How to categorize my novel?

[jannawrites]

Here's my rough, very short synopsis:

"Ellie Rossman's job at a center for developmentally disabled kids is taking its emotional toll. Just as she starts thinking she's in need of a reprieve, the opportunity to stay with her favorite aunt, who is struggling with multiple sclerosis, arises. Ellie jumps at the chance to "get away." She temporarily relocates to be with Aunt Cate, intending to stay only during this low point with the disease. Instead she finds an even deeper bond with her aunt, unexpected love with a man, and a welcoming community she must decide whether or not to remain a part of."

So, what kind of fiction would something like this be? I don't ever know what my answer should be when people ask what I'm writing. Is it women's fiction? I'm leaning toward that over anything else, but I don't want it to mean a man will assume he can't read it.

Thoughts?

[scarletpeaches]

I'd say women's fiction too. Possibly romance, but if that's only a small element and it's more about Ellie than Ellie + 1, then go with women's fiction.

[J. R. Tomlin]

It depends on what kind of conflict you have which you don't go into. I assume that there is some kind of problem in there and it's not all just sweetness and light. :)

It sounds like a romance but that depends on whether it revolves around the relationship with the man, which I couldn't tell for sure. It could be all kinds of things from what you have there.

[jannawrites]

Good point, J.R. Tomlin. There is, of course, conflict. Lots of it, I feel. Without going into too much detail, here are some of my mains points of confliict.

*Ellie's parents want her aunt to live with them, to avoid worry and concern over her MS. Aunt Cate refuses, causing tension in the family.

*A man from Ellie's past poses a (non-violent) threat, stalking her though she's denied his advances.

*Ellie's new love interest was engaged before and his fiancee died; that ex-fiancee's sister makes misery for Ellie and the beau.

[sandyn]

I'm having the same problem. Below is a short synopsis as part of a query letter I've worked up. I've started two other novels with women as MCs, but with elements of romance. HELP!

Monique Witherspoon is divorced, childless and employed in a mind-numbing job. She feels she has failed at love and life and wonders if she will die having lived a totally unremarkable life.

To her astonishment, Monique wins a multi-million dollar lottery. Her first indulgence satisfies a long-held passion for travel. Aboard cruise liner Sylph of the Seas she befriends, among others, an author and her grandson, a Scotland Yard Specialist; a Southern Belle; a down-to-earth redhead; and a devastatingly handsome Italian with more on his mind than a simple good time.

Monique finds Gian-Carlo Luchetti interesting but senses he hides secrets. Luchetti’s interest in her draws Monique into a scheme to steal a priceless maritime artifact from a museum in one of the liner’s ports-of-call.

Architect of the scheme, Charles Jenkins-aka Richard Rochester, believes Monique knows too much. He changes the plan, forces Luchetti to accompany him from the ship, and has Monique kidnapped.

In a game of wits, Monique and Gian-Carlo find a way to thwart Rochester and a surprise cohort and remain alive in the process, but not before other murders are committed and one man lies near death.

As Monique, Gian-Carlo, and Phillip Shaw work together to resolve the crimes, Monique begins to depend on Phillip and finds herself drawn to him. Ultimately, Monique’s wish for excitement brings her more than she ever anticipated.

[jannawrites]

Ooh, sandyn, intriguing! Sounds like a mystery to me.

[Voyager]

Is there a forum post somewhere dealing with how to categorize your novel? Is it cheating to query an ambivalent novel under more than one genre? Just wondering because I always struggle with this myself.

[David I]

So, what kind of fiction would something like this be? I don't ever know what my answer should be when people ask what I'm writing. Is it women's fiction? I'm leaning toward that over anything else, but I don't want it to mean a man will assume he can't read it.

Might be romance, might be "women's fiction," and with a certain attitude, it might even be chicklit (which isn't all about shopping and diets).

But you also might have--the audience gasps in astonishment--a novel on your hands. A regular old mainstream novel.

There's a tendency now to put anything that involves people involved in ordinary life into "women's fiction" as a marketing ploy. Is Judith Guest's Ordinary People women's fiction? Is Larry McMurtry's Terms of Endearment? What about Anna Qundlan's brilliant One True Thing? Plenty of men bought, read, and admired these books.

I'm not sure you need to decide what it is until you have it finished. And meanwhile, when your friends ask what your book's about, tell them, "Life, death--you know, everything." Save your logline for when you're searching for an agent.

[Saundra Julian]

It depends on how it ends...but right now I'd vote for women's fiction.

[jannawrites]

But you also might have--the audience gasps in astonishment--a novel on your hands. A regular old mainstream novel.



