Nobody Wants to Read about Women Over Fifty - True or False?
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Yes, that is what I've heard. I don't want to believe it, because I want to read about women my age and all the challenges they're facing. I like non-fiction, too, but I want good stories.
Besides the fact of my own preferences, I think it's an untrue statement because of all the anecdotal information in my head:
- When you're hanging around a pool or community area, which gender is more likely to be seen reading? Women.
- What age group occupies the largest segment of the retail market in general? Boomers.
- Which gender lives longer? Women.
Maybe I'm wrong, which is why I'm surveying every group I know. So which way do you vote? Is the title statement True or False in your opinion? Thanks so much.
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Of course it's more fascinating if you can identity with the character, so personally I would LOVE to read about a women in their 50s. I want to know what she's struggling with, what she's doing for a living, eating for dinner - the whole bit. Unfortunately, though, I don't know if you could get a younger woman to pick up the same book... their interests are tied to where they are in life.
True for younger women, I think they probably don't want to go there. The mindset of the young is that they will never "be" old (meaning 50). I know that's what I thought. Now, I can't believe I'm in my 50's and find it interesting to read about women my age. We are definitely the majority so you're right statistically these books should be best sellers. Let me just let that sink in a minute....
I think it's changing as we all hit fifty. Admittedly most of the characters I write (so far anyway) tend to be younger but then I think that's because I don't feel fifty. Still there are books like "The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus" by Sonya Sones that I really enjoyed. Have you read it?