Should I reposition the genre of my manuscript?

clara bow · May 31, 2007

I've been shopping a paranormal romance for over a year now (as some of you may know, being weary of my agent search posts on the topic).

However, I'm thinking of reworking the query and shopping it as an urban fantasy. The thing is, many of the agents who want UF were the same ones who rejected it as a PR (mostly at the query stage).

I don't plan to touch the manuscript, just spin the query differently. What is your opinion about me querying the same agents with the same book but under a different genre? (really, the story could be marketed either way, as the romance and paranormal elements are basically 40/60, respectively. maybe even 30/70. Should I change the title as well?

I wouldn't be trying to fool anyone. Rather, if i have positioned my book wrongly, would this change possibly yield different results?

Opinions needed, thanks!

JoNightshade · May 31, 2007

If you're not changing the little summary blurb about your novel (in the query), I doubt if changing the genre is going to help.

BTW how is Arkham? I hear it's nice this time of year.

waylander · May 31, 2007

What's to lose?
Chances are pretty remote that they will remember a query they rejected a year back if they read their own queries, and if they don't then its a different assistant/intern reading them.

clara bow · May 31, 2007

JoNightshade said:
If you're not changing the little summary blurb about your novel (in the query), I doubt if changing the genre is going to help.

I am changing it to highlight different story elements and seriously downplay the romance. I already did it, actually, since starting this thread!!! And gave it a new title. Now i'm letting it sit.

BTW how is Arkham? I hear it's nice this time of year.

lol, I am fit to be tied right now over this agent search, so it's working out just fine!

ChaosTitan · May 31, 2007

clara bow said:
However, I'm thinking of reworking the query and shopping it as an urban fantasy. **** Rather, if i have positioned my book wrongly, would this change possibly yield different results?

I tried this. I had been shopping an older novel for over a year with few results (okay, so lots of results, but they were rejections). I rewrote the query, giving it a new spin (although the genre stayed the same) and spicing it up. I sent it to a few agents, including one I'd queried before because I like her agency, and it netted a partial request (still out).

Repackaging your proposal can't hurt.

JoNightshade · May 31, 2007

Well as long as you change your query letter snippet, I think it's fine. I'm going through my first huge round of queries right now and if nothing works out I fully intend to rewrite my query from a different angle and send it out to all the same people who rejected the last one. Why not?

nevada · May 31, 2007

According Miss Snark, a no is a no. Just because you called it a Paranormal Romance, doesnt mean the agent rejected it automatically. If he wanted it, he would have requested it and told you that he's going to position it as Urban Fantasy. Several agents have blogged about how they'll change the genre of the book depending on what editor they're querying.

It would seem to me that querying agents who said no once is just going to get you annoyed agents who'll say no again. And to assume that they won't remember the plot line or the basic premise is disingenious. I'm sure it'll ring a bell. These are agents, remember. It's their job to remember plot lines and premises.

You have several choices, none of which includes requerying the same agents. 1) You can rewrite the query letter and query new agents. 2) You could take another look at the query. Is it as good as it needs to be. 3) You can take another look at the book. Is the premise fresh? Is the idea good enough. 4) You could shelf this book and continue work on whatever you are working on now.

Good luck, whichever option you choose.

Garpy · Jun 1, 2007

Why not go with option 3 above. Rework the book so it slides more gracefully into UF.

I don't suppose there's any reason why you don't reconfigure your query at the same time.

So, if you've re-worked your novel...might as well change the names too (simple replace job)...and then it arguably is a new book.

BarbJ · Jun 1, 2007

I think it would depend on at what point it was rejected. If at the query letter stage, write a new one and go for it. If at the partial stage, they would most likely reject it again unless the first 3 pages or chapters or whatever are reworked. I doubt they would remember everything they've read and rejected, but if they didn't want to handle it after reading the partial, they most likely wouldn't want to do so still.

On the other hand, tastes and circumstances change, and if it's an agency instead of an individual, people change. No harm in trying again - once. Any more than once, which can be overlooked as an error if they do remember (careless you!), you're labeled a nuisance.

Good luck.

David I · Jun 1, 2007

Hmmm

When something has been rejected at the query stage--without the agent reading chapters or sample pages--I don't think it tells you much. So, with agents who haven't seen pages, I don't think you have much to lose by sending it again. But keep in mind that it might not be the genre (or sub-sub-genre) that is getting in your way. Look carefully at your letter.

I generally don't try to pigeonhole my material; I let the agent decide from my description. But, then, I generally don't submit material to query-letter-only agents in the first place, as I think this is an asinine policy, and I never wanted an ass for an agent. As Miss Snark says, it's about the writing; not the query letter, not the synopsis, not the font. The writing.

justpat · Jun 1, 2007

You may also want to change the title of your manuscript, especially if you are sending to the same agents again.

Anne Lyle · Jun 2, 2007

David I said:
As Miss Snark says, it's about the writing; not the query letter, not the synopsis, not the font. The writing.

