Why you shouldn’t mix genres when starting out
how it benefits you to stay with one genre when you’re new. how it sells your book.
Imagine you worked in a Blockbuster video store and you had to put away a group of videos back onto the shelves, sounds straightforward.
If you had the movie Friday the 13th you’d know it belongs in a horror section. If you had the movie “Airplane” you’d know right away it belongs in comedy. You’d place “Shawshank Redemption” in drama. All of these are straightforward. Now imagine you had to put away a movie that was a comedy, drama, musical. Where would that one go? Now you have a tough job. Like most employees, you’d probably put the movie off to the side planning on coming back to it later. Leaving it to the end.
In this blog, we will be looking at why you shouldn’t mix genres when starting out..
WHY YOU SHOULDN’T MIX GENRES WHEN STARTING OUT
Table of Contents
If you worked in a bookstore and had to put a Stephen King novel on a shelf, you’d know right away it belongs in horror. If you had to put away Arthur C. Clarke you’d place it in science fiction. Those types of books wouldn’t be difficult to put away. But if you had a book that was across over of science fiction, horror, and fantasy you’d now have a tough job of finding a place to put it. You could place it in horror but that wouldn’t be right. It could be in fantasy, but it’s also science fiction.
If someone walked into the store wanting to find that book and asked you where it was you could quickly check the computer to see where it was placed, but if you had to look for it you’d be walking around the entire store from section to section.
IT’S SIMPLY TOO RISKY TO MIX GENRES
That would be awkward, but this does happen. There have been a few books written that contain multiple genres. Which could be placed in many different sections of a bookstore. However, book publishers are not too happy to publish books in this way. Especially by first-time authors, it’s simply too risky. The big reason publishers avoid multiple genres books is because marketing them is too difficult. Bookstores like having a straightforward book that can be placed in certain sections of the store. It makes it easier for someone to locate it. You don’t want a paying customer entering your store looking for a certain book and not finding it and leaving. When in fact it was in the store all along.
Some novel writers hate the idea of genre writing. Giving their book a label of horror or science fiction, drama, mystery, thriller. They like the idea of mixing them all together. Saying it opens doors into the mind when writing but writing a genre limits the mind.
IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO DO THEIR JOB
But it’s a problem for book publishers. They like working with books that can be placed in a category. Literary agents like genres as well. If you go onto any literary agent website you’ll see a list of what the agent will accept and does not want sent to them. It makes it difficult for them to do their job when they have listed on their site they accepted science fiction only and receive a book that science fiction, horror, romance and mystery. It makes it difficult if they can represent the book or not.
Yes it’s true you might be able to name a few books that have mixed genres that have gone on to sell. But the truth is for every one book you can name there are countless mixed genres that have failed. It’s simply too difficult to market. The average reader can’t decide if they want to read it or not. If someone is a fan of science fiction they might be put off by the fact it’s a horror novel as well. If someone is a horror fan they might be put off by the fact it’s romance. Instead of appealing to all readers, you end up rejecting all.
YOU CAN’T REACH OUT TO EVERYONE
Some writers make the mistake of thinking, “If I write a novel that mixes all genres I’ll reach out to everyone.” But in reality, this barely works. Literary agents have seen this trick tried too many times to trust it. They’ve seen it tried and fail too often. They’d rather stick with a safer method of sticking with one. Plus the golden rule when looking for an agent is never say, “my book appeals to all age groups”.
This is a huge sign to an agent your book will not sell. Because in the real world you cannot market a book to a 12-year-old and a 60-year-old. what boys read is different than what women read. If you send a letter to an agent saying, “my book will sell to anyone” you’re really saying, “I don’t know anything about book publishing.”
AGENTS GET NERVOUS
Agents are nervous suggesting your horror, romantic, science fiction genre book to publishing houses. New writers believe if you get an agent your book will automatically be published. But in reality, the agent only suggests your book to the publishing houses. It’s up to them to decide if the book will be printed. If your agent suggested your novel to a horror publishing house they’ll look at the romance part and pass on it (and possibly not liking the agent for sending it to them.)
If your agent then sends your book to a publishing company who publishes romance they might be put off by the science fiction part. Leaving your book difficult to sell. An agent will know this from the start leading an agent nervous to sign you on.
LITERARY AGENTS MIGHT LOOK PAST YOUR BOOK
If an agent is getting numerous query letters from authors looking for representation they might end up overlooking your multi-genre book for someone whose novel is one genre, it’s easier to market.
Your novel might be amazing. Even though it’s a mixed genre it could sell if the public gave it a chance. But the problem is it costs money to print a book and if it doesn’t sell it can bankrupt the publishing house. New writers think a publishing house has unlimited money lying around. The truth is there a few bad sales away from going bankrupt all the time. They might have sold a ton of novels from a successful author a few years ago but that doesn’t mean they have billions of dollars lying around all the time. If they print a few books that don’t sell it can cost them the business.
IT’S NOT LIKE YOU CAN BLAME THEM
The owner of a publishing house could read your novel and love it but still hesitate to print it out of fear the public will not give it a try. They cannot risk having a novel fail and losing the company. Having so many employees losing their jobs. It’s not like you can blame them, you have to see things from their eyes. They know they can market a book that’s a flat-out western, or horror, or science fiction but when mixed together it makes it difficult for them.
Imagine if you were running a publishing company knowing that if you made a few bad decisions countless people lose their jobs. Would you risk publishing numerous mixed-genre books knowing they would be difficult to market? If a well-known author whose name alone could sell books the book publishers would be more willing to take a chance. But it’s too risky with an up-and-coming writer.
WHEN STARTING OUT YOU CAN FOLLOW THE RULES
When you’re a new writer it’s best to follow the rules. Could a book with multiple genres be successful? Yes, but it might have been written by someone who’s well known who can use their name to sell the book. But when you a just starting out you make it more difficult for yourself when you mix so many different genres together.
Play it safe when starting off by writing a book that can be clearly be placed into a category right away and then after you you’re famous you can start mixing genres. You want readers to walk into a bookstore and find your book right away.
you might be interested in these blogs…
HOW TO CONTROL YOUR NOVEL’S PACE
HOW INTENT AND OBSTACLE CAN SELL YOUR NOVEL
WHY YOU SHOULDN’T SWITCH GENRES HALFWAY THROUGH
