Genre

[alg]

Genre as a marketing category!
Publishers and editors do not think about genre the same way authors do. Here's an explanation.



... Now I write an ode to spinach:

spinach,
you
are green
and
i wish i had more
of you than
what I ate
(yum yum yum)
at five in the morning,
dawn
creeping
up
you are
(my sunshine and)
the perfect delivery method
for salt and
garlic.

Comments

Re: genre

[(Anonymous)]

Perhaps, I need boundaries to rein in my normal inclinations. Seriously, most editors would not let their authors write a paranormal-romantic-futuristic suspense.

Re: genre

[alg.livejournal.com]

Maybe! You're pretty crazy.

On the other hand, I wouldn't let you do it if I didn't think you could make it work!

Re: genre

[torauthor.livejournal.com]

But see--with you--what matters most is if the book works. With many editors, the story working isn't enough--for them what's most important is that the story fits what they think a romance should be. And that can make a tough sell for some really good books. If i was starting out, I'd write a book that fit easily into a genre and then stamp it with my voice. Once I gained the editor's confidence, I'd take more risks.