Support for Indie Authors discussion

Just putting the final edits on the end of a looong Historical Fiction/Fantasy trilogy. Love the genre, but would like to try a Contemporary Intrigue. Maybe a nice compact 80k thrill-ride... Got lots of Contemporary plot ideas (too many), got a couple of Historicals rattling around up there too, and can't make up my mind.

Anyone writing different books in multiple genres? Good experiences? Bad experiences? Switch off writing between the two? [Naaah]

Gonna start on a new project in a few weeks... need help!!

I'm also coming to the end of writing a historical trilogy. My first published book was a time travel romance. My next is under wraps but certainly a different genre.

I write what wins the struggle to get out of my head and I like it that way. But if you depend on writing for a living. I'd follow a better plan!

I like your strategy, Anna, to write what wins the struggle to get out of your head. It made me smile. Sounds like a winning approach.

I just write whatever my brain dictates. Published I have: sword and sorcery fantasy; short stories and verse; mystery; thrillers; alt hist. It doesn’t seem to much bother people who like my stuff. They gobble it all

I *mostly* write within the broad boundaries of sci-fi and fantasy, but I hop around wildly in my subgenres and add a bunch of influence from other genres. The only thing I can say is there's no guarantee your readers will jump with you. I've got some people who will read most my work and others who were super disappointed to learn that what they liked was a one off.

Christina, did your readers let you know this through reviews? how did you receive that type of feedback?

That's an interesting question, C.B. My first 3 novels were a series of current women's fiction with probably only a limited market because they're set at a monastery. Then I jumped to historical fiction because the topic captured my imagination. It, too, probably has a limited market because it is set at a local village in 1818. Fascinating for me to research, but not exactly a nail biter.

I've read that you should find a particularly popular genre and focus on that if you want to sell books. In the end, I decided to write whatever genre strikes my fancy. It seems to work for me, at least for now.

Amy wrote: "Christina, did your readers let you know this through reviews? how did you receive that type of feedback?"

I've had a couple of reviews mention this, but those have all been in a positive light, but I don't interact with reviewers. The ones who were disappointed reached out to ask me what books were like the one they read (since the genre was YA and nothing else I'd done at the time was listed that way) through email/social media./blog/etc.

I see no issue writing in different genres, though it might be good to clue readers in from the very start. Like on the cover put "A Book of Contemporary Intrigue" or "A Space Opera" or "A Historical Fantasy" ... or whatever.

Ditto the blurb.

Some readers are picky when they have their expectations challenged.

I only have one book out at the moment, but my future releases and even reader magnets are quite different from that one. I guess it depends on the readers, and you can't please everyone, but if they are like me and open-minded to almost anything with words in it, they should still like my style, my voice and my characters. I live in hope!

I think if a reader likes your book, they want more of the same, so when you write in different genres, it can be confusing. It's probably best, as far as sales, to stick to a genre and writes series.

I have 7 books out. One is Spiritual, 2 are Literary, and 4 are Chick Lit. I thought it was good as a writer to challenge myself but I don't think readers like it. I have a Christmas themed Chick Lit series that sells the most all year round.

I had a writer friend going through a similar dilemma. She writes both young adult fantasy as well as very, very, veeery adult paranormal mysteries, and she worried about readers paying more attention to the author name and less attention to the book's genre, thus readers potentially picking up the wrong book and getting people's hackles up. She solved the issue by using a pen name, and last I heard she was doing quite well in both genres (mostly the paranormal romance one).

C.B. Matson wrote: "Anyone writing different books in multiple genres? Good experiences? Bad experiences? Switch off writing between the two? [Naaah] ..."

I have four projects going currently (although two have been shoved to the back burner) in three different genres and with two pen names plus my own name. I think pen names are helpful if you write in widely divergent genres, but they're a lot of work. With each one, you're starting from scratch in terms of building a platform, getting readers, working with social media, etc.

Alex wrote: "My own personal opinion, and I emphasise that it is only my opinion, is that unless you are writing both children's books and erotica there is no need to use pen names for different genres..."

Agreed. Mostly.

Basically if you write something so far outside your normal work that it would offend or anger or completely puzzle your normal work's readers (or if it puts you in some kind of real life social bind to have your name attached to the new work--say a public figure writing a bunch of sappy poetic erotica), then a pen name might be a good thing.

But if you're just flitting from SF to F to Mystery to Paranormal to YA lit ... I don't see a reason to do the pen name thing.

The problem with pen names is that you're starting back at ground zero: No fan base, no name recognition, totally separate marketing, no springboarding off familiarity with previous works.

Alex wrote: "My own personal opinion, and I emphasise that it is only my opinion, is that unless you are writing both children's books and erotica there is no need to use pen names for different genres.
Lots of..."

Agreed, Alex. I'm hoping we're right!

Micah also has a point, you might need a different name for children's books if you also write LGBT sci fi and yes, you'd be starting from scratch again.

I find that inventing your own genre solves all of these problems!

Thanks, all for the helpful insights. And yeah, C.B., I've invented a genre - called it Bizpunk (okay, didn't say ya had to like it).

However, right now I'm gonna do more of a genre slither than a jump. Moving from Historical Action-Adventure to Contemporary Action-Adventure. I'll let y'all know how that works out...