# Everyone Loves This Genre. But No One Is Writing It. ![[images/Upmarket-Genre.webp]] **Creator:** Alyssa Matesic · **Published:** 2026-09-22 · **Length:** 12:28 · [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI) > Caption source: YouTube **English captions** (`en-orig`, auto-generated), downloaded with **yt-dlp** on a second try, after the android_vr client hit HTTP 429 on the `en` track; they cover the whole video (0:00-12:28). No TubeAlfred or youtube-transcript-api credits were used. Section headings follow the creator's chapter timestamps. Screenshots are from the downloaded video stream. The genre rankings below are read from the QueryTracker charts shown on screen; the agent's surname is spelled Watters as is standard (the captions write "Waters"). ## Outline ### 0:00 Intro - [0:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=0s) Matesic has worked in publishing for a decade, first reviewing queries at a top literary agency, then working with authors at the country's biggest publishing house. One of the most in-demand genres right now is one many writers have never heard of, and there's a solid chance you're writing it without realizing it. - [0:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=21s) This isn't a vibe or a guess: she'll show the hard data behind the genre's rise so writers better understand the market and where their book might fit. ### 0:40 QueryTracker's Top Genres List - [0:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=40s) **QueryTracker** is a database for querying writers (those trying to get traditionally published): they use it to find literary agents and track their queries. One of her favorite "secret features" is its running list of the **top 10 genres agents requested most** over the past year, alongside the **top 10 genres writers on the site are writing**. - [1:24](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=84s) **Fantasy** is number one on both lists: lots of writers and lots of agent requests, which makes it crowded. The real opportunity is a genre agents want but few writers are writing. - [1:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=105s) Number three on the agents' list is **upmarket fiction**, but it doesn't crack the writers' top 10, which suggests supply isn't meeting demand. - [2:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=125s) Her theory: writers *are* writing upmarket fiction, they just don't know it. It's an industry term, not a bookstore section, "but it's everywhere around you." Knowing you write it might unlock opportunities. Two other "opportunity genres" come later. ![[images/Upmarket-Genre-t0062.webp]] | Rank | Most popular with writers | Most requested by agents | | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Fantasy | Fantasy | | 2 | Children's | Thrillers/Suspense | | 3 | Young Adult | Upmarket | | 4 | Literary Fiction | Literary Fiction | | 5 | Science Fiction | Horror | | 6 | Thrillers/Suspense | Romance, Fantasy | | 7 | Historical | Romance, Contemporary | | 8 | Picture Book | Young Adult, Fantasy | | 9 | Romance | Speculative | | 10 | Middle Grade | Romance, Comedy | *(Read from the QueryTracker charts shown on screen.)* ### 2:38 What is upmarket fiction? - [2:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=156s) The clearest breakdown she's seen is by literary agent **Carly Watters** in an article on **Jane Friedman**'s website. Watters admits there's no single definition (ask five industry people, get five answers), then says: "Upmarket fiction is a blend of commercial fiction and literary fiction." - [3:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=186s) **Commercial fiction** prioritizes **plot and pacing**: an easy, swift, satisfying read that appeals to the masses and follows genre conventions (romance, mystery). These top bestseller charts, especially from prolific authors. - [3:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=202s) **Literary fiction** prioritizes **craft and theme**: you read for language and artistry; it moves slower, doesn't necessarily follow genre conventions, and wins prestigious prizes. - [3:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=219s) Upmarket sits in the middle. Watters: "The literary part is that the quality of the writing is high," though it shouldn't be "capital L literary," and "the commercial part is the hook. You immediately get why you need to read it and read it now, but you're going to keep reading because the writing is really strong." - [4:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=251s) Watters's hallmarks: character driven; quality writing tackling a commercial plot; a concise, attention-grabbing hook; accessible writing; universal themes; aims at thoughtful discussion; blurs commercial and literary; suitable for **book club** discussion. - [4:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=269s) The book club test is Matesic's favorite: would a