Greetings,
I’m glad you’re here, and grateful you’re reading my blog. If you write, you probably heard the nonsense that’s been circulating in the writing community. I’m taking a jab at the myth that limits writers. Give me a pin and I’ll burst the hot-air balloon before new writers take notice.
While I was attending a conference, someone announced writers will not find success if they publish work in different genres. He drew upon his experience, which he was entitled to do. Perhaps he didn’t think anyone in the room was talented enough to pull it off. His lecture struck my literary nerve. Ouch.
I respectfully disagree and believe writers not only can write different types of stories, but to discourage them does them a disservice. It prevents them from discovering their potential.
It’s not the first time, I’ve heard this. If I had listened to that advice, I wouldn’t have penned Run Girl Run , my young adult, coming-of-age novel. Earlier books included two paranormal stories. I published The Cave Witch on Kindle Vella and it had a moderate amount of success. Readers on the platform liked my contemporary tales, too.
Why the myth persists
People believe it’s easier to build a following while focusing on one genre.
If an author writes a historical romance one year, and a thriller the next, fans of the romance may ignore the latter if they don’t read different types of stories.
But they could easily check out the blurb of your next romance and decide the novel isn’t for them.
It’s harder for an author to build a brand if the readers don’t know what to expect. They might not buy a book written in different genre, even if they like the writer.
This is one side of the marketing coin. However, there’s a reason a coin has two faces. You get to choose which side you want to look at.
What I think about the controversy
A publisher picked up Run Girl Run , and at first I worried about publishing future books in a different genre. For the record, my editor didn’t tell me I had to keep submitting young adult fiction. However; the majority of her authors stuck to one genre. They were writing a series. I wrote a stand-alone book, and it was my intention from the start.
I felt like publishing one teen book didn’t lock me into a commitment with readers. Plenty of women read it. Some of them gave me reviews, which were good. While they might like those kinds of books, most of them read across the genres. Some of my fans enjoyed my paranormal stories on Kindle Vella, though they didn’t like the serial fiction experience. To learn more about that check out my post, Is Serialized Fiction for You?
Do you know any readers who say they won’t read anything but young adult fiction? I don’t. While they may love a particular genre, they usually read outside of it. That was enough to convince me to step over the line.
What others are saying
About four months ago, I had a conversation with a semi-famous author who traditionally published her work her entire career. She said she knew many successful writers who wrote in multiple genres. She has written books for Simon & Schuster, Random House publishing, and other big publishers. What’s her view? The publishers don’t care as long as the book sells. Write what you want to write.
What if you self-publish? No one cares as long as the book is interesting.
Who has pushed against the genre boundaries?
1. Margaret Atwood
Boundaries crossed: Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Dystopian Fiction, Poetry
2. Neil Gaiman
Boundaries crossed: Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction, Children's Fiction, Graphic Novels
3. Stephen King
Boundaries crossed: Horror, Thriller, Fantasy, Crime Fiction, Science Fiction
4. J. K. Rowling
Boundaries crossed: Fantasy, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Children's Fiction
5. Terry Pratchett
Boundaries crossed: Fantasy, Satire, Science Fiction, Children's Fiction
6. Ray Bradbury
Boundaries crossed: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Dystopian Fiction
7. Isabel Allende
Boundaries crossed: Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Romance, Literary Fiction
8. Philip K. Dick
Boundaries crossed: Science Fiction, Dystopian Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Thriller
9. John Steinbeck
Boundaries crossed: Social Realism, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure
10. Kurt Vonnegut
Boundaries crossed: Science Fiction, Satire, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
For the skeptics:
Someone might think, yeah, but those authors are famous. Anything they touch turns into gold. That won’t work for an unknown writer.
While an in-depth biography of each is beyond the scope of this post, I see a common thread between the authors. They wrote what they liked and did it well enough their stories eventually sold. They worked at it. They weren’t famous when they started. Even the featured author of my last post, Elie Wiesel, wrote in different genres.
What about you?
Have you crossed the genre boundary? If not, do you think you will? What stories in your head need to be told? If you crossed the line, drop a comment and tell everyone what you wrote. If you’re a reader, tell us if you’ve read from authors who dared to defy the boundaries.
I’ve only read the first few pages, but how did you get the teen voice of Tracie?
I believe authors can succeed in multiple genres, but it’s challenging to build a following in just one, let alone two—especially early on. When I ventured into a new genre with my gothic romantasy book, Other Worlds, some readers of my dark gothic romances weren’t as enthusiastic. They mentioned the sex scenes "weren’t as hot" or that there was "too much symbolism in them." Looking back, I think a different pen name might have been helpful, as new readers unfamiliar with my previous books enjoyed the story just fine. Now I’m faced with deciding how to approach the second book in the series: should I raise the heat level, stay with the current tone, adopt a new pen name, or even hold off on publishing it for now?
With seven books written, I can see clearly which ones sell. As much as I loved writing paranormal romance, it’s my Devil Chronicles series—The Devil You Know and The Devil I Love—that outsell everything else and essentially support my other projects.
If I were a publisher, I’d be cautious about an author’s switch to a new genre, especially if their current work sells well. Unless they’re a bestselling author, I’d likely steer them toward what has proven to sell. Publishing is a business, and there are plenty of other authors willing to deliver what research says readers want.
As both author and publisher of my own books, I see my sales trends firsthand. This past year made it clear that The Devil Chronicles series is leading the way, so I committed to writing the third and fourth books, even though I’d rather work on the second Flower Queen book, write a holiday Hitman's Honey, or publish the next book in Other Worlds. But ultimately, readers’ preferences guide these decisions. Publishing is a business, and if a writer wants to get paid, they need to write what readers will buy. There are costs to cover: editing, cover design, and everything else.
Still, I see boundaries as a positive. Left to my own devices, I’d write in ten different genres, but reader feedback provides focus. There’s room for creativity within any genre, and if publishing ever stops being enjoyable, I can always write for myself instead. But publishing a book requires investment—if not mine, then someone else’s. A change in genre is a serious decision. Writing it is one thing, publishing it, is quite another.