Welcome to the Genre Conundrum
If you are thinking about self-publishing, I am going to assume that you have a manuscript that’s ready or near ready for publication. One of the first things you must do, if you have not done so already, is determine which genre your book belongs in.
By genre, I mean the type of book you have written: Is it fiction or nonfiction? Easy question, but we can’t stop there. What kind of fiction is it? What kind of non-fiction? True crime, mystery, humor, literary, YA? If you’re unsure about the definitions, google them. Fiction genres can be trickier to pin down than nonfiction. Then again, some writers know exactly which genre they’re writing in even before they start their book.
For my novel, They Will Be Coming for Us, I started writing without much thought about genre. The story features a twenty-something female protagonist adopted from Russia. Her name is Svetlana and early in the book, she meets and marries young Andrew Jovian only to find that his wealthy family members display some unique and intimidating (often annoying) eccentricities. Why that is, isn’t revealed until after the midpoint of the book, when the situation becomes much more dire, the suspense builds, and the family members reveal their more menacing side (eventually taking a paranormal turn).
So, is it a new adult novel? A paranormal thriller? A book of domestic suspense? And does it really matter what label I give it?
It does matter. And here’s why: getting the label right will help you find your readers, and help your readers find your book. Second, it will prevent your readers from being disappointed. You don’t want to call your book women’s fiction or mystery or romance, for example, if it doesn’t contain the elements that fans of those genres are accustomed to finding in the books they love.
When you upload your file to Amazon or Ingramspark, or any of the other book distributors out there, they will ask you for the specific genre and also for ten or so keywords that describe your book. Those words become important when a customer searches for his or her next read. If you haven’t considered the words readers may type into the search engine in order to find your title, you will miss an opportunity to turn up in those search results.
While determining the best genre for my book, I researched title after title on Amazon and came to the conclusion that They Will Be Coming for Us is a psychological thriller. Yes, the protagonist is in her twenties, but that’s not paramount to the story (which means it’s not New Adult). Yes, it’s suspenseful, but the suspense builds and becomes most prevalent in the last third of the book (so, it's not strictly suspense). Yes, the paranormal element is important, but it’s an underlying presence throughout—not like the books I found on Amazon when I searched “paranormal.”
Psychological thrillers are a slow burn (think Hitchcock). They feature a protagonist under stress, thrown into a dangerous world she’s unsure about, and doubting herself—and those elements describe my book well.
How to Go About It
Finding the right genre can take some time, so it’s never too soon to start mulling it over.
Consider your comps. Comps are the books that are similar to yours, the ones you’d mention in your query letter to an agent. My comps include Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah and the classic Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin. Search your comps on Amazon and scroll down to check their rankings. Which lists are mentioned there? Do any of those words describe your book? You can also visit Amazon’s bestsellers lists and click on any genre list to see which books appear on it.
Determine which part of the bookstore would display your book. Young adult is pretty clear-cut, as are finance, romance, and poetry, but other books, like mine, contain elements of more than one category. Regardless, steer clear from using the label “cross-genre” simply because many editors say it’s a hard sell. Instead, settle on the genre that predominantly describes the book.
Ask beta readers. They’ve read your book, so ask them what genre they think is most appropriate. Then visit Amazon and use the Advanced Search tool to search those particular words, and see if you agree.
In order for readers to discover your book, they will have to be able to find it in a search. Choose the appropriate genre and the right keywords to make sure that happens.
My next post will be about building your author website.
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