Literary Fiction: What Is It?(The Self Publishing Show, episode 301) 

What a great guest! And James asks all the right questions so we end up with a terrific definition of literary fiction. Really appreciate, folks.

That was so helpful, thank you. I'm nearly through my first draft, and had struggled early on with how to build conflict etc, based on genre tropes. But now you've confirmed that is not such a big deal to stick to in this area. Thanks again!

I think part of literary fiction is including the rules of the form in the work - sometimes consciously playing with them or defying them.

Glad you folks get to see some NFL action in London! Best part of NFL games is no matter how bad a team is, the players are still the best of the best, the world's top athletic machines. In fact both quarterbacks for the Dolphins and the Jags were cream of the crop in college. Which is a real caveat. The greatest quarterbacks typically get drafted by the worst teams. Sometimes it works out, though. The Cincinnati Bengals are doing okay with Joe Burrow, who was spectacular at Louisiana State University. And sometimes players low in the draft (sometimes ones who weren't drafted at all) rise to become stellar professionals. Tom Brady comes to mind. No greater quarterback ever lived, and he was number 199 in the draft!

It's probably not possible to generalize about literary fiction. But a flawed main character who is not an antihero can be a sign. The plot, such as it is, is about the flaws and unintended consequences. The genre that has no genre. The author's name as a brand may be the only unifying quality - and marketing hook. Interesting in the discussion here, Roz says the author's voice can vary greatly from one book to another. So even the author's brand can be difficult to describe.