Sub-Genre: Multicultural or Interracial??

I'm hoping this question hasn't been posted somewhere else. I searched everywhere and couldn't find anything. Forgive me if it is.

I'm currently writing my query letter and agonizing over every single word. For genre, I put "Multicultural Fantasy Romance". However, Multicultural doesn't mean Interracial - at least, I don't think it does. To me, Multicultural means the main characters are something other than white.

My book involves a relationship between a black woman and an Asian man. I want to make sure this is clear in the query letter even though I don't harp on it overly much in the book (or at all, according to my friend).

So, which do I use: Multicultural or Interracial? Or, is Interracial understood to be part of Multicultural? If that's the case, why isn't Interracial considered a sub-genre all its own?

Irysangel said:

Personally? I'd just market it as a fantasy romance. Is the race a big issue in the fantasy world? Or do the characters just happen to be different? If it's a big issue (ie, plot-hinging), you could state that it's a fantasy romance with interracial themes. If not, I'd leave it out entirely.

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Race isn't a big issue (to me or the book). It's just something different from the norm, is all. Not to mention, some agents say they are looking for multicultural stuff moreso than anything else.

But, I think I'll go with "Fantasy Romance with Interracial Themes". How's that? That brings up another issue: do I capitalize like I just did or is it supposed to be like a sentence and only the first word is capped?

Why is this so nerve-wracking!!?! I hate technical writing; it's why I went into fiction.

Irysangel said:

Wouldn't cap it at all.

I am seeking representation for MY NOVEL, a fantasy romance with interracial themes.

Hope this helps.

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I probably should have specified the style of query letter I'm using when I asked about capping. I found a post by SRHowen http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9780 and I totally love this format (much less stressful). Figure I'll see if the agents like it too.

Thanks tons for your input, I totally appreciate the help.