Help me name a genre for my manuscript

This is a task that truly is proving to be tumultuous.

I'm not ignorant to the various genres or their definitions but, at the risk of sounding like a greenhorn, I simply can't seem to label/tag my book.

Help!?

The story has a lot of narrative and description, and is extremely character driven. -- Literary

At the heart of the plot the main character is on a journey to uncover a conspiracy; a collusion of which has been ongoing for centuries. Naturally, there are forces who will do anything to stop him. Will he fail or will he succeed? -- Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

The main character's love interest holds a strong presence from the get-go and throughout. Eventually, they give in to eachother, right before one of them dies at the end. -- Love/Romance

Mental abilities/gifts (i.e. telepathy, healing, even altering time at the climax) are present as if these abilities are characters themselves. But, the setting is in "our"/the real world. -- But it would be tough to label this as Urban Fantasy (as I think of this genre usually to include vampires or ghosts). -- It would also be miscalculated to call it straight Fantasy/Science Fiction, as it is all very literary based and in this world, and done in a realistic manner. Does any of this make sense?

As protocol seems to be for agents asking you to label your work with a genre (within the query), I don't want to mislable my work; even worse, I don't want to sound like a complete amateur and say something that makes me sound pompous, such as, "Perhaps I'm so brilliant...I've created a work that calls for a whole new genre to be invented." <---- Sarcasm, by the way.

Based off of the descriptions I've provided, can you guys help me find a genre for my book?

Thanks in advance.

Lyx -- The bad boy who was timed out for a while (It couldn't be helped, GJ pressed my bitchslap button)

aadams73 said:

I'd probably call it "commercial fiction."

Welcome back

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Thanks, for the welcome back and the genre.

I thought about labeling it Commercial Fiction, but -- and I should've mentioned this in the op -- another overlying theme is anti-government (along with anti-consumerism). This being the case, I've pretty much already lost about eighty-percent of the world as my audience. In other words -- the ones who aren't "down", won't get it.

Linda Adams said:

What's the primary focus of the story? That's where you're genre lies. For example, just because it has a romance it in doesn't mean it's a romance; it just means it has a romantic subplot. On the other hand, if the story were about the romance, then it'd be a romance.

It might be speculative fiction. Normally, I'd say thriller, but psi aspect is not something that turns up in thriller normally.

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Very solid advice. Thanks, Linda. I suppose the primary focus lies on the mc discovering and learning to wield the "gifts within" (which would put it as sci-fi/fantasy, right?). But, again, it is done in such a manner that labeling it sci-fi/fantasy, does not mesh with your average work of this genre. There are no aliens, futuristic weapons, alternate realms, anything grandiose for that matter. As such, I'm hesitant to call it sci-fi/fantasy as it would be misleading to the definitive term.

Ugghh! I truly am stumped. I do agree that the genre lies with the primary focus. But, in this case, for the reasons mentioned in the previous paragraph, I'm still stuck.

swvaughn said:

Whatever you do, don't call it romance. Romance readers do NOT want to see one of the lovers die at the end. That is not a happy ending. Seriously. Dying puts a damper on a future relationship.

I agree with commercial fiction. (Nice avatar! )

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Hey, necropheliacs can love, too, no? Thanks for your suggestions and the avatar comp.

alleycat said:

Sounds a bit like a sci-fi thriller or suspense.

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Sorry, alley, I screwed up and missed you on the multi-quote I previously posted. Thanks for the suggestions. As you can see, though, from my other responses, I'm still stuck.

Thanks to all (this is far easier than it would be to multi-quote everyone ).

I guess I'm being thick-headed and making a mountainous mole-hill. Thanks, though, for all of the suggestions and instruction. This board, if used properly, is invaluable.