I'm going to post this Question in 'Plot Developmental" category and 'General Writing' because I don't know the correct place to put it lol so i apologize in advance Okay, so i've finished my novella and as i was editing it and re-reading it, I started to think if the genre i chose for it really fits the story. My story follows August, who is a 25 year old male witch who grandmother, who is also a witch, is battling cancer. His grandmother is only 72 years old and has decided to stop fighting in her cancer battle and decided to just enjoy her last days with her grandson. The story shifts between August POV and his grandmother POV from when she first started practicing witchcraft at a young age and falling in and out of love and getting into trouble as a young girl. August is also dealing with his own issues as a 25 year old witch with family and relationship drama where August must come to terms with what is important in life and what isn't. Sidenote; The story takes place in a wizardry world. So everyone is either a witch, warlock or wizard. My initial genre for the story was "Fantasy" but it doesn't give me 'Fantasy Genre" vibe, if you know what i mean. I feel 'Adult Fiction' could be more of an appropriate genre. What do you guys think?
"Adult" is an age group or target audience, not a genre. "Fantasy" is a genre. Since the story contains magical tones, I would definitely call it adult fantasy.
Again, I'd ask why (as the author) you're "picking" a genre, as that isn't a writing function. It's a marketing function.
If an author wants an agent, the author has to mention a genre in the query letter (and send the query to agents who work in that genre). If an author wants a publisher, the author has to mention a genre in the query letter (and send the letter to publisher who publish that genre). If an author wants to self-publish, the author has to classify the novel in the marketting categories at various retailers.
No, not really. That is what people are told. Agents aren't so dogmatic as that. If you have an agent you've convinced to read your manuscript, it's not because you mentioned the genre on your cover letter. Agents also like to think they can tell what genre it is themselves. Yes, if you self-publish you'll be asked where you want the title to appear in the listings. So, you pick a category that you expect people who'd like your work will be looking.
What's your authority for this? My agent specializes in a few different genres of fiction. That's where her contacts are; that's what she's best at selling. If I hadn't mentioned genre in my cover letter... well, I think she would have been able to figure it out, but I think she would have been pretty annoyed that I was being coy about it. And wouldn't a short-form for "a category that you expect people who'd like your work will be looking" be "genre"?
I have to agree with bayview, majority of agents wants to know your genre because each agent represents different genres. So if i was sending out query letters to agents and i didnt state my genre, based on the query letter and whatever genre the agent THINKS it is, if its not something they represent they will quickly reject it no matter how good the query letter is. I'm self publishing since many agents dont represent novella's unless its from an established author. So thats why im trying to figure out my genre so i can know which audience to market my story to.
I had one quick question, Lately alot of tv shows thats been coming out are being placed in the "Drama" Genre since it focuses on the characters personal life. Do you know the equivalent to that genre in book form? I been wanting to read books that's full of open-ending "drama" but cant seem to find the genre.
I think what you're looking for is literary works, which technically are without genre. Kind of thought as the opposite of genre. Look for the books that win the literary prizes. I think that's a good place to start.
Or possibly women's fiction, if we're looking at the fluffier aspects of drama? Jodi Picoult et al. - family drama verging on melodrama, lots of juicy quandaries.
Sounds like an urban fantasy novel. And yes, there are agents who specify genre, so you wouldn't want to submit something outside of the genres they've asked for.