Literary, schmiterary!

I can't speak to other definitions of literary fiction, but the practical definition within publishing is any fiction which does not clearly conform to a standard genre, which is not “genre fiction,” (i.e., mystery, action, romance, etc.) It is therefore fiction to be viewed for its literary and artistic merit alone rather than for any genre-specific expectations.

Character-driven vs. plot-driven is only a feature of literary fiction. The term itself was invented by publishers and agents for the purely practical reason of organizing novels into kind, as I said above: If it's fiction and it ain't any genre, it's "literary fiction." Simple as that.

In your situation, the publishers who publish literary fiction decide.

Submit your stories to the publisher(s) that publishes only literary fiction. One of them may deign to tell you if you are writing literary fiction.

Memphis

Well, that's all well and good and correct I suppose, but if someone asks what it "is" it seems better to describe some of its features than to simply say it is not something else. Its rather difficult to prove a negative so I guess that's why no one (other than the ones who decide to publish it) really knows what literary fiction is -- it is not. Take care. Vern

JP--
This is so hard to define.

I read a lot of detective novels and most of them are character driven. Any one of Elizabeth George's novels could double as literary fiction. Agatha Christie's Poirot, Sir Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, and my favorite John Sandford's Lucas Davenport are all characters that drive the plot.

The only thing I can come up with is that a literary novel is one balanced in characterization and plot. If I were you, I'd ignore that directive and submit anyway.