should you stick to similar genres so your readers will stick by you?

KarlaErikaCal · Apr 21, 2009

I have three different WIPs right now, one is SF, one is Fantasy, and the other is contemporary romance. All YA books. Is it okay to do different ones? Maybe it will get me noticed by other readers as well? Or will some of my readers lose interest? What if I write a ton of books that fall into those different categories? Would that work out?

Ahh, I'm, talking as if I'd actually get published for sure... I don't think I'm quite at publishing material yet, but I'm working on it!

Claudia Gray · Apr 21, 2009

When you're still trying to get published, try on as many different genres as you want to discover your strengths.

Once you first get published, though, it is best to concentrate on one genre at first, to establish yourself. If you are very successful and very prolific, you might eventually be able to branch out (probably under different variations of your name or pseudonyms).

Stijn Hommes · Apr 22, 2009

Write what you like. Like Claudia said, this is something to worry about once you get the first thing sold.

Nadia · Apr 22, 2009

Unless you have sold, do what Claudia said. Write widely and see which you like the most. You'd be amazed.

Wayne K · Apr 22, 2009

I say stick to one thing. One guy wrote the same 30 pages over and over and got accepted by PublishAmeric....oh, forget it.

What they said.

Zipotes · Apr 22, 2009

I wonder the same thing!
My mom keeps telling me I can't be genre hopping once I'm published. She hates it when she loves an author, then gets a book that is totally different from their norm.
But, I started out with contemporary romance and thought that was all I'd enjoy writing. Then I tried out a paranormal and liked it just as much.

AnnaC · Apr 22, 2009

I've been struggling with this same issue for the past few years! My first accepted and published novel was a Sci-Fi Romance, but I love to write suspense, paranormal, horror, a little fantasy and Inspirational non-fiction. I can't seem to settle on one particular genre and I got so upset over this that I ended up with writer's block for a few years. I let it go and just started writing whatever story was in my head. This last year I've been able to write quite a lot! I'm still trying to figure it all out, but at least now I'm having a lot of fun with what I'm writing.

Quossum · Apr 22, 2009

Chalk down another one who deals with this issue. I write some YA, some adult / mainstream / women's fiction, and some science fiction. On the one hand, I want to be *known* as myself, a versatile writer who can produce in more than one genre.

On the other hand...

I know as a reader, I found it very jarring to see, for example, Judy Blume's name on decidedly "adult" offerings. I knew her as a young adult author (granted, there were some spicy books in there, like Forever), so it was weird. She has every right to use her own name, of course, but...I don't know. Or Paul Zindel, with works like The Pigman and then all the sudden the *very* different material in Loch, Rats, and so on. I'm kind of struggling with this one.

It's almost like the author's name is a sort of a "brand name," attached to certain expectations. I see a book by Stephen King, I make an assumption about what I'm about to read. Not that authors can't transcend their genre, of course, so...good question.

--Q

WildScribe · Apr 22, 2009

I totally agree with the concept that an author's name is a brand name. I would like to write across several genres including contemporary fiction, fantasy, and romance. If/when I someday get published, I think the best possible thing to do would be to write under a pen name as an "open secret". For example, my bios would state something about Jane Doe, who also writes romance under the name Bambi Deere."

Didn't some big name writer do that?

Pomegranate · Apr 22, 2009

Barbara Hambly writes both fantasy and historical mysteries without using separate pen names. I prefer the mysteries, but I have read some of her other books too. I've never had a problem with expectations of what I'll read, both genres are well written.

I'll admit though, I was thrown a bit by Judy Blume's adult fiction, like Quossom.

misa101 · Apr 22, 2009

" I think the best possible thing to do would be to write under a pen name as an "open secret". For example, my bios would state something about Jane Doe, who also writes romance under the name Bambi Deere."

Didn't some big name writer do that?"

Nora Roberts also writes under the name J.D.Robb.

Easyrider77 · Apr 22, 2009

I personally like the idea of an "un-secret identity." Coming from a marketing/design background, I agree totally that an author's name is his/her brand identity. One might be able to eventually integrate the real name and pseudonym, but for the purposes of establishing a readership, it would probably be best to stick with a particular genre.

