Know Thy Genre
From reading your blogs and comments, it seems most of you understand the importance of knowing your genre.
But it's also important to choose the right "label". Suspense with romantic elements? Or romantic suspense? There are huge differences.
I'm judging a contest right now. Have five entries, judged four. Of those four, only one really, really fits the genre. Two don't fit at all, at least not in the first forty pages. One somewhat fits, but the tone and setting is so different that it isn't quite what I expected.
That's why we need to choose with care what our genre will be. We know there are reader expectations and I think if a book were marketed the wrong way, it could spell The End.
What do you think? If a book is marketed in a genre in which it doesn't quite fit, do you think it will still be successful? And do you know for sure what genre your book is (I know most of you do)?
But it's also important to choose the right "label". Suspense with romantic elements? Or romantic suspense? There are huge differences.
I'm judging a contest right now. Have five entries, judged four. Of those four, only one really, really fits the genre. Two don't fit at all, at least not in the first forty pages. One somewhat fits, but the tone and setting is so different that it isn't quite what I expected.
That's why we need to choose with care what our genre will be. We know there are reader expectations and I think if a book were marketed the wrong way, it could spell The End.
What do you think? If a book is marketed in a genre in which it doesn't quite fit, do you think it will still be successful? And do you know for sure what genre your book is (I know most of you do)?
Comments
I suppose in some ways you're getting a taste of what agents deal with on a daily basis--writers not taking the time to research what is acceptable in today's market.
Getting it wrong would definitely slow the submission process. You'd be targetting all the wrong places first, have to wait for them to tell you you've got it wrong, if one takes the time to do so, and then go in search of who to really send it to all over again. Yeah, that could be a real pain.
Yeah, I'm not sure what happened. It seemed more like they didn't know the "rules" for that particular genre, and what kind of plots make that genre. It's a mixed one though, two genres together, so that could've been why. This is my fourth contest I've judged and the first time I've seen this, so I'm chalking it up to newbieness. :-)
I hadn't even thought about the subbing process, but you're so right.
If it's about her growth as a woman rather than the growth of a romantic relationship than it would be WF. Maybe you can use WF with romantic elements? :-)
Thanks for your input! I was curious about it. The bad thing about contests is that we judge according to the scoresheet so if your entry is fitting with the questions, you might get a lower score. You and Jody are smart to double think about where your entry should go. And even ask. That's smart.
Have a great Friday! You're more than welcome for the mention over at my blog. :)
It seems to me, a lot of stories are blurring the genre lines and that makes it even harder.
Lynnette Labelle
http://lynnettelabelle.blogspot.com
I think I know my genre: inspirational non-fiction with nutty overtones. What do you think?
Love this post,
Jen, Audience of ONE
And they'd be shelved in different spots, right? Depending on the label? Thank goodness publishers are in it for the money. :-) Makes me think they'll choose the best label to sell your work. :-)
True about forking out money! Heehee
Katie, very true. Only the one seemed to blur the lines, so I didn't take off at all for not fitting into what I presumed the genre to be, but the other ones were lacking a bit, I thought. Good luck finding your perfect fit. :-) After an editor buys it they'll change it to whatever they think will be the most successful anyways. (I think, lol)
Thank you so much for commenting and sharing about RS. I didn't realize there were all those components to it as I don't write it. Though I love to read it! LOL Anyways, very informative. Thank you. :)
Have fun. :-) Those are all so different, too.
You both make a good point. The entries that didn't fit were less professional and seemed newbiesh. Which is fine. We've all been there. But eventually we do need to figure out our fit as best as possible.
Genre is fun to say, isn't it? :-)
Thanks for a great post!
Thanks for commenting Jill!
LOL, that hurt to read. Very true, but you were smart. Without a HEA, it's definitely not any kind of romance. I love the little tag "with romantic elements". You can just stick it on to your main genre, and voila!
:-)
This question stumped me for awhile. Was my book Mystery or Suspense? Thanks to Christina Berry, I've narrowed it down to Suspense.
If you don't know your genre, how do you give examples of similar titles in your proposal?
Blessings,
Susan :)
smooches,
Larie
I'm pretty sure where I fit in. Kind of. Protags age and story fit YA, although since it reads a bit like some MG books I love, it could fit there too. >.<
It's not that it couldn't be successful, only that if it's marketed wrong, some readers will miss out because they're looking in one place and the book is in another. But then again, if the book is stellar, it could pick up a new audience... :-)
Guess I get it from you. :-) If the book isn't in a certain section of the store or library, I'll never see it.
I haven't read MG in forever. Since high school probably. I'll bet there's some cool stuff out there. Maybe you'll come across an agent who does both YA and MG and she/he will know where it fits?