book club enjoy discussing this story? Upmarket is also called **book club fiction**. "Commercial fiction entertains you. Literary fiction makes you think. Upmarket fiction makes you feel something," so you want to talk about it as soon as you finish. - [5:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=301s) Why agents want it: **it sells**. These are the picks for **Reese's Book Club**, **Read with Jenna** and **Oprah's Book Club**, which nearly guarantees a big bestseller and a major film or TV deal. - [5:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=332s) Upmarket works because the writing is strong, and strong writing is a skill you build, not an innate talent. Sponsor segment: **Skillshare**, where she's been taking **Mary Karr**'s course on starting a memoir, praised for practical, hands-on exercises (free one-month trial link in the description). ![[images/Upmarket-Genre-t0165.webp]] ![[images/Upmarket-Genre-t0195.webp]] ![[images/Upmarket-Genre-t0240.webp]] ### 6:39 Examples of upmarket fiction - [6:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=397s) ***Little Fires Everywhere*** by **Celeste Ng** (made into a Hulu series): a mother and daughter move to an idyllic Ohio suburb and tear the community apart. Compulsively readable, pairing a fast plot with themes of motherhood and family. - [6:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=412s) ***Such a Fun Age*** by **Kiley Reid**: a Black babysitter is accused of kidnapping the white child she's watching. Pages fly by, yet it explores class, race and privilege. - [7:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=443s) Upmarket needn't be contemporary: ***Lessons in Chemistry***, set in the 1960s, follows a female chemist who struggles to be taken seriously and becomes host of a TV cooking show. - [7:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=459s) All share a strong hook or premise plus thought-provoking, relatable themes. - [7:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=475s) A game: which is commercial, literary and upmarket? ***Demon Copperhead*** by **Barbara Kingsolver** is **literary** (it won the Pulitzer Prize). ***The Widow*** by **John Grisham** is **commercial**, a bestselling legal thriller "you'd see in airport bookstores." ***The Midnight Library*** by **Matt Haig** is **upmarket**: an irresistible hook (a woman in a library between life and death plays out the lives she could have lived) that wrestles with themes of the human condition. - [8:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=521s) Is your book upmarket? Perhaps you've been calling it literary, contemporary or women's fiction because you didn't know where else to put it. A strong hook, thoughtful themes and high-quality writing could make it upmarket. - [8:57](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=537s) Caution: don't label your manuscript upmarket just to appeal to agents. They'll be able to tell from the pages whether it really is. ![[images/Upmarket-Genre-t0405.webp]] ![[images/Upmarket-Genre-t0425.webp]] ![[images/Upmarket-Genre-t0500.webp]] ### 9:24 Other high-demand genres - [9:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=568s) **Horror** is number five on agents' most-requested list but nowhere in writers' top 10. Long treated as a small niche, it's now fully mainstream in books and film, with authors like **Grady Hendrix** and **T. Kingfisher** on bestseller charts. - [9:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=596s) **Speculative fiction** is number nine. The term is often misunderstood because it's used two ways: as an **umbrella** for any reality-bending fiction (sci-fi, fantasy, magical realism, alternate histories, dystopian), or, as she more often hears it in the industry, as a **specific subgenre** that explores "what if" differently from sci-fi and fantasy. - [10:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=637s) Speculative novels often play out an experiment: an alternate version of our world if XYZ happened. Examples: ***The Handmaid's Tale*** by **Margaret Atwood**, and ***Sea of Tranquility*** and ***Station Eleven*** by **Emily St. John Mandel**. If you have a reality-bending premise you've struggled to place, speculative might fit. - [10:59](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=659s) She's not saying drop everything to write upmarket, horror or speculative: **chasing trends is almost always a losing battle** because writing and publishing take so long. But understanding genre helps you make smarter decisions. - [11:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=679s) Plug for her book ***The Modern Guide to Querying Literary Agents***, covering positioning and classifying your book, writing a query letter and querying strategy using insights from 4 million actual queries. - [12:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxU0E1sh1XI&t=721s) Next, nail your query letter: she