My finished MS (written with a co-author) is an epic fantasy. We'll most likely publish (LordJesushelpus) under our real names.

I've also got a more mainstream sci-fi post-apocolyptic MS currently underway that I think I will probably push under a pseudonym.

But I really like that idea of a "Bob also publishes works of ;alskjdf under the name Phil" blurb.

scarletpeaches · Apr 22, 2009

Zipotes said:
I wonder the same thing!
My mom keeps telling me I can't be genre hopping once I'm published. She hates it when she loves an author, then gets a book that is totally different from their norm.
But, I started out with contemporary romance and thought that was all I'd enjoy writing. Then I tried out a paranormal and liked it just as much.

What nonsense. Many authors genre-hop.

To avoid confusion, you could even use pseudonyms.

Swordswoman · Apr 22, 2009

WildScribe said:
I totally agree with the concept that an author's name is a brand name. I would like to write across several genres including contemporary fiction, fantasy, and romance. If/when I someday get published, I think the best possible thing to do would be to write under a pen name as an "open secret". For example, my bios would state something about Jane Doe, who also writes romance under the name Bambi Deere."

Didn't some big name writer do that?

Probably the biggest is Agatha Christie, who also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott. No secret about it, the fact appeared on every cover blurb of her books, but it meant no-one ever got let down by buying a book that wasn't what they expected.

Seems fair enough to me.

KarlaErikaCal · Apr 22, 2009

I have a quick, side question.. mentioning pseudonyms reminded me that I chose to use a pen name because hardly anyone ever pronounces my last name, Calalang, correctly. I chose to go with a pen name because I didn't want to have to correct people all the time, nor ignore it completely. So KMC popped into my head. I was wondering if the whole, "I don't want people to pronounce my name wrong, so when people ask for my name, I can say Karla Cuhlawlawng myself and have no one try so hard" would be an okay reason to explain to people. LOL

lovesaphira · Apr 23, 2009

Hey this is a question i was thinking of asking. lol. mostly my genre is fantasy coz it's what i love reading and watching but lately i was getting ideas that were from romance or crime or thriller and stuff like that. lol. It was weird coz it's not really my niche. I guess that's what i get for watching Batman and Romeo and Juliet and stuff like that, lol.

virtue_summer · Apr 23, 2009

In the beginning I think writers should experiment with as many genres as possible, or at least as many as interest them. That's the only way to find your niche. After that I've heard it's probably best to focus on a particular genre at first (for your first published works) in order to build a following. Once established, though, a lot of writers seem to cross genres. But definitely in the beginning experiment. It took me three young adult novels, a sweet romance/family drama, and stories ranging from literary to fantasy to find the stories that seem to suit me best.

jilly61 · Apr 23, 2009

You should write what you want and worry about pseudonyms and such when the time comes.

Eric San Juan · Apr 23, 2009

jilly61 said:
You should write what you want and worry about pseudonyms and such when the time comes.

Agreed.

Putting the cart before the horse is a pretty typical trap. We dream of what might be, what could be, what we'd like to be, and we do so well before we're actually ready to consider that stuff. Wonderful daydreams, I suppose, but also a needless distraction.

When you're working your way up the minor leagues you don't worry about which shoe endorsement you're going to accept, you worry about perfecting your swing so you actually have a shit at the big leagues in the first place.

Everything in its time and place.

should you stick to similar genres so your readers will stick by you?

KarlaErikaCal

YA romance writer in love with love

Claudia Gray

Stijn Hommes

Know what you write...

Nadia

Wayne K

Zipotes

AnnaC

Quossum

WildScribe

Slave to the Wordcount

Pomegranate

misa101

Future Mrs. Hugh Jackman

Easyrider77

Cocked. Locked. Readytorock.

scarletpeaches

Swordswoman

Resilient and kind

KarlaErikaCal

YA romance writer in love with love

lovesaphira

'Here's my card'

virtue_summer

Always learning

jilly61

aye aye in search of an agent

Eric San Juan

Boxy But Safe