombies come to be. The other critical element is your hero. Zombie lit heroes are often the antithesis of what you might expect in a hero, yet still manage to be the person everyone turns to.
Tips:
- Take time to develop your characters
- Be sure to have a detailed plot with depth, twists, and turns
- Remember that descriptive passages and detail are important for readers
- Read other zombie lit authors to get a sense of what works
- Connect with zombie lit readers on forums to know what they like
If you're looking for a way to reach a new audience or expand your eBook fiction repertoire, zombie lit is an eBook trend worth considering.