Thanks for your great thoughts and advice, David!

...So there is such a thing as a plain, ol' novel? I'd been thinking of it that way all along - mainstream, without using the word - but then saw most people giving a category for their work. And I thought that meant I had to have one. But I like this mainstream thing and, for now, I'm going to stick with that.

;)

[ORION]

When my agent offered representation she did not so much ask what genre my novel was but what AUTHORS' work it was similar to i.e. Sue Monk Kidd? Jackie Mitchard? Jody Picoult? Danielle Steele? Nora Roberts? Nicholas Sparks? (Add others here)
Between these (or others) you should be able to determine where yours fits and then see how they are marketed at bookstores and on Amazon. When in doubt call it mainstream and then when your beta readers read it let them decide.
Hope this helps

[jannawrites]

When my agent offered representation she did not so much ask what genre my novel was but what AUTHORS' work it was similar to i.e. Sue Monk Kidd? Jackie Mitchard? Jody Picoult? Danielle Steele? Nora Roberts? Nicholas Sparks? (Add others here)


You hit the nail on the head here, ORION! I think my style and "conversational" voice tend to run with what Nicholas Sparks most often writes. I was going to say I'd never dream of comparing myself with him, since he's a HUGE best seller, but then who's to say I can't write as well as he. I choose to believe in myself.

Thanks! :D

[qdsb]

Add my vote for Mainstream.

It's not a historical. Not fantasy. Not sci-fi. Doesn't sound specifically like romance. Doesn't sound like you're shooting for literary. So I'd go with good ol' mainstream. Which is, in itself, a category.

[J. R. Tomlin]

Yes, mainstream is a category of its own, and nothing wrong with it. :)

[Judg]

When my agent offered representation she did not so much ask what genre my novel was but what AUTHORS' work it was similar to i.e. Sue Monk Kidd? Jackie Mitchard? Jody Picoult? Danielle Steele? Nora Roberts? Nicholas Sparks? (Add others here)
Between these (or others) you should be able to determine where yours fits and then see how they are marketed at bookstores and on Amazon. When in doubt call it mainstream and then when your beta readers read it let them decide.
Hope this helps
Yikes, Pat, that scares me more than anything. I can put a genre label on mine fairly easily, but the thought that someone might ask me whose work it's similar to gives me the cold willies. I haven't a clue.

[Novelhistorian]

Janna, dare I say it, but you might have written literary fiction.

[jannawrites]

Janna, dare I say it, but you might have written literary fiction.

Define that for me?

[jannawrites]

Can I admit... *hangs head in shame* ...I was telling people I'm writing a fiction novel.

Don't hate me.

[qdsb]

Janna--I don't think anyone would hate you. Just don't use the term "fiction novel" anywhere in your query. :)

[Judg]

I would also suggest you get the central conflict into your query. Revise that to read, very strongly suggest. Adjure. Exhort.

You get the idea.

[Novelhistorian]

I'll try. Literary fiction--and this is a personal definition--focuses on character above all. That doesn't mean it's plotless; far from it. I don't like plotless stories. But the characterization is what grabs you, and it's not just the situation in which the characters find themselves. I need to see their inner lives unfolding, and that's what holds me. Working in biographical facts or quirks isn't the same thing; I need to feel as if I'm inside that person's head or skin. I can know, for instance, that a character grew up the child of a corporation man who moved around a lot, and I'm ready to accept that the son's dream is to stay in one place. But I need to see that play out, preferably in a subtle way.

Notice I haven't said that the writing needs to be astounding. I love beautiful writing, but I can't stand self-conscious prose. I also can't stand sloppy prose.

Not that literary fiction has a lock on beautiful prose, deep characters, or characters with inner lives.

Does that help, Janna?

[qdsb]

Frankly, so far, I haven't gotten a sense that this is literary fiction. And from what I've seen on some agent blogs, "literary fiction" doesn't sell as well as "mainstream."

For a definition or at least helpful discussion of "literary fiction," see this AW article: How to Create Literary Fiction (http://www.absolutewrite.com/novels/create_literary.htm)



Disclaimer--I'm firmly aiming for literary fiction in my writing so I'm definitely not criticizing literary fiction. Just trying to be helpful. :)

[jannawrites]

Yes, Novelhistorian, that did help. Thanks! I understand your thinking... it could be that's what my novel is headed for. I'll have to check into lit fiction a bit more.

qdsb - thanks for your input, as well. I really appreciate it. And good luck with yours!

Judg, I will definitely work on my synopsis. It needs some polishing, to say the least. Not ready for the query stage quite yet, though. *gulp!*

[jannawrites]

Janna--I don't think anyone would hate you.

