I see a lot of angst about this question from authors. What’s my genre? How do I label/market myself to editors and agents? If I write cross-genre, who do I send my books to? Which audience do I market myself to? The questions go on and on. And they’re very valid questions!
In a lot of ways, I have it easy now that I have an agent. It’s up to her to decided who and how to market me to editors, so if I write crazy cross-genre, I get to offload that headache to her. Then the editors and their publishers decide how to market me to the public.
In the end, does it even matter how we label ourselves? If the publisher gets to be the one to make that call for their marketing stance, then does it matter what we say or think we are? One example I’ve found of this is Yasmine Galenorn’s Sisters of the Moon series. It’s Urban Fantasy and has been marketed as Paranormal Romance because they thought it would sell better that way. Ms. Galenorn must have been called on it by fans because she says this on her website:
While labeled paranormal romance on the spine, this is really an urban fantasy series. The publisher makes the determination on what genre to classify books in and therefore, the author really has nothing to do with that choice. I consider the series urban fantasy because the focus is on the action, the world story arc, and primarily, the sisters and their relationships to one another. While there is explicit sex, and relationships do play a significant part, those are not the main forces of the stories, and these are not HEA books.
Another example I have is of my critique partner R.G. Alexander’s Children of the Goddess series at Samhain. She wrote it as paranormal romance, and both she and the publisher have labeled and marketed it as such, but reviewers have called it Urban Fantasy Romance. I guess if people buy it and like it, that’s a good thing regardless of the label.
Has anyone else had any experience with this?
That is true. Same thing with my Veil series. I just think “paranormal”, so when they call it something else, it always surprises me. I think, “Cool, I didn’t know I wrote Urban Fantasy” lol
by R.G. Alexander May 30th, 2008 at 8:39 amWell, one of the issues I’ve run in to is that people label my futuristic Carnal Desires novellas as paranormal because the characters are shifters, but there’s actually no paranormal aspects to the book at all. The reason for the shifters is entirely scientific.
I suppose I’ll just have to stick with “if they buy it and like it, they can label it whatever they want.”
by Crystal Jordan May 30th, 2008 at 8:43 amThis is actually a topic of some concern, for me. I honestly can’t say what genre I’m writing in! I need desperately for someone to help me figure it out, too, ’cause I’m not having any luck subbing, at the moment…
…sigh…
I think I write contemporary fiction, but some have said it’s women’s fiction, others “Sweet romance” (this is based on a short story doing the rounds, though), and still others say Literary Women’s…
AAARRRRGGGHHH!!!
Whatever happened to “Fiction”?
Sorry. I’ll let y’all get back to it…
Ciao!
by MsMenozzi May 30th, 2008 at 9:31 amSee? I knew someone would feel the pain of this! And how do you know which agent or editor to send to? The difference between “sweet romance” editors and agents might be significant as compared to those who look at “women’s fiction.”
For example, it’s no longer chic to write chick lit, now you have to label it “humorous women’s fiction.” Same book, new label because of what marketing thinks will sell or not.
by Crystal Jordan May 30th, 2008 at 9:39 amWhen I started writing Urban Fantasy, it was Charles de Lint: fairies in urban settings, modern places where magic happens…
Now it’s…gritty stuff with female MC’s, usually first person…well, there’s a lot of rules I never associated with the genre. I know *I* am supposed to adapt with the industry, but this change makes me very sad, honestly. I liked picking up UF and it being fairies, magic, dragons and the like in downtown Ottawa…not shapeshifters and vampires. *sigh* Minor gripe.
As for my own stuff…I’ve released fantasy-romance so far, and I often hear it’s “too romancy” or “too fantasy-y”.
I just leave it up to The Professionals to decide WHAT it is, so long as I can keep on writing it.
by Dayna May 30th, 2008 at 9:52 amYeah, if people buy it, then you’re doing okay in my book. Good luck, Dayna!
by Crystal Jordan May 30th, 2008 at 9:53 amI have veered off of the contemporary track (dabbling in paranormal and even futuristic) but for the most part I write contemporary and I don’t find myself mislabeled. Only because it’s pretty obvious. LOL
I think paranormal is more like like a blanket genre. It can cover a lot of territory.
by Karen Erickson May 30th, 2008 at 9:55 amI’m getting ready to write a steampunk, and I have no idea how I’ll cross market. I think the first thing will be to write it under a different name.
by Feisty May 30th, 2008 at 9:57 amKaren: True, in romance everything that’s “speculative fiction” from science fiction to steampunk or urban fantasy to straight fantasy, etc, gets just labeled as “paranormal romance.”
by Crystal Jordan May 30th, 2008 at 9:57 amFeisty: I was totally think of you when I mentioned steampunk! Is it going to be erotic or straight romance, if it’s erotic, maybe it doesn’t matter about the subgenre of erotic.
The genres within genres can get pretty confusing too. Oy!
by Crystal Jordan May 30th, 2008 at 9:59 amI guess, as long as people are buying them, why care what it’s labeled?
(Because the label leads to sales idiot, my inner watchdog tells me.)
But really, there’s only so much control you have over it. The marketing gurus are going to tag it with the label they think is going to sell. Just keep writing the best damn books you can (you know, just like you have been ;) ) and we eager fans will keep finding you, wherever they shelve your books.
by Ember May 30th, 2008 at 10:00 amHere’s hoping that’s true, Ember!
by Crystal Jordan May 30th, 2008 at 10:02 amWell, I try not to get hung up on genre too much. One thing I’ve seen is “chasing the market” causes me trouble. LOL.
by Jennifer McKenzie May 30th, 2008 at 11:24 amI write Romantic Suspense AND Erotic Romance. None of it is easily defined. After the last rom susp I finished involving the search for Big Foot, I think the label “Quirky” might apply. LOL.
I think they booksellers would do themselves a favor by putting more than one genre on the spine, it if applies.
Notice, though, we don’t have this problem with movies. Maybe we should simplify instead?
by Gwen Hayes May 30th, 2008 at 11:35 amJen: I think quirky is a good label for you in general, though I don’t think it’s a genre option. :)
Gwen: I don’t know I’ve had movie issues like this before. I go into the movie store and I think something is a comedy, but instead it’s shelved in Drama. Go fig.
by Crystal Jordan May 30th, 2008 at 11:43 am