Once again, I am giving thought to genre. When I start writing a story, the last thing I’m thinking of is what genre will this fit into, or how I can make it fit into any particular genre at all—let alone how I plan to market it. I simply write a story as it unfolds before me. Often, I’m not even sure just exactly how it will develop, or what character may enter and take center stage. This leaves me with a dilemma in the end, when I get ready to submit or query the completed novel
Story for a Shipwright has a strong Women’s fiction appeal, yet it is primarily written in first person from a male POV—a sensitive and insightful point of view, at that. Shouldn’t such a novel have a more universal appeal? In the end, I submitted Story for a Shipwright as Literary/General/Commercial fiction. (Don’t even get me going on the ambiguity of all those terms!)
Currently, I’m polishing a new (rewrite of an old) story. The protagonist is a 17 year-old girl, delivered in close third person. Large portions are from two different male points of view—one 27 year-old and the other 52. There are some high-schooly scenes, but the plot revolves around adult situations and issues. It doesn’t feel like Young Adult to me, though it doesn’t entirely feel like Women’s fiction, either. Then there is that relatively new genre, New Adult...hmmm. Perhaps Portrait of a Girl Running and the sequel Portrait of a Protégé can find a home there...must do further research...
Anyone familiar with New Adult literature or have an opinion on the marketability of cross-genre novels?
I'm not much help. Like you, I mostly just write stuff and then figure the rest out later.
ReplyDeleteMyabe we are just part of that genre which is more story-oriented as opposed to marketing-oriented, eh?
ReplyDeleteI just read a post on the Querytracker forums about this--it's a very hard genre to enter into because publishers (except St. Martin's Press) don't know what to do with them.
ReplyDeleteI think it is good though that you write for the story, and not for the market. A good story will always find a home.
Lydia, I read that about St. Martin Press and I know that there are some small press publishers that are venturing out in that direction, too--Rhemalda Publishing, for one. Overall, I'm inclined to think that my stories will fit better with a smaller publisher...
ReplyDeleteWell, honestly, I had no idea what Monarch was until Nathan Bransford told me it was thriller. I was like, well, okay. So I pitched it as that to Rhemalda and they ran with it and said it was thriller, too. Who knows. They're sticking The Breakaway into new adult because the main character is 17 - 19 through the book and she deals with some very adult situations as well as the book also being told from her mother's POV. It just doesn't feel straight YA, I guess. I don't think it's too imperative that you "nail the genre" because if it does get picked up, it will be thrown into some box or another. Just keep it vague when you submit - like you've done already. Like Lydia says, just write a good story. Which I KNOW you've done. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, and Nathan Bransford didn't really tell me it was thriller - he just said it in one of the emails to me about my partial. That's when I tagged it as such. :)
ReplyDeleteThe Twilight series demonstrates that a piece can jump the market target and appeal to a larger audience should the work be good (enough) and hitting the market at the right time.
ReplyDeleteTiming can be a critical factor, and one quite out of the author's control. Like children our stories can be made ready to go out into the world, but we cannot guide their every step after they leave the nest. We can assist and influence, but there are many other factors out of our control.
Michelle, although MONARCH deals with a lot of interpersonal relationship psychology, it’s definitely a Thriller!
ReplyDeleteUltimately, I feel as if my stories are General fiction. In the case of STORY FOR A SHIPWRIGHT, like MONARCH, there is a shifting back and forth, from family dynamics and mounting romantic relationship, to adventure (to thriller in MONARCH’s case). I have only begun to realize the relative importance of genre since seeking publication, but to me, writing to satisfy someone else’s opinion of genre boundaries feels stifling. So many published authors cannot afford to push the boundaries too far…or can they…
…that said, Michael, you make a valid point about authors who ‘jump the market target’ and appeal to a wider audience. Who would have guessed that Vampires would be such a huge hit and influence genre trends to the extent it has?!
One of the reasons a small publisher, or publishing independently appeals to me is having more control. Even still, once my novels are out there, I can’t control how my readers will receive it. That is something I know I need to prepare myself for—I mean really, how much control do we ultimately have in anything?
Yeah, it's a thriller, I know, but I certainly didn't write it to be a thriller, so that's where I got hung up, I think.
ReplyDeleteI see books pushing the boundaries all the time. It's just marketing that tries to hide it. Who wants to buy an "experimental" book? I do, but I guess most everyone does not - or so the general marketing seems to think.
Michelle, I've always thought of 'experimental' writing as avante-garde, in the bizarre sense, but I suppose anything that doesn't fit the 'norm' falls into 'experimental' as far as the oligarchy is concerned!
ReplyDeleteAnd I gauge Thriller based on my increased heart rate and consequently impaired nervous system, lol!
I'm thinking that both GIRLS could be classified as New Adult, however, they're set in the past, therefore I think I'd catagorize them as commercial fiction or women's fiction.
