Have you ever noticed that when there is a Trend in literature, everyone goes after that trend? Maybe there's a trend that everyone is buying murder mysteries and therefore, many authors are trying to write the best murder mystery they can. Perhaps there is a trend that erotic readers want stories about a single and broke female getting rescued by a wealthy businessman, just like Anastasia Steele in "Fifty Shades of Grey." This kind of boost causes many authors to step up production to ride that trend for as long as possible.
It's no secret that there are trends in the literary world and authors tend to follow these trends. It makes sense from a business perspective as they would want to create a story that fits the trend people are looking for. If they can capture a huge audience by following the trends, they will essentially make more money. In some ways, it makes sense, but, if you enjoy writing a specific kind of story, following the trends may actually end up hurting your brand.
Trends are changing all the time
It's no secret that trends are changing all the time. What's popular one day may not be popular the next.
It's almost like in the fashion world where one day you are in, and the next day you're out. It's almost the same thing when it comes to literary genres, as one trend will be super popular one day and the next day it's essentially over. Authors don't have the time to write a novel and get it published while a trend is still happening. For published authors, their books can sit for as long as 18 months before they hit the market.
It would almost be advisable to not write about what is trending for the sake of time. If you start writing something now with the goal of having it published in 18 months, the trend may be over.
Stick to your guns
As you may have noticed from fashion, things that used to be in style will come back in style.
This is true for Erotica. Sometimes, a threesome will be super popular but within a few months, it is out again. People have evolving tastes when it comes to sex and the threesome trend will come back at some point. Rather than chase the trends, write what feels right, genuine, and comfortable for you. If you like to explore different sexual topics, such as girl on boy, girl on girl, or even threesomes, chances are that your book is going to surface in a search when a particular trend pops back up.
Do you ever follow the trends when you're writing? Have you found that trends tend to sell better than your other stories?