Perhaps not, but I heard several muffled snickers...

;)

[Judg]

*muffles her snicker* What are you looking at me for? Janna's a very charming young woman.

[ORION]

When you use authors to compare yourself with you are not saying you write as well (or in some cases as badly LOL) It's the general tone. Nicholas Sparks is still considered Mainstream- For literary fiction again it is the tone and style- and there is some disagreement here -- my UK publisher is perplexed at this separation of mainstream/commercial/literary fiction - it is a peculiarly American thing. For examples? Off hand I would suggest THE INHERITANCE OF LOSS, THE ENGLISH PATIENT

You are never wrong to call your fiction mainstream and allow the agent to make suggestions of a proper genre but you should have a list of writers who your stories/style could be grouped with.
Hope this helps.

[Carrie R.]

When I couldn't figure out what genre to pitch my work as, I picked the one that was selling best and went with that. Right now, chick lit isn't selling (at all) so I wouldn't pitch it as that. I know that recently a lot of people were looking for women's fiction, don't know if that's still true. I would also think that literary fiction would be a harder sell than mainstream. Also, some genres have conventions that you'd want to follow if you pitched (like romance).

Just my thoughts -- be truthful about what your book is, but also keep an eye on what agents are looking for and what's selling :)

[Carrie R.]

When you use authors to compare yourself with you are not saying you write as well (or in some cases as badly LOL) It's the general tone. Nicholas Sparks is still considered Mainstream- For literary fiction again it is the tone and style- and there is some disagreement here -- my UK publisher is perplexed at this separation of mainstream/commercial/literary fiction - it is a peculiarly American thing. For examples? Off hand I would suggest THE INHERITANCE OF LOSS, THE ENGLISH PATIENT


I echo Orion -- I wouldn't say "my book is like NYT Author" or "I write like NYT author." But I would say "I think readers of NYT Author would also enjoy my book," or "My book would also appeal to readers of NYT Author and USA Today Author," or something like that.

[Judg]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I can't even say what my book resembles. I can't think of any. *sigh* I see it as being rather unique, but that's probably tunnel vision on my part. Oh well, at least I can nail the genre. An alternate world and a society based on witchcraft, definitely fantasy. Problem is, I'm more interested in it as a religious and social system, so there's precious little magic, per se. A lot more about conflict between individuals, belief systems, countries...

If I can think of a credible way of comparing it to Frank Peretti or Orson Scott Card, I will. Sounds awfully presumptuous to me though.

I always was a rotten conformist.

[ORION]

I know it's hard but you MUST do this. If you can't how is an agent to tell that your material is something they will handle? They don't want to waste time reading something that they don't have contacts to sell. After two or three novels you can start to recognize similarities in your writing and/or your storytelling- Where would a reader find your book on a shelf. I imagine Alice Hoffman had a tough time but we see her shelved in literature (Think where you would look for it at Borders...)
Unless you have written something like "Only Revolutions" or House of Leaves - I venture to guess that your work is categorizable.

[lkp]

Judg, I have a horrible time saying "My book is like so-an-so's..." too, also because it makes me feel presumptuous.
I have a much easier time saying, "People who like books by x,y, and z will like mine." Somehow I feel the comparison is looser then, and it still gives agents/editors/booksellers the information they need.

[qdsb]

Judg--You don't have to actually compare your book to other authors like a book report, but you do have to be aware of the kind of audience your book would target and why. So you can simply say "This book would appeal to readers of Orson Scott Card and Frank Peretti."

Another more subtle reason it's important to be able to make such statement is that it shows agents you've read a lot, are familiar with the genre, and are prepared to make your own niche in that readership (which it sounds like you've already considered).

It's a fine line...No one wants to be pigeonholed or considered derivative, but it's also important to know the market you're aiming for.

[jannawrites]

Judg--You don't have to actually compare your book to other authors like a book report, but you do have to be aware of the kind of audience your book would target and why. So you can simply say "This book would appeal to readers of Orson Scott Card and Frank Peretti."

Another more subtle reason it's important to be able to make such statement is that it shows agents you've read a lot, are familiar with the genre, and are prepared to make your own niche in that readership (which it sounds like you've already considered).

It's a fine line...No one wants to be pigeonholed or considered derivative, but it's also important to know the market you're aiming for.

Such great advice!

[ORION]

Like they said - I echo qdsb - It does show agents you know what's out there.

[Judg]

OK, one last question before I shut up: would it make me sound like a real loser if I said something to the effect, "I have tried to emulate [this particular] aspect of Peretti's work, and [that particular] aspect of Card's..." Hopefully expressed with a great deal more elegance and with specifics provided. Or is it better just to go the Readers Who Like route?

