Hello again, my pretties!
Few topics unsettle new writers quite like genre.
“What genre is my book?” is often followed closely by, “What if I get it wrong?”
Let me say this clearly. Genre is not a trap. It’s a roadmap.
Genre exists to help readers find the stories they already love by communicating expectations. When a reader picks up a romance, a cozy mystery, or a thriller, they are asking for a particular emotional experience.
That experience can be delivered in countless ways, but the promise you make as an author writing in that genre matters.
The Rabbit Holes Are Real
As I explore genres for my new pen name, I’ve been reminded just how many rabbit holes exist. Romance, for example, looks deceptively simple from the outside. Love story. Happy ending. Job done.
Except romance is not one genre. It’s a sprawling ecosystem.
There’s contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic comedy, paranormal romance, romantic suspense. Within those, there are heat levels, tropes, reader sensitivities, and strong opinions. Very strong opinions.
Some readers want slow burn. Some want instant chemistry. Some want explicit scenes. Some absolutely do not. Some want cozy escapism. Some want emotional devastation followed by redemption.
None of these readers are wrong. But they are not all reading the same book.
This is what I’ve been learning as I dig deeper into romance subgenres. The more I read, the more I realize how specific reader expectations can be. A contemporary romance reader might love witty banter and urban settings, but a small-town romance reader wants community, familiarity, and a slower pace. Both are romance. Both have happy endings. But the journey matters as much as the destination.
Why Genre Research Actually Matters
I’ll be honest. When I first started planning this pen name, I thought I could skip some of the genre research. I’ve been in publishing long enough. I know stories. I can wing it.
Wrong.
Every genre has its own language, conventions, and unspoken rules. You can break those rules once you know them, but you need to know them first.
Spend time looking at best-selling books in the area you think you belong. Read the blurbs. Look at the covers. Notice the language. The promises. The tone. Then ask yourself what kind of reader experience you want to create. I’ve been doing this systematically, by reading through ten books in each subgenre I’m considering and taking notes on pacing, heat levels, emotional beats, and how the author delivers on genre expectations.
It’s time-consuming. But it’s also clarifying. The more I read, the clearer my own lane becomes.
When Your Book Straddles Genres
If your book straddles genres, that’s normal. Most do. But eventually, you’ll need to decide where it lives. Books have to sit somewhere, even in digital shops.
A helpful question is this: If a reader loved my book, what would they buy next?
That answer often tells you more than any category list.
For example, if your book has romance and suspense, ask yourself which element is primary. Is the romance the main course and the suspense the added spice? Or is the suspense driving the plot while romance develops alongside it? Your answer determines your primary category.
Readers are surprisingly forgiving when a book delivers more than expected. They’re far less forgiving when it delivers less. A romance reader who picks up your romantic suspense expecting kissing scenes on every page will be disappointed if you deliver a thriller with a side of feelings.
Know your primary promise. Then overdeliver.
Genre Will Evolve With You
Your understanding of genre will evolve. Mine always does. That’s not failure. That’s growth.
When I started writing cozy mysteries, I didn’t understand the importance of community settings or the expectation of an amateur sleuth. I learned by reading widely, listening to readers, and occasionally getting it wrong.
This time around, I’m starting with more knowledge but equal humility. Romance readers know what they want. My job is to deliver it in a way that feels fresh but familiar. Surprising but satisfying.
At this stage, your goal isn’t to squeeze your creativity into a box. Your goal is to find the readers who will love what you’re already creating, so you can build an even stronger relationship with them down the road.
Reflection Exercise
Like we’ve done before in this series, take a moment to consider your own stories and answer the following questions.
- What genres do I naturally gravitate toward as a reader?
- What emotional experience do I want my book to deliver?
- If someone loved my story, what might they read next?
- Where might my book sit comfortably, even if it borrows from elsewhere?
And don’t be surprised if the result of your musings surprises you. When I had my first book idea for my first series, nearly a decade ago, I didn’t even know that cozy mystery was a thing. But the more I researched into genre and sub-categories, I realized that was what I was writing. Even then, I found that when I published, even though I ensured the series hit all the cozy mystery tropes, it most successfully aligned to Christian suspense fiction—an Amazon sub-category I hadn’t heard about before, but it gained me my first No 1 Best Seller orange ribbon.
Reality Check-In
This month for me has been all about reading. I’ve devoured ten contemporary romances, five small-town romances, and three romantic comedies. My Kindle is groaning. My notebook is full of observations about pacing, banter styles, and how different authors handle the meet-cute.
I’ve narrowed my options down to two subgenres that feel right for the stories I want to tell. I haven’t committed yet, but I’m closer. Next month, I’ll be making some harder decisions about tropes, heat levels, and series structure. For now, I’m trusting the research process and enjoying the reading. Sometimes the best work happens when you’re not forcing it.
Happy writing,
Susan
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