What are the similarities/differences between a cozy mystery and chick lit?

[Christine Duncan]

Are all sub genres just starting to blur? I write soft boiled/cozy and those lines have blurred but now in reviews I am starting to get people saying they think it is chick lit. And for the record, no there is no sex in these books. Not so much as a juicy kiss.

[Patricia Gulley]

That 'kinda' makes erotica sound like porn. I hope not, because we know the major difference and I hope people don't pass them off as the same.
I think a lot of genre writers have tried ebooks. SF and paranormal do very well in e form.
And we always have the age old discussion on editing, so any e publisher that edits is a good one.
Then we have to move on to marketing. One of my main interests. Beware the old assumption that a published writer is an artist that is above all that sort of common effort. Electronic or paper, the new author needs major lessons in promotion.
If Amazon is sure boomers are taking to Kindle then I'm thrilled. That's a major part of my aimed audience.
Patg
www.patgulley.com

[Pepper Smith]

I suppose it depends on your viewpoint. I know I've heard erotica referred to as porn aimed at women (different from porn aimed at men in that it actually has a relationship story involved). And considering how many erotica authors I've heard say that they would write scenes and then seek out hubby to work off those sexual desires they'd aroused in themselves, it seems to serve a pretty similar purpose. (Husbands of erotica writers also seem to appreciate the effect it has of providing them with more frequent fun in bed.)

It may be in the eye of the beholder, but it's close enough for horseshoes as far as I'm concerned.

[I. J. Parker]

Ditto. It invariably involves sexual titillation. There are subtle shadings between "erotica" and "porn" but mostly it's the porn writers who like to have the term "erotica" used. Mind you I have nothing against it -- though I absolutely draw the line at the sort of thing that involves sadistic sexual torture of women. I recently refused to critique such a piece of garbage from a male writers group member. That stuff is dangerous, but apparently it sells. He also called it erotica and talked about relationships.

[Christine Duncan]

Actually, I read this week that Amazon was astonished to find that the Kindle is finding a market with baby boomers on up in genres across the board--as a large print reader. I think that's funny since that's exactly why I got into e-books myself. I think we'll soon see some changes in how other genres--including mystery--sell based on that market analysis.

[Beth Groundwater]

I think "chicklit" is more a definition of a book's voice (young, hip, urban, witty, etc.), while "cozy mystery" is more a definition of a book's genre (amateur sleuth mystery with minimal violence, sex, bad language) and the two can intersect, making a chicklit cozy mystery.

[Patrick Balester]

I write cozy mysteries as well, but my protaganist is a man. When I see books being promoted as chick lit, it usually features a female protaganist. I suppose there are exceptions.

[carole gill]

to me, I would think cozies are Miss Marple and endearing heroines like her and chick lit is another kind of heroine. A very today kind of young woman.
Miss Marple targets an older readership as previously commented. where as Miss Chick Lit's target audience are basically younger readers wanting to read more hip stuff (oops, just dated myself)! And because the readership is younger they might want to read about dating and related issues.
to me it's a breakdown between older and young readers.
IMHO.

[Patricia Gulley]

I don't quite agree with that, Carole. Sure Chick-Lit has everything you mentioned, but I've read some where the protag was in her 30's fast approaching 40. And I've loved Marple since my 20s.
Patg

[carole gill]

You may have loved Marple as I did in my 20's, but not sure if there's a wide readership among the very young--I could be wrong though.

[Kim Smith]

Christine there are some cozy mystery authors who lean toward chick lit. Janet Evanovich is sort of one, and so is Jennifer Apodaca. The reason I say "lean" is because the main characters are not old ladies with cats :)