[amber_grosjean]

I would go with the mainstream as well. I have trouble pinpointing my genres too. I tend to use more than one in my stories lol. I came to find out in a review that I had chosen the wrong genre for my first book, well in the second one too but luckily the second one was fixed by the publisher lol. As for the first one, I kept horror because well I wrote a second book for it that I believe fits the horror genre better but I could be wrong about that one too lol.

Mainstream does sound like it does fit though and the publisher can always add to it after seeing it. The more we write and read, the more we will all know about these things so keep writing and learning. Good luck to ya!! And may you sell millions once it is published!

Amber

[qdsb]

OK, one last question before I shut up: would it make me sound like a real loser if I said something to the effect, "I have tried to emulate [this particular] aspect of Peretti's work, and [that particular] aspect of Card's..." Hopefully expressed with a great deal more elegance and with specifics provided. Or is it better just to go the Readers Who Like route?

Judg--I'm no expert, but I suspect words like "emulate" would be a turn-off because it suggests copying or following in the footsteps off. A phrase like "Readers who like" instead puts you in the same category (subject, style, tone, what-have-you) without suggesting you're deliberately "copying" them.

Just my $.02.

[ORION]

qdsb is right focus on your readers NOT on your intent as a writer.
You can also use books in a short premise or comparison i.e. XXX meets YYYY

[talps]

A sub-question: Is there an actual distinction between mainstream and commercial?

I also struggle with these very genre issues. Male writer with female MCs. Breezy story yet capable of depth. Romance itself does not govern the plot as much as self-discovery. Accessible to a wide age demographic.

Has anyone read Lolly Winston's Good Grief? How about Lisa Glatt's A Girl Becomes A Comma Like That? Works that seem to fuse sweetness with a certain edge. That's where I might fit.

Then I also got a rejection letter thanking me for querying about a project in "up-market commercial fiction."

Yeah no. Didn't help me sort out my genre issues.

[Judg]

That sounds pretty good to me. Up-market commercial means it doesn't fit into any easily definable genre, and that it's got some class. At least that's how I read it.

[jclarkdawe]

I hang out in query letter hell and see your question frequently. Rather than answer your question, let me ask you one instead: Where do you think your book belongs in the bookstore? Where would it fit comfortably?

You need to make this decision, because you know your book better than anyone else. The answer relates to your core concept (you novel in ten words or less). Ideally, it slots into a popular genre, but it will also be what it is.

The reason you need to come up with this answer is you are then going to have to produce a query letter to sell your book. Your query will be a lot better when you know exactly what you're trying to sell.

I can tell when an author doesn't quite know what their book is about. They waffle on the genre and they waffle in the query, as they try to figure out how to sell their book.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

[PeeDee]

Jim's right as can be.

Based on your rough, I'd put you in the same category as Little Earthquakes or "In Her Shoes," so I'd find those books, or similar, in the store and then look up to see what section you're under. There ya go. :)

[DarkLight]

I personally will never refer to anything I write as "women's fiction." I gurantee that anything labeled women's fiction will get two guy readers, tops. I mean, if its basically to reach women, and its all about women, and you don't really care about putting any universal topics or ideals into it, making it restricted to women, call it women's fiction. I'm a girl and I write some books with mainly female characters, but I alwyas include universal themes that are made to appeal to and discuss people, not one sex or the other. I don't often read "women's fiction" just for that reason--it sounds absurdly shallow. If you have something to say, it better not be just for or about women but about people. Both sexes have different intrests on some level, but in the real world, the two are never separated. Honestly, isn't the title of women's fiction rather a feminist thing? I never hear anyone say that something is "men's fiction." It sounds like (and I only read like the first three posts) that your book does contain universal concepts and ideas and isn't just about addressing the realm of women. In that case, I'd go for a genre less restrictive. I'd almsot want to say "realistic fiction" but I don't think that's been used in a while. Has it not been replaced, my dear AW friends, as "mainstream" or "contemporary?" Yeah. Something like that.

[ORION]

Well um...something like 75% of books are bought by women readers so I was not uncomfortable describing my work as mainstream / women's fiction. I did not go into more detail than that. When my agent called and asked where did I see my work being placed on the shelf (next to which authors) I said John Irving, Sue Monk Kidd, Jackie Mitchard, Alice Hoffman, (I can't remember who else I said)
Putnam then marketed LOTTERY as mainstream.
(I use commercial and mainstream interchangeably but not both together). When I went to New York I heard more "mainstream" than commercial. It was only after Maui writers conference when I was talking with editors that I heard it described as "High Concept" (which only means the premise can be encapsulated into only a few words and a person immediately "gets" the book)
I think if you are unsure - you are never wrong to call a book mainstream -

[PeeDee]

I think it's easier to mark out what the book isn't.

