Hey fellow writers and book lovers,

Here’s the question gnawing at my brain lately: Should authors chase the trends, or stay true to their muse?

Writing to trend means crafting a story that fits the current market buzz, trying to align with what agents, editors, or even readers on BookTok are asking for. Writing to passion? That means chasing the story that won’t leave you alone. The one whispering in your ear at 3AM. The one you’d write even if no one ever read it.

We’ve all seen it. The hot genre of the moment explodes and suddenly everyone’s writing cozy fantasies, romantasy with morally grey love interests, or spicy alien love triangles. And sure, if you hit that wave just right, you might land a publishing deal, an agent, or go viral on BookTok. Remember when dystopian YA ruled everything? Or when vampires were unavoidable? Trends are real, and they move fast. Writing to market can be tempting when you’re hoping to get traditionally published.

But what if your heart is pounding for a story that doesn’t quite fit the current mold?

I’ve been wrestling with this exact thing. My Wind Riders series is world built, beloved, and fully alive in my head. Floating sky islands, brave aerial scouts riding their bonded companions through dangerous wind currents, strange corrupted storms, found family, sacrifice, grief, hope… I love the characters. I love the setting. I love the vibe.

But I can see that it might not be trending right now. So I’ve been wondering… should I shelve it and try to develop something trend friendly? Something that better aligns with current book publishing trends or what’s hot on BookTok?

The thing is, the trend friendly story I’m eyeing? I genuinely love it too. It’s not just a shallow attempt to chase what’s hot, it’s been simmering in my brain for years, just waiting for its moment.

I won’t give away too much (yet), but it involves a woman grappling with a life she didn’t ask for, powers she doesn’t want, and a world that suddenly won’t leave her alone. There’s danger, heartache, and one very sarcastic cat who heckles her with the same intensity my cat Carmen reserves for whatever food I’m currently trying to eat. This one just happens to tick more of the boxes traditional publishing is looking for right now, especially if you’re writing with the market in mind.

So what do we do?

Do we write what sells? Do we write to market to improve our chances of getting published? Or do we write what sings?

Is it possible to do both?

Maybe there’s a hybrid path. Maybe we shape a passion project just a little more toward trend. Or we self publish what we love and query the marketable one. Maybe the trick is figuring out which story needs to be told right now, and which one can wait for its moment.

This post isn’t me giving you answers. It’s me asking questions. Honest ones. Because I think a lot of us are stuck here, especially those of us trying to navigate the publishing industry.

I want to know what you think.

Have you ever paused a beloved project because it wasn’t “sellable”? Or shelved something that felt like screaming into the void? Have you followed the market and found success or regret?

Are you team write-what-you-love, team write-to-sell, or somewhere tangled in between?

Drop your thoughts in the comments. Let’s talk about it.