Many fiction authors write in the liminal space between the commercial and the literary. But straddling these two categories can make choosing how to pitch your manuscript challenging — especially when commercial fiction is thriving in the market while literary fiction is struggling, and your end goal is to get published! How can you determine where your book sits?

Understanding what ‘commercial fiction’ encompasses within the book industry is crucial to comprehending how to craft your manuscript and position your pitch. But the definition can be unclear. Does ‘commercial’ refer to the genre, or the readership? What are publishers looking for from the classification? And what are the steps you can take to set yourself up as a commercial fiction author?

Author and Senior Campaign Manager at HarperCollins Australia, Kimberley Allsopp, will share learnings from her extensive experience in Australian publishing to provide you with the knowledge you need to navigate the commercial fiction market and speak to its audience. 

This illuminating one-hour session will teach you: