I have a novel that I am having a difficult time pinning down a genre for. I was just wondering how much the genre you say your book is in your query matters. Do agents care that much? Do they just care about the book and will just pick the best genre to market it in if they pick it up anyway? My fear is, I will pick a genre that an agent has never heard of and will have them scratching their heads and will cause them to pass.
I am not an agent or industry pro, but I do know you should be looking at the genres the agents you are querying actually represent, because yes, an agent is unlikely to consider submissions of a genre they've never heard of (you can't just make genres up) or from genres they have heard of but don't represent. They expect queries to mention the genre (and if applicable, subgenre) the novel falls unde. Agents generally specialize or have preferences, some more narrowly than others, and they state which genres and mage or marketing demographics they consider in their profiles on their agencies' web sites. Some also talk about their current wish lists on social media. Many books do straddle genres, and there are agents who state an interest in that sort of tale also. It might be helpful to look at the books and authors agents already represent to see which ones might be in the same ballpark as what you've written. Researching and vetting a list of prospective agents to query takes quite a while.
What is your story about? Where and when does it take place? Is it basically realistic, or does it contain speculative elements? Where do you think it's likely to be shelved in a bookstore or library? Maybe some of the members here can help you pin it down. Also, the QLH section is really helpful for picking over your query letter to whip it into shape.
