Define Mainstream

[Puma]

Hi Everyone - The definition of contemporary is pretty obvious, the definition of literary is hotly debated with two schools of thought, but what's your opinion of the definition of mainstream? Part 2 - if book titles quickly pop in your head that you feel are mainstream, list some of them. I'm curious. Thanks! Puma

[JenNipps]

Good question.

A lot of people equate mainstream with contemporary but I don't think that's entirely accurate.

I'll look for some examples and think on it and get back to you in a day or two.

[AllieB]

Mainstream, I guess, appeals to a wide readership and can't be fit into any other specific genre. That's how I think of it, anyway.

[Rich]

I'm mainstream. The only way I know is that I appear in mainstream pubs. Other than that, I don't have the remotest idea what it is.

[Puma]

Part 2 of this question - if mainstream appeals to a wide readership - is it somewhat synonomous with the bestseller list? Are Jurassic Park, Kiss the Girls (etc by the same author), the biographies of various killers, etc. mainstream? Or is mainstream more like Lake Woebegon? Thoughts? Puma

[Joe270]

Jaws. The Firm. The Da Vinci Code. Three that pop to mind.

Biographies, IMHO, do not fit into the mainstream category. Lake Woebegon is really not, either.

Lots, but not all, mainstream have lots of action. Since there is no 'action' genre in literary fiction, seems that stuff gets lumped into mainstream. I don't really understand it, either.

My ms in the First Chapters Contest is mainstream, lots and lots of action.

[maestrowork]

Mainstream can be contemporary or historical. To me, it's an umbrella term for books that can be easily defined by any other genres, have a mass market appeal (but not necessarily mean best seller), and cover many different topics. I think the "appeal to many different demographics" is the main thing, FWIW.

[Lindo]

This one's a lot easier than "literary". You walk into a bookstore and look around. What you see prominently featured is "mainstream" almost by definition.

There is no relationship or categorical distinction between "mainstream" and "contemporary". One involves the reader base and some sort of "bell curve" of readership, the latter involves a time frame.

[Lindo]

What I'm starting to think is that there is no main stream anymore. You look at the current best-seller lists and what are you seeing? Mysteries, speculative, historical, thrillers.
It's not like the days when Hemingways or Fitzgeralds were the main cutlet.

This might actually be a good thing.