This week’s Let’s Talk Bookish prompts is all about tropes in books.
There are different feelings when it comes to knowing book tropes ahead of time, so let’s talk about it!
The prompt: A lot of the time, books will be promoted on social media books with their tropes. For example, a book might be advertised as being enemies to lovers, having found family, or starring a ‘chosen one’. Can those tropes be spoilers, giving away parts of the plot? What do you think about marketing books based on tropes?
Let’s Talk Bookish is a bookish meme that was created by Rukky @ Eternity Books where each Friday, bloggers write posts discussing the topic of the week. Since April 2022, it has been hosted by the lovely Aria @ Book Nook Bits.
What are book tropes?
Book tropes are recurring themes or elements in different genres or subgenres, such as the “enemies to lovers” trope in romance (a favorite trope of mine) or the “unreliable narrator” trope in thrillers. There are many times where I have read reviews that list all of the tropes found in the books. Even I include a list of tropes when I write romance reviews!
Can those tropes be spoilers, giving away parts of the plot? What do you think about marketing books based on tropes?
I think that tropes can definitely be considered as “spoilers,” but there are times when it does not bother me. The effectiveness and impact of marketing books based on their tropes significantly depends on the genre.
Let’s consider the romance genre, where tropes like ‘fake dating’ or ‘secret royalty’ are often used to attract readers. In these cases, knowing the trope upfront doesn’t necessarily spoil the story; it sets expectations.
My favorite romance tropes: there’s only one bed, rivals to lovers, best friend’s brother (or brother’s best friend), forced proximity, and fake dating
I have found that romance readers often seek out specific tropes, looking for comfort in the predictable while still enjoying the unique twists each author brings. Usually, when I am looking for a romance read, I am not expecting to be blown away. I am looking for something comforting, but still slightly unique.
Also, nothing is worse than when I’m reading a romance book and realize that the “miscommunication” trope is a major part of the book. I need to know what I want to avoid! Give me the tropes!
Contrast this with thrillers, where suspense and surprise are the lifeblood of the narrative. Revealing too much about the plot through tropes can definitely act as a spoiler. Marketing a book with a specific plot twist as a trope, like ‘the narrator is unreliable,’ risks deflating the tension before the reader even opens the book. However, I like to know some things going into thrillers. For example, when deciding to read “The Heiress,” finding out the plot involved family secrets made me want to read it! It didn’t give anything away, but still gave me expectations.
In other fiction, such as fantasy or science fiction, mentioning tropes like ‘dystopian society’ or ‘space opera’ can serve as an introduction without spoiling specific plot points.
Because of all this, I think there is a challenge in using tropes as a marketing tool without giving away too much. It’s a delicate balance between drawing in the target audience and maintaining the element of surprise. They should hint at the content of the story, not outline the entire plot. When done thoughtfully, using tropes in marketing can effectively attract readers to their preferred narratives without ruining the experience.
That’s a wrap for this week’s discussion!
Let’s chat in the comments! What are your thoughts on seeing tropes before reading a book?