I’m going to start this blog post by being clear: I have not read Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros and I do not intend to read it. This is no tea, no shade towards the book. I’ve watched a lot of reviews from people I follow and trust and some of them absolutely loved it, and some of them had quite a few negative things to say. And I’ve decided not to read it based on those mixed reviews. To me, life’s too short to read books you have no interest in.
This post is not a review of the book itself but rather a commentary on its popularity and what it means in the writing and publishing world. With the recent release of the third book, there’s a lot to be said about its current impact.
I’m fascinated by the topic of book popularity and how marketing plays a role in this. So many authors (self-published mostly) struggle with the marketing aspect of being a professional writer. Often, as writers we see other writers gain mass success and think to ourselves: they got lucky.
And they did! But bigger things are going on behind the scenes, and strategies are being utilized that you can use, too. Rebecca Yarros is traditionally published, but self-published authors can benefit from understanding what marketing techniques can be capitalized on with Fourth Wing‘s mass popularity.
In this post, I want to talk about what has made this book so popular and how writers can use that to their advantage moving forward. I would like to discuss the marketing that took place to give some insight into how writers (mostly self-published) can learn from its popularity.
Something I would like to touch on during my research for this blog post is a criticism (on some people’s parts) or simply an observation (from others). Many people acknowledge that Fourth Wing doesn’t have great prose, even people who loved the book. Personally, I think this is an indication of reader’s expectations about prose and why writers shouldn’t care as much (but this is another topic for another day). Despite this acknowledgment, the book is widely loved by many sectors of the book community. The book has even inspired people who don’t read as much to pick up the book due to its popularity and I think that’s amazing!
So, you might be interested in why the book is so popular if the writing isn’t so great?
Well, let’s get into why Fourth Wing is so widely loved and how you can use this information to better market your novel!
- It fits into a defined box/trope/genre
Fourth Wing fits into many popular tropes. When marketing, this makes for a great tactic. Many publishers are using this love of tropes to their advantage. In the description of many books, you’ll see “Enemies to Lovers”, “One-Bed trope”, etc.
They are letting readers know, if you love these things, you’ll love this book. And this strategy works for a lot of readers, especially in the romance genre. I think this type of book searching came from FanFiction. Lots of readers consume fanfiction as well and a way to search certain stories is through popular tags and tropes.
As a writer, it’s up to you if you want to follow trends with your writing. I’m not encouraging you to write something you don’t enjoy just to make money. But if you want to be a professional writer, you can’t ignore the power of tropes and trends and the impact this has on the sellability of your book. Your story can be amazing and really well written, with fleshed-out characters and thoughtful world-building, but if no one is interested in the basic premise or idea, then you’re not going to sell.
Rule number one of selling products (and books are products) is that there has to be a demand for them in order for you to supply them.
- It’s Romantasy and That’s Super Popular Right Now
I think this one is a little self-explanatory. If you’re a romance writer but mostly contemporary and you’re not completely against writing against tropes, I would suggest thinking about writing a story in this genre. It’s trending at the moment and gaining a lot of traction with readers, especially on TikTok.
- Enemies to Lovers Trope (Always Popular)
Again, to me this one doesn’t need much explanation nor do I need to deep-dive into this topic here. (I do think there’s a bigger conversation to be had because this type of book is marketed ALL THE TIME). But overall, for the purpose of this article, I just find that it’s important to note that this contributed to the overall initial interest in the book for many readers.
- It’s Fast-Paced and Fun to Read
The comment I saw from readers who love the book the most was just how fun the book is. The plot is fast-paced, which keeps the readers interested. The characters are relatable and easy to root for. The writing, though not great, was fun and easy to read. Rebecca Yarros has stated that she wrote this book for romance readers as an intro to fantasy. I think we can all agree (and I say this as a fantasy reader) that Fantasy can be an intimidating genre. Romantasy (though it has its own criticisms as a sub-genre) is a great blend of romance and fantasy, for readers that lean more towards straight romance novels. Often Romantasy shies away from the intimating world-building and complicated magic systems that the Fantasy genre is known and loved for. This genre is more for people who think magic is cool but who don’t want to invest in learning whole new species and magic systems. These readers want to have a good, fun, easy time reading about two people falling in love who also happen to ride dragons and overthrow the government. (And honestly, who can blame them?)
- Strike While the Iron (Wink-Wink) Was Hot
Yarros’s publishing team quickly pushed for her to drop the second book, which helped to keep readers’ interest and engagement/sales up. However, this did receive some criticism because there were inconsistencies in paperback copies. Mostly though, this does point out how important it is to capitalize on interest and success when achieved.
- Social Media Presence
Yarros was active on her social media and engaged with followers and readers often. This type of engagement from an author is key to success. The more an author puts themselves out there, the better chance a reader will see that and be interested. Her publishing team also arranged for the strategic release of teasers. She also offers excerpts and behind-the-scenes content through her newsletter and website. This is a great tool for authors to utilize. A newsletter is a fantastic way to get readers even more engaged with your novels, stories, and future writing.
Overall, these books got more people to read, which is amazing, not just for them, but for writers! The more people that read, the more people who might potentially read your book! If popular books like Fourth Wing can bring more people to the reading community, that can only benefit other writers and the book community as a whole.
I hope you guys were able to take away some tips for marketing your novels from this article!
Let me know what you guys think!