bell notificationshomepageloginNewPostedit profile

Topic : Do novels that are set in not-so-famous countries sell less? By not-so-famous countries I mean those you don't usually find in novels, movies, TV, magazines, etc. One example is Chile (the place - selfpublishingguru.com

10.02% popularity

By not-so-famous countries I mean those you don't usually find in novels, movies, TV, magazines, etc.

One example is Chile (the place I was born). I'm not sure about America/Europe but if you go to Asia and say you are from Chile, almost no one will know where it exactly is or what language the people speak.

Another example is Taiwan (the place I'm currently living in). Most people (OK, by most people, I mean those that I've met) think it is just a province in China. Others even confuse it with Thailand.

So my question is, do novels that are set in countries like those mentioned above sell less? Would they sell more if they were set in more popular counties like America or Japan? (assuming that the audience includes people from all around the world).


Load Full (1)

Login to follow topic

More posts by @Candy753

1 Comments

Sorted by latest first Latest Oldest Best

10% popularity

To John's point, Fantasy and Sci-fi usually take place on made up worlds. Other novels take place anywhere from big cities like Hong Kong, New York, London, Toronto or small cities, sometimes in well known places and sometimes in "exotic" locations (what is exotic depends on your audience).

I think when you base a story in a lesser known environment relative to the audience you are targeting, you have a responsibility of painting a clearer picture for them as to local culture and feel. To base a story somewhere that a reader is likely unfamiliar, but to make it "yet another standard city with nothing different" is kind of a waste in my opinion.

So if you used Taiwan (which, for example, anyone I know is well aware it is a "Rogue Status" province, making it both a country and not a country, and some of us are aware that some of those who fled Mao in the revolution went there, and no I have no Asian heritage), I would recommend you take 'informing the reader' of some of these elements so that you can be certain of what they know, and so that you can leverage it. For example, by painting some of this story, you could then have a family that is split between those who think Taiwan really should rejoin China fully, and those who believe that it should be independent and no longer under China's umbrella.

In the end, it comes down to what are you going to do with the location. I just advise don't set the story somewhere really interesting, and do nothing with that location.


Load Full (0)

Back to top