If you think it is maaaaybe mainstream...well...then you know it's definitely not science fiction, right? Not Asimov. And it's definitely not erotica, right? Sure. And it's definitely not slapstick humor, ala Dave Berry. Etc.

[ORION]

And PeeDee you make a good point.
If an author is confused about where their book belongs ( books that have vampires attracted to each other in space ...romantic urban fantasy science fiction???)-- there you usually just have to suck it up and pick the over-arching genre which makes the most sense,

Usually (but not always) it means you still aren't clear about your book's premise -- it sometimes requires much thought
Look at the author of "Remains of the Day" and "Never Let me Go"
What did he call himself - I venture to say mainstream even tho Never Let me Go is speculative fiction (SF kind of) and "Remains" could have been written by E.M. Forrester himself.

[PeeDee]

It's also worth noting that what you call yourself and what the publisher calls you are not always related and, frankly, don't matter. Your ideal situation is to be in piles at the front of the shop anyway.

[jannawrites]

The last several posts have some great info to chew on and stew over. I definitely feel like I do want to appeal to folks in general, like Darklight talked about, as opposed to writing just for women. I don't want to exclude anyone (though I know my voice and story won't appeal to every soul out there). And I could definitely tell you what my book is not. That's a start, it sounds like.

Now I just need to whip myself back into shape and get to writing on it again. I've had to take another break and the ms has been lying stagnate. I hate that. I have been working on other, smaller projects - and raising my daughters, too ;) - but the writerly part of me feels so... unaccomplished as of late.

[Judg]

Hey, if I had a book overlapping genres, I'd first market it to the agents who deal in what I would consider the dominant one. And then to the agents who market the other one. And then... Well you get the idea.

I plan on doing more or less that myself.

[Zelenka]

Sorry to jump onto someone else's thread, but I've got exactly the same question and though the answers here were helpful, I'm still a little unclear.

If my novel is in different sections, three different settings, three sets of characters, but the theme and eventually some of the events / characters all tie in together so that it's all one story, would that be best classified as mainstream then? My doubt comes from the fact that one section is very much fantasy, while the others just hint at it to begin with. (Nearest comparison I can think of is Iain Banks' non-SF novels, like 'The Bridge' for one). I'm in the middle of editing it at the moment, and I the same question as the OP's had crossed my mind when I was considering which section of SYW it would be best suited to.

(Once again sorry to jump in - I wasn't sure if I should start a new thread and take up space with near enough the same question).

JessR

[maestrowork]

Readers, reviewers, agents, publishers and book sellers will try to categorize your book any way they can as long as it sells. The Pacific Between has been called mainstream, literary, romance, inspirational, even mystery (!!) by different people. It's shelved next to Virginia Woolf at BN and in the hot romance section at Borders. Like PeeDee said, I don't care as long as it's in the stores. :D

[qdsb]

And PeeDee you make a good point.
If an author is confused about where their book belongs ( books that have vampires attracted to each other in space ...romantic urban fantasy science fiction???)-- there you usually just have to suck it up and pick the over-arching genre which makes the most sense,

Usually (but not always) it means you still aren't clear about your book's premise -- it sometimes requires much thought
Look at the author of "Remains of the Day" and "Never Let me Go"
What did he call himself - I venture to say mainstream even tho Never Let me Go is speculative fiction (SF kind of) and "Remains" could have been written by E.M. Forrester himself.

I'd venture that Ishiguro calls himself or is labeled "literary fiction," regardless of the actual tone (historical, SF, etc.)...that's probably more evident in "Remains" than in "Never." But Never Let Me Go is, I think, more "high art" than most spec novels aspire to be.

Likewise, Kostova's "The Historian" isn't your usually action-packed vampire novel. It's literary with paranormal and historical elements.

That's my roundabout way of saying that "literary fiction" is a broad umbrella in terms of story line. The story can be speculative or suspense or romance or a mix of what-have-you, but the writing takes the story to a different level of fiction.

But, unless you're writing literary fiction, yes, I agree that you pretty much have to choose your primary bookstore section/main audience. And even if you are writing literary fiction, it's probably safe to say something like "{novel name} is literary fiction with {genre} appeal."

[talps]

Truly helpful - thanks to all for dishing out the wisdom. I think knowing everything my work is not helps me figure out what it is.

Mainstream: The when-in-doubt genre, perhaps.