When you list your book on Amazon or Kobo, you pick the closest genre that fits your book; but then you and four thousand other novels are all sitting in the same Olympic-sized kiddie pool, packed in like sardines. Sardines in a chlorinated pool. I don't need to tell you how wrong that is.
There's a school of thought that if your book doesn't fit snugly into a genre or two, you haven't written to your audience. And I agree with that... I do. But... if you've ever gone online to look up your favourite genre, you'll find you're spoiled for choice - as long as you don't read the kind of books I write. The astounding number of creative works out there under any one genre heading is... well, astounding.
So how can readers find the specific type of work they really love? More than that, how can we tell original stories if we blinker ourselves to fit a genre heading? How can we bring something new to the table when we write? We know what we love, our audience knows what they love... and humbly, as a writer, I of all people realise, I'm not currently setting any new trends with my 'science-vampires pursued by evil scientists' storyline. But if I were looking for a thriller, I'd be thinking crime. If I were looking at action, I'd think guns and dudes in tank tops and red headbands who don't say much. Vampires - well. Don't even. Science fiction is for world-builders whose vision extends beyond our own universe, and I'm not currently a world-builder, (although I do have a novel in the works that will be sci-fi, but that's not for here).
So I ask the question - are there really enough genres allocated by the big book sellers to allow authors to find their audience? I would argue 'no'. You don't have to be terribly original to find your work is simply not represented by the genres available. Or the number you can select.
What do you think?
I agree with you in part, I think big publishers pigeonhole authors for their own ease. The question is what is the alternative? Would more “genres” really make us easier to find as authors, or spread us so thin that it would be (more) impossible to climb onto a best seller list. In the days of Libraries and bookstores I would have agreed with you but now days many readers will do internet searches even if they purchase their books from a physical retailer. Does this make the keywords used in our descriptions more important that a specific genre search? Maybe? It probably depends how you shop online. For now the only hope for authors is test it test it test it.
ReplyDeleteHi Kali, very good question - how DO people find their favourite fiction? Browsing categories, looking for captivating cover designs, word of mouth, straight-up Google search - in which case, yes, those key words would be more critical. Me, personally, probably keywords - but if genres are to serve any purpose, rather than being irrelevant, I (personally) feel they need to be more flexible. For instance, if you write paranormal fiction - fairly niche - you have to list your fiction under YA currently on Amazon. That's a huge assumption. Some of the earliest, creepiest paranormal fiction I read as a child was definitely NOT aimed at young adults! :-)
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