ReplyDeleteAs for STORY, I would so stick that into literary fiction, although there is cross-genre overlap as well. The way it's written smacks to me of literary.
Anne, I really appreciate the input of those who have actually read the stories! Thanks for weighing in! :)
ReplyDeleteI suspect that classifying them as General/Commercial/Literary fiction is my best bet. If my excerpts and or queries are good enough to garner some attention, perhaps the agent/publisher is the best to determine where it fits.
Perhaps if you make your protagonist a vampire you won't have to worry as much about the genre?
ReplyDeleteI sure learned a lot from all these comments...I'm sitting here going "What's New Adult?" Now, perhaps I know. I vote for writing the story. It drives me crazy that people write for the genre first. It seems almost mercenary. But then, I suppose, they are published. I'm not even close.
ReplyDeleteErrika, Yeah, or a wizard—um, no…just not going there, lol…
ReplyDeleteLiza, From what I've gathered, New Adult is not widely known. Query Tracker does not list it as a genre, and so I think it is more of a sub-genre of YA. I’m not entirely certain if it needs to be contemporary or not. One of the sources I looked at speculated that The Girl with the Pearl Earring falls into that category, because the protagonist is a 16 yr old girl, in an adult situation—but of course that took place in the 1600’s...so, you see, I am still learning, too...
Meanwhile, I just keep writing what appeals to me--if readers end up liking it, I suppose it won't be contingent on having pegged it in a specific genre!
It's an interesting situation. I have an idea for a book that would fall into a similar vague area. I think that's why I haven't written it. I'm afraid to.:)
ReplyDeleteOkay, Susan--yes it can be scary, but you know I'll hold your hand :)
ReplyDeleteJust for the sake of getting yourself writing about something that intrigues you, you should definitely do it! At least start it!
Wow, this was quite a read. Like Liza, I learned as much from your post, Bridget, as I did from the comments. Frankly, until just this minute, I didn't even know "New Adult" existed - just shows how outta the loop I am lately. Darn travel guide deadlines!
ReplyDeleteAnyhoo, I also write the story that I want - and worry about the genre later - though that's already backfired on me. When ICM read my Ruby Hollow novel, they were also stumped by the genre question - and ultimately passed because of it. Was it young adult, women's fiction, literary - what? Ack! It's enough to make you scream. Like Liza, I think that it can be a bit mercenary to shape your story to fit a specific genre, but on the other hand, most readers are drawn to books because of the genre, which helps them make book decisions. Even in the film world, genre is important - as is marketing. Consider "The Break-Up" (the one with Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston). The trailer made it seem funny, but it actually ended up being really serious, which confused much of the audience.
Although I'm attracted to cross-genre books, I know that, in the end, I have to pick one - at least until I publish my first novel. Of course, even then, readers don't seem to like it when published authors venture out of their known genres. Sigh.
Laura, New Adult is still pretty obscure, but if it helps find a niche for those in-between, cross-genre stories with young protags, I think it will catch on, especially as those YA's who get older want literature that keeps apace with their interests--their world of 'firsts' and new experiences.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I know what you mean about movie trailers--like Lars and the Real Girl (a must see) was classified as a comedy, and though there are some funny scenes, it's only funny in a tragic way. Talk about a study on building a character!
Love your blog! So glad you stopped by my BBQ so I could find it. This post strikes a chord with me since I'm often confused about what genre I write, finally settling on women's fiction, but then is it commercial or literary? Gah! I go with those who say write the story and worry about all that later. And I am a big fan of the small press!
ReplyDeleteHi Karen! Thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteI imagine that you find the definitions of General, Commercial, and Literary fiction as ambiguous and confusing as I do! Seems like every publisher and agent has their own interpretation.
It's challenging enough to write a compelling novel, without having to worry about marketing or appealing to the masses. I've simply had to learn which one I value more! With that simple decision, I'm loving writing again :)
I heard about New Adult genres just recently for the first time at the WriteOnCon a few weeks ago. I still haven't taken the time to Google the particularities of the genre though. Very nice to 'meet' you! New follower here from KareG's BBQ:)
ReplyDeleteYou already know about the current situation with the genre of new adult. I think it's a shame. High school students (seniors)and college students would probably enjoy reading books for that age group. Maybe one day more publishers will venture into that arena, especially if it takes off in self-publishing.
ReplyDeleteStina, yeah, there was a lot of buzz about it two years ago, but that seems too have tapered. Not too many agents have jumped on the bandwagon, though there are a few. It seems that small presses are picking up on it where the 'big houses' haven’t, and maybe that’s where the growth will happen—that, and as you mention, self-publishing. From what I’ve read, it’s best to pitch it as YA or Contemporary fiction—and let the agent/publisher decide how best to market it.
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