Which Genre Does Your Book Fall Into?

 

Where should your book be shelved in a book store — and under what online categories does it fit under?  

Most authors are uncomfortable answering this question, squirming as if I had just asked an older woman her age or a guy how big his package is.  

Writers don’t like to think their book falls neatly into one category, thus stereotyping it. Many don’t really know which category their book falls under, and some believe they overlap into three or four categories. 

Regardless of what authors think, feel, or want, the book world operates under labels. You walk into a bookstore, and everything is arranged by genre. Look at a book’s back cover or jacket flap, and its genre is listed. Go on to Amazon, and under every title’s book details section there are one to three genres or sub-categories listed. You can’t escape this industry-wide pursuit to brand and label. 

I guess for one to know the category or genre that their book falls under, he or she needs to know what their choices are. 

Well, here are your broad flavors: 

* Non-Fiction

* Fiction

* Poetry

* Short Stories

* Essays

* Children’s Books 

Then, you have genre categories.  

For non-fiction, the big ones are: 

* Business/Wealth

* Health/Wellness

* Self-Help/Inspiration

* Religion/Spirituality

* Memoir/Biography

* Politics

* Travel

* Current Events

* Entertainment

* Sports

* Parenting

* LGBTQ+ 

For fiction, the leading areas are: 

* Romance/Erotica

* Historical Fiction

* Thriller

* Suspense/Mystery

* Crime Drama

* Sci-Fi

* Literary Fiction

* Fantasy

* Horror/Paranormal

* Westerns 

But then there are sub-categories and niche areas. For instance, a Black Lesbian Erotica book could be in three different parts of the bookstore: Black Studies, Gender Studies, and Erotica/Romance. The question is: Which is the dominant part of the story that needs to be emphasized in its selling? Lead with that. 

I advise that you spend time in a bookstore to see which books are placed where in the store. Get a feel for things. Ask librarians and indie bookstore owners where they think your book belongs.  

If you are having a harder time identifying your book’s genre than a confused Gen Z teen seeking to figure out their gender identity, stop fretting. Just take a step back and look at how others will see your book; not what you hope they will.  

Though you may not want to feel typecast or boxed into a category, others will label your book easily and adamantly. Accept it. Embrace it. 

Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with 3.6 million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.6 million pageviews. With 4,800+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.