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As we continue to traverse and map the rugged terrain of the writing world, it’s time to turn our scopes to an area that some writers don’t understand as well as they think they do: genre.
The second you walk into a library or bookstore, you can spot the tell-tale genre signs. Romance, fantasy, sci-fi, historical fiction, mystery—the list goes on and on. But what do these labels mean? What purposes do they serve? How do you know if your story fits within a genre, and why do you need to know it?
Grab your cartography gear and explore the vast world of genre with me. I’ll pack the GPS just in case.
What is genre?
In fiction, a genre is a literary category that encompasses stories that follow similar conventions. Think of them as the towns that make up the writing world. Each town has a unique character, complete with its own rules and social norms.
Genres help categorize and organize works to help readers find the stories they want. They indicate what a story may deliver. Want a sunny stroll through the park? Choose a romance. Itching for a more adventurous romp through the woods? Pick up a thriller. Genre conventions have been well-established; most readers know what they’re walking into when they pick up a book by understanding the genre alone.
When readers know the genre of a book, they can make assumptions about key aspects of it, including:
Settings
Tropes
Character arcs
Plot elements
Tone and mood
This information helps you write your story just as much as it helps readers find it. When you understand your genre, you can write with a specific audience in mind. Think about what readers will expect, and what could satisfyingly subvert their expectations.
I listed examples of broad genres above, but you can get even more specific with subgenres. Think of subgenres as neighborhoods within a town: they all share the same area code, but each street has a distinct personality (and HOA guidelines).
Let's look at fantasy. Within this genre, you can find many subgenres, including:
High fantasy (and low fantasy)
Urban fantasy
Romantic fantasy (A.K.A. “romantasy”)
Magical realism
High fantasy and magical realism read very differently from each other, yet they’re still contained within the fantasy genre. Defining a work further with a subgenre allows readers to have an even clearer understanding of the story, and helps them find the exact stories they’re hungry for.
What genre isn’t
Not all writers begin a story knowing precisely which genre it falls into. Writing takes unpredictable twists and turns, and you may end up in an exciting yet unfamiliar place. If you don’t have a compass, how do you find out where you are? And, equally importantly, how do you avoid miscalculating your position?
Writers can sometimes confuse a story’s genre with its content. Content—simply what happens scene-to-scene—can inform a story’s genre. But it doesn’t automatically qualify it for one.
Some stories spread across multiple genres, as you see with the trending romantasy movement right now. To align with multiple genres, a story needs to equally balance the conventions of each. For example, you may have a few scenes in your novel where two characters flirt, but if the majority of the story focuses on a harrowing alien space mission, it’s science fiction, not sci-fi and romance.
Mis-genre-ing your work can have consequences: publishers and readers alike may feel misled when your story doesn’t deliver what they believed it would. It doesn’t mean your writing is bad—you just haven’t reached the right audience.
If you don’t know your story’s genre, find works with similar conventions, then look at what genre (or genres) booksellers list them under. You can also ask for feedback from friends and beta readers. They can help you see the landscape of your entire story from a bird’s eye view, rather than looking at individual scenes with binoculars.
Why genre matters
Genre matters most when you want to get published and build a readership.
If you’re a growing writer, your name alone won’t attract readers—your writing will. Labeling your work with a specific genre will show readers why they’ll enjoy it. Aligning with a genre will help you tap into an already-established audience of readers dedicated to it.
Publishers also love genres for this reason. They know that readers seek out certain genres; publishing works that fall within these genres and marketing them as such significantly supports their visibility and sales.
If you know your work’s genre and can articulate it well, the publisher may express more interest. Knowing the genre of your work shows them that:
You understand your own story
You understand the potential audience for your story
You understand which genres the publisher accepts
(Learn more about submission calls and guidelines here!)
As you head off to explore the world of genres on your own, remember their intended purpose. Genres, at their best, don’t restrict your writing. They help you mold it, and help you find its home.
About the author:
Lindsey has a BA in English and creative writing from Brandeis University and recently completed the Columbia Publishing Course, nicknamed the "West Point of publishing." She loves writing short stories and has more recently taken an interest in writing poetry. For three years she was an Editor-in-Chief for her school literary magazine, Laurel Moon. You can usually find her reading, crocheting, or bothering her cat, Sister. She hopes to be a writer and an editor in the future to continue to help others improve their work.
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