Upmarket fiction is what you get when you take the excitement of a commercial fiction novel (like a thriller) and combine it with the innovative, thought-provoking quality of literary fiction.

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at how upmarket compares to commercial and literary fiction, and see popular examples that blend the two well.

What Is Upmarket Fiction?

Upmarket fiction combines elements of both literary and genre fiction. It’s not a genre, but rather a term used to classify the market for a particular novel, so you might come across an “upmarket thriller” or “upmarket science fiction.”

Like literary fiction, upmarket fiction addresses complex themes and emphasizes excellent writing. But like genre fiction, you’ll still be able to recognize some genre tropes and elements from commercial fiction.

Upmarket fiction is often referred to as “book club fiction,” since these thought-provoking page-turners are often selected for book clubs.

Most upmarket fiction novels have the following:

• Strong main character: The best examples of both commercial and upmarket fiction are centered around a strong (but imperfect) protagonist whom readers can sympathize with in spite of their character flaws.

• Engaging plot: Whereas a lot of literary fiction is character-driven, upmarket fiction gives as much attention to the story’s plot as it does to dynamic, complex characters. The narrative should be engaging, and the character’s development should be directly related to what’s happening around them.

• Complex themes: Upmarket fiction typically incorporates deeper and more complex themes in comparison to commercial fiction. These themes typically relate to growth or change in the main character.

• Elements of genre fiction: Upmarket novels generally incorporate elements of a commercial genre, such as thriller or romance. Writers may use familiar tropes (or turn those tropes on their heads to challenge reader expectations).

• Excellent writing: Perhaps most importantly, upmarket fiction must have excellent writing. It does not sacrifice strong, engaging prose for the sake of plot or character.

Upmarket vs. Commercial Fiction

Commercial fiction tends to be plot-driven. It focuses on the action in the story more so than what’s happening internally for the main character. These books that can usually be clearly classified as thrillers, romances, sci-fi novels, etc.

The plot typically revolves around the protagonist’s goal, and their journey toward that goal. Upmarket fiction generally includes a greater focus on character development, but still makes the plot exciting enough to give it that “page-turner” quality that hooks readers to commercial fiction.

What Is the Difference Between Literary and Upmarket Fiction?

Like literary fiction, upmarket fiction places a lot of importance on literary quality. That means there’s superb writing and deep, often more complex themes compared to commercial fiction.

However, unlike a lot of literary fiction, since there’s still an engaging plot, most upmarket fiction can be summed up and pitched in a sentence or two.

Examples of Upmarket Fiction

To help you better understand what upmarket fiction looks like in practice, here are some well-known examples that combine the best of commercial and literary fiction:

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl has hooked millions of readers with its fast-paced, high-stakes plot. It’s clearly a thriller, with a missing woman at the center, but that trope quickly gets turned on its head. Although the writing is excellent, it’s also easily accessible to most readers.

But Gone Girl also borrows a lot of traits from literary fiction, including not one, but two unreliable narrators, plus an unconventional narrative style (it alternates between Nick’s point of view and Amy’s diary).

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Water for Elephants has clearly identifiable elements of romance and historical fiction. It tells the story of a veterinary student who finds work (and love) with the circus during the Great Depression.

The book interweaves deeper themes, with the author herself explaining that the backbone of her story parallels the biblical tale of Jacob in the Book of Genesis.

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Time Traveler’s Wife has been classified as both a romance and science fiction novel. It tells the very unconventional love story of Henry DeTamble, a handsome, adventurous librarian who involuntarily travels through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course.

While the book has some conventional romance tropes, it also contemplates deep themes of love, loss, and free will.

Stories that Push Boundaries

Upmarket fiction has shown readers and writers that it’s okay to push beyond the boundaries and conventions of commercial and literary fiction. In fact, some of the best stories out there are those that combine elements of both!

For more great stories that push the envelope, be sure to check out our post on the best experimental fiction books.

Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!

 

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• Literary Fiction: Definition and Characteristics
• 37 Literary Fiction Publishers Currently Accepting Submissions
• 13 Literary Fiction Agents Now Accepting Submissions
• What is Commercial Fiction? Definition, Examples, and Common Myths