recommends the video where she and her co-author, the founder of QueryTracker, critique two real subscriber query letters. Sign-off. ![[images/Upmarket-Genre-t0595.webp]] ![[images/Upmarket-Genre-t0615.webp]] ![[images/Upmarket-Genre-t0650.webp]] ![[images/Upmarket-Genre-t0700.webp]] ## Things mentioned ### Books - ***Little Fires Everywhere*** by **Celeste Ng**: upmarket example, adapted as a Hulu series - ***Such a Fun Age*** by **Kiley Reid**: upmarket example exploring class, race and privilege - ***Lessons in Chemistry*** (author not named in the video; it is Bonnie Garmus's novel): historical upmarket example - ***Demon Copperhead*** by **Barbara Kingsolver**: literary fiction example, Pulitzer Prize winner - ***The Widow*** by **John Grisham**: commercial fiction example (legal thriller) - ***The Midnight Library*** by **Matt Haig**: upmarket example - Horror titles by **T. Kingfisher** shown on screen: *The Wonder Engine*, *Nettle & Bone*, *The Twisted Ones*, *What Moves the Dead*, *Nine Goblins* - ***The Handmaid's Tale*** by **Margaret Atwood**: speculative fiction example - ***Sea of Tranquility*** and ***Station Eleven*** by **Emily St. John Mandel**: speculative fiction examples - ***The Modern Guide to Querying Literary Agents*** by **Alyssa Matesic** and **Patrick McDonald**: her querying guide ### Authors and people - **Carly Watters**: literary agent whose article defines upmarket fiction - **Jane Friedman**: publishing-industry writer whose website hosted Watters's article - **Grady Hendrix** and **T. Kingfisher**: horror authors on bestseller charts - **Mary Karr**: memoirist whose Skillshare memoir course Matesic is taking ### Organizations and services - **QueryTracker**: querying database whose agent-request and writer-genre charts drive the video - **Reese's Book Club**, **Read with Jenna**, **Oprah's Book Club**: celebrity book clubs that make upmarket bestsellers - **Hulu**: streamed the *Little Fires Everywhere* series - **Pulitzer Prize**: won by *Demon Copperhead* - **Skillshare**: video sponsor - **Query Academy**: her query letter review service (from the description) ### Craft and publishing concepts - Genre supply versus demand: agents' most-requested genres compared with what writers are writing - Commercial fiction (plot, pacing, genre conventions) versus literary fiction (craft, theme, language) - Upmarket fiction, also called book club fiction, and Watters's eight hallmarks - The book club test; the hook; universal themes; accessible but strong prose - Mislabeling a manuscript's genre in a query - Horror's move from niche to mainstream - Speculative fiction as umbrella term versus specific "what if" subgenre - Why chasing trends rarely works given publishing timelines ### Links from the description - Skillshare trial: https://skl.sh/alyssamatesic09261 - Querying guide on Amazon: https://amzn.to/46xIHhp - Work with her on your story: https://www.alyssamatesic.com/inquire#inquire-2 - Free Story Self-Assessment: https://www.alyssamatesic.com/#freebie-form - Newsletter **Chapter Break**: https://www.chapter-break.com/ - Query letter reviews: https://www.queryacademy.com - Related videos: "The Worst Genres to Write in 2026 (Based on Publishing Industry Data)" (https://youtu.be/D5qrmB32C-Q), "Fiction Genres Explained | Literary vs. Commercial vs. Upmarket Fiction" (https://youtu.be/tnpgfCqR1UM), [[You Sent Me Your Query Letters…They ALL Would Get Rejected]] (https://youtu.be/e_Vsz09AWdY) - Music credit: *Charlie Brown* by Smith The Mister (https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com) ## Biographies ### Alyssa Matesic Professional book editor with more than a decade of experience across Big Five publishing houses and literary agencies; here she says she first reviewed queries at a top literary agency and then worked with authors at the country's biggest publishing house. She runs a YouTube channel for writers, offers developmental editing and query reviews through Query Academy, writes the newsletter **Chapter Break**, and co-wrote *The Modern Guide to Querying Literary Agents* with the founder of QueryTracker. (Sources: this video and its description.) ### Carly Watters Literary agent whose article on Jane Friedman's website gives the definition of upmarket fiction Matesic calls the clearest she's seen: a blend of commercial and literary fiction with high-quality writing and a strong hook. (Source: this video.) ### Patrick McDonald Founder of QueryTracker and Matesic's co-author on *The Modern Guide to Querying Literary Agents*; referred to here as her co-author in the recommended query-critique video. (Sources: this video and earlier videos in this series.) ### Authors cited as examples Celeste Ng, Kiley Reid, Barbara Kingsolver, John Grisham, Matt Haig, Margaret Atwood, Emily St. John Mandel, Grady Hendrix and T. Kingfisher appear only as genre examples; the video gives no biographical detail beyond their books named above.