How many genres are too many?

Brn2bwild · Jul 5, 2013

I am about to start querying agents, and am trying to figure out how exactly to state my novel's genres. I would describe it as historical and women's fiction (because the main character/driver of the plot is female), but it could also be a family saga because it (and its planned sequels) involves the trials and tribulations of one family over several decades.

Does it sound too muddled to call it a historical, women's, and family saga, or is it better to state as many genres as it would fit under? This matters because I've read that longer manuscripts (mine is 169,000) are more accepted in genres like family saga. Yet I don't want to mislead agents into thinking it is not primarily about a woman or that it's not historical.

aruna · Jul 5, 2013

Sounds a bit like my own! I could classify mine as historical, women's fiction, family saga AND multicultural. And it is over 180,000 words. I read recently on an agent's blog (Query Shark?) that historicals need to be longer, and maybe family sagas as well. I would stick to those two. Family sagas usually fall into the slot "women's fiction" anyway.

Terie · Jul 5, 2013

Why does every book with a female main character need to be considered 'women's fiction'? Women are half of the population. Do we call every book with a male main character 'men's fiction'? Why do writers have to keep feeding the notion that men are 'normal, for everyone', but women are 'different, only for women'?

IOW, call it historical family saga. It will be clear from your query/cover letter that the MC is a woman.

Brn2bwild · Jul 6, 2013

Good point, Terie! And thanks for the tips from both you and aruna.

Before I commit to historical family saga, I need to ask whether a family saga MUST cover multiple years/decades in one novel. My novel takes place over two years, but it and its sequels cover decades.

aruna · Jul 6, 2013

Terie said:
Why does every book with a female main character need to be considered 'women's fiction'? Women are half of the population. Do we call every book with a male main character 'men's fiction'? Why do writers have to keep feeding the notion that men are 'normal, for everyone', but women are 'different, only for women'?

This really bugs me too, especially since most readers are women. Why can't there be a genre "men's fiction", featuring guns, cars, power tools and sport????

I resisted all the way having my novels categorised as women's fiction. However, that is how the industry sees it and I do play the game to a certain extent. But it bugs me nevertheless.

Jamesaritchie · Jul 6, 2013

aruna said:
This really bugs me too, especially since most readers are women. Why can't there be a genre "men's fiction", featuring guns, cars, power tools and sport????

I resisted all the way having my novels categorised as women's fiction. However, that is how the industry sees it and I do play the game to a certain extent. But it bugs me nevertheless.

Well, most readers are women only if you count traditional romance novels. And there is a genre called "men's fiction", and one called "adventure fiction", which is roughly the same thing.

Jamesaritchie · Jul 6, 2013

Brn2bwild said:
I am about to start querying agents, and am trying to figure out how exactly to state my novel's genres. I would describe it as historical and women's fiction (because the main character/driver of the plot is female), but it could also be a family saga because it (and its planned sequels) involves the trials and tribulations of one family over several decades.

Does it sound too muddled to call it a historical, women's, and family saga, or is it better to state as many genres as it would fit under? This matters because I've read that longer manuscripts (mine is 169,000) are more accepted in genres like family saga. Yet I don't want to mislead agents into thinking it is not primarily about a woman or that it's not historical.

What you call it is meaningless, though it's best to decide the genre it fits best. How will the publisher market it, and where will a bookstore shelve it?

Terie · Jul 6, 2013

aruna said:
This really bugs me too, especially since most readers are women. Why can't there be a genre "men's fiction", featuring guns, cars, power tools and sport????

I resisted all the way having my novels categorised as women's fiction. However, that is how the industry sees it and I do play the game to a certain extent. But it bugs me nevertheless.

It's possibly futile for us, as writers, to resist the category 'women's fiction', since that's a marketing decision made by publishers and, more to the point, booksellers.

But that doesn't mean we need to perpetuate it in our own correspondence.

I can understand saying one's work is 'women's fiction' if one has explicitly and purposefully set out to write something that will appeal to a lot more women than men (such as chick-lit). But 'female MC' should never automatically equivocate to 'women's fiction' only by virtue of said female MC.

Rachel Udin · Jul 6, 2013

Women's Fiction probably exists for the same reason there is a Latino, African American, Asian, and QUILTBAG sections.

Or why Bic felt it was necessary to make "pens for her" and twice as expensive.

I'd simplify and just go with Historical Fiction. The sub categorization can come from the agent or publisher as they please.

aruna · Jul 6, 2013

Re word count: I couldn't let it rest and dug up the quote by Query Shark where she elaborates on this: (in two places, for the original and the revised version).

And here's the second HUGE problem. You've described a book set in what would be an exotic, unfamiliar location for most US readers, set in a time most people are not familiar with, and spanning at least a dozen years. There's simply no way to do this in 65K words. There just isn't. [And to make matters worse, this is 4k FEWER words than the 69K you had last time when I said pretty much the same thing--ARGH!!!]

There is NO way in the world you can write a fully developed novel that spans two decades and is set in colonial Singapore in 69,000 words. This is the kind of book that needs to clock in close to 120K. Detail takes time, and if you've got twenty years of events, those too take time. If I hadn't already said no after the paragraph above, I would here.

Most of the time word count is a problem on the other end: too many. But historical novels (like this), fantasy, family sagas, novels with a BIG story---those need more words than a thriller, or a romance.

(my bold)

Note also that this author describes her novel as "women's fiction" and Shark re-assigns it to Historical Fiction. And since my book is similar in many ways, that's exactly what I am calling it.

Phaeal · Jul 6, 2013

Yeah, I like the broader historical fiction as well. Your query should take care of the finer details.

quicklime · Jul 6, 2013

Phaeal said:
Yeah, I like the broader historical fiction as well. Your query should take care of the finer details.

this.....anything else should be able to get a glimmer in the query at least. But if you call something "Space horror with love elements and a medical thriller backdrop" it just sounds like you're trying to make it fit anywhere you possibly can.....

Siri Kirpal · Jul 6, 2013

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

If it only covers two years, then call it Historical Fiction. I don't think anyone will be bothered if the sequels are "Family Saga."

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

Brn2bwild · Jul 6, 2013

Okay, historical fiction it is. Thanks, everyone!

How many genres are too many?

Brn2bwild

aruna

On a wing and a prayer

Terie

Writer is as Writer does

Brn2bwild

aruna

On a wing and a prayer

Jamesaritchie

Jamesaritchie

Terie

Writer is as Writer does

Rachel Udin

aruna

On a wing and a prayer

Phaeal

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

quicklime

all out of fucks to give

Siri Kirpal

Swan in Process

Brn2bwild