Actually, Miss Snark just said it was about the writing. The pages, the synopsis, the query letter - all are evidence of your writing ability, all have to be good.

clara bow · Jun 2, 2007

Thanks all for chiming in. I guess my worry is that some of the agents might not see past the genre category I put forth and pigeon-hole the material because of it. I know Miss Snark said let the agents worry about that, and I guess I need to trust the process more.

On the other hand, in the query I sent, I really emphasized the romance. When I played with making it an urban fantasy query, it really came across differently. The other reason that prompted me to consider this issue is that I'm starting to discover books out there, whether by established or debut authors, that are similar to mine in terms of the subject matter. So I worry I missed the boat because I didn't use the correct genre.

It's not like I can write these agents back and say, hey, remember this query? well, you can position it as an urban fantasy....and authors x, y, and z have similar books out....

What is at issue for me is how much I spun the query...did I do it to my detriment, or are agents so savvy and knowledgeable that they assumed it could be positioned several different ways *despite* my calling it a PR??? Gawd, I wish I knew.

some of the agents are off the list because they had either fulls or partials, so yeah, those doors are closed (until I beseige them with my next book, heh heh heh!).

I think I'll do one test run and see what happens. which I fully expect will be nothing.

i sure do appreciate everyone's time...thanks again!

JeanneTGC · Jun 2, 2007

Have you tried posting your query letter/s in the Share Your Work forum? Very helpful critiques there.

clara bow · Jun 2, 2007

Garpy said:
Why not go with option 3 above. Rework the book so it slides more gracefully into UF.

there's the irony...the romance is very atypical, and is more of a subplot. i even had one agent tell me she'd be willing to reconsider if i lost it altogether and made it a mystery, which told me how much of the mystery elements stood out. So, being a stubborn git, I don't plan to rework the book at all. it can easily be interpreted as urban fantasy with romance elements.

clara bow · Jun 3, 2007

JeanneTGC said:
Have you tried posting your query letter/s in the Share Your Work forum? Very helpful critiques there.

That was the first thing I did. Well, via a pm, actually. So I feel as though the query is pretty solid (and the full manuscript is still under consideration at Dystel & Goderich, so I don't imagine the query sucks too badly!). I expected a lot of rejections because I took the risk of pitching the book as the first in a potential series. that, and another factor makes it a risk. I'm worried that the second risk might have been *too* much of a risk for the romance market, but as an urban fantasy, it is not that much of a risk. Sorry I'm being so obtuse, but I'm keeping the concept close to my chest right now.

Is that the right slang...close to my chest?? it's late, heh heh.

jhtatroe · Jun 3, 2007

Close to your vest, but they're in the same general vicinity.

Edited to add: Oh hey, I looked it up and chest works too!

Namatu · Jun 4, 2007

clara bow said:
On the other hand, in the query I sent, I really emphasized the romance. When I played with making it an urban fantasy query, it really came across differently. The other reason that prompted me to consider this issue is that I'm starting to discover books out there, whether by established or debut authors, that are similar to mine in terms of the subject matter. So I worry I missed the boat because I didn't use the correct genre.

If it comes across that differently, then try some requerying, but I also agree with justpat:

justpat said:
You may also want to change the title of your manuscript, especially if you are sending to the same agents again.

Change the title. Just to be on the safe side. From what you're said, the urban fantasy query will make the story sound distinct enough from the paranormal romance, but you don't want to risk jiggling any faint bells of memory with the same title.

It's not like I can write these agents back and say, hey, remember this query? well, you can position it as an urban fantasy....and authors x, y, and z have similar books out....

Personally, I wouldn't reference the earlier query, but I would call attention to the bandwagon your book could jump on in the marketplace.

What is at issue for me is how much I spun the query...did I do it to my detriment, or are agents so savvy and knowledgeable that they assumed it could be positioned several different ways *despite* my calling it a PR??? Gawd, I wish I knew.

We only like to think agents are so savvy and knowledgeable. They have failings, I'm sure. Even the good ones.

Should I reposition the genre of my manuscript?

clara bow

Li'l Rug Bug

JoNightshade

has finally arrived

waylander

Who's going for a beer?

clara bow

Li'l Rug Bug

ChaosTitan

Around

JoNightshade

has finally arrived

nevada

Garpy

keyboard monkey

BarbJ

David I

justpat

QueryTracker

Anne Lyle

Fantastic historian

clara bow

Li'l Rug Bug

JeanneTGC

I am Catwoman...and Gini Koch

clara bow

Li'l Rug Bug

clara bow

Li'l Rug Bug

jhtatroe

Namatu

Lost in mental space.

Should I reposition the genre of my manuscript?

Li'l Rug Bug

has finally arrived

Who's going for a beer?

Li'l Rug Bug

Around

has finally arrived

keyboard monkey

QueryTracker

Fantastic historian

Li'l Rug Bug

I *am* Catwoman...and Gini Koch

Li'l Rug Bug

Li'l Rug Bug

Lost in mental space.

I am Catwoman...and Gini Koch