P.D.’s answer to “Do you think it is important to establish a genre before you begin writing and how important is thi…” > Likes and Comments
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It is possible to get listed in several genre categories. On Amazon in particular, you can ask them to add more browse categories to your book listing. There are also keyword categories, and you can list print books and ebooks in separate categories, which will automatically be mirrored to the other. I have a whole list of strategies to add categories.
But that is separate from marketing. For marketing, you need a cover that clearly reflects genre, and if the genre is ambiguous, you are going to have issues. People just won't stop to look at it. You need a blurb that appeals to readers of the genre. You need to fit the tropes of that particular genre, or people will rate you badly. (A romance without a happily-ever-after, a mystery where the killer doesn't get caught, a cozy that includes foul language...)
And if you have a book that is just 'literary' and doesn't fit into a narrower category, that's really difficult to sell.
That makes so much sense,, P.D. Are you a plotter by chance? It seems if so that taking these steps at the beginning would definitely help shape the manuscript.
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May 04, 2017 10:39AM
My second novel fits one genre. My first did not. I was aware that it would span several genre, but that is how the story fell out of me. Although I had a clear grasp of the story and my own sketch ofthe cover was close to waht was produced, the categories are limited. I wish that I could tag it separately for each genre category it fits. Perhaps natural selection by readers will define its primary fit, but maybe not take as long as natural selection does. Thanks for leting me know that this is not too rare an issue.
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Typing small fonts on an ipad in a dimly lit coffee shop is not a good idea now that I can see what I typed above. Apologies for the typos!
It is possible to get listed in several genre categories. On Amazon in particular, you can ask them to add more browse categories to your book listing. There are also keyword categories, and you can list print books and ebooks in separate categories, which will automatically be mirrored to the other. I have a whole list of strategies to add categories. But that is separate from marketing. For marketing, you need a cover that clearly reflects genre, and if the genre is ambiguous, you are going to have issues. People just won't stop to look at it. You need a blurb that appeals to readers of the genre. You need to fit the tropes of that particular genre, or people will rate you badly. (A romance without a happily-ever-after, a mystery where the killer doesn't get caught, a cozy that includes foul language...)
And if you have a book that is just 'literary' and doesn't fit into a narrower category, that's really difficult to sell.
Thanks for that info! Marketing will be my next challenge. The current plan is to focus on writing the first two or three novels of each series and publishing them. That should buy me a year or two to figure out an affordable and a productive promotion strategy, and still write. Thanks again!
That makes so much sense,, P.D. Are you a plotter by chance? It seems if so that taking these steps at the beginning would definitely help shape the manuscript.
