Classifying your writing...

Call it adventure for agents who like adventure and mystery for agents who like mystery.

However, you might consider what the novel's main effect on the reader is. Is it set up to thrill the reader with a wild ride? Adventure. Is it set up to pose and finally answer a question, usually involving a crime? Mystery. Is it set up to place a character or characters in terrible jeopardy? Suspense. Is it set up to make the reader yearn for the two love interests to get together (and in the end they do)? Romance.

The conventional wisdom seems to be that agents don't want to read that a novel is an adventure mystery romance with suspense and SF elements. That makes them fear a lack of focus.

I'd say do a little research and find some published books that are as similar to yours as possible. Narrow your genre down to the two closest, like Thriller and Mystery, and then tailor your queries to what each agent or publisher is looking for. After your research, you might find your novel does fit one category exactly after all.

If you had to put it on a shelf in the bookstore, where would it go? That's the easiest way, and usually works well enough for a query. Sounds like it's mainstream by your descirption, so you could probably just say "my novel, TITLE"

How about if you just say "Cussler readers will love this one."

shadrake said:

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It is set in the modern day with elements of mystery, adventure and romance. The closest alignment I can describe to a published work is a Cussler style Dirk Pitt type novel, but even that comparison does not work perfectly.

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Click to expand...

Is there one of these elements that stands out over the rest? If so, shoot with that when choosing a genre under which to classify it. Otherwise, when researching agents, find those (like on Agent Query) who represent each of these types of fiction (most have many diverse tastes), and clarify each aspect within your query.

I struggled a bit with mine, thinking it a more general commercial fiction - since it was a "woman's journey story" (often indicative of women's fiction), but with both a little suspense and romance. Queries to commercial fiction-representing agents warranted no interest, but a straight-out romance publisher asked for my full. Sometimes you have to wait until the "right" genre or venue presents itself.

Good luck!