Do you know what genre you are writing in? Should you care?
Genre is an important aspect of your book as your plan and when you promote.
Know Your Genre when Planning Your Book
Before you start writing, you want to figure out what genre you are going to write in. This will help you plan your book so it is successful. When a reader picks up a book, they have certain expectations of that book based on the genre. Self-help books need to include specific advice and often have exercises. A memoir has expectations in that you want to focus on a theme. Now you don’t need to know that theme before you write, but you do need to know that your memoir needs a theme. Memoirs are not just a list of events; there’s more to it than that.
We call these reader expectations, tropes. Tropes are the conventions we come to expect when we pick up a book of a certain genre. We sometimes think of tropes as overused conventions, and that can happen as well. But… don’t think of tropes as negative. Use them to write a book in a genre that readers recognize and enjoy.
Know Your Genre when Producing Your Book
When you are writing your book, you can use tropes to ensure you are on track. You can revise your book by recognizing what tropes or conventions readers will expect, and then revise for them.
Know Your Genre when Publishing Your Book
Once your book is published, knowing your genre helps you find what books your book should sit with on the shelf, whether that shelf is real or digital. You will find the right categories for it, which will make promotion much easier down the line. This is done during the publishing stage but greatly affects how you promote your book.
Know Your Genre when Promoting Your Book
When people ask about your book, mentioning the genre gives a lot of information about your book in one or two words. I wrote a how-to book vs. I wrote a memoir. Big difference. Sometimes we write books that cross genres, and being able to articulate that is helpful as well. An author I worked with wrote a memoir with some self-help, including a toolkit in the back of the book. Using the right words to describe it goes a long way.
What genre are you writing in?
Are you planning a book right now? Start thinking about what genre you are writing in and how that might help your during your author journey. To help you along the way, download the Planning Checklist for Nonfiction Authors.
Let me know what genre you are writing in by leaving a comment!
– Keep writing
Melody Ann
Author Nation is your go-to resource for becoming a successful nonfiction author, from planning to promotion and everything in between. Download the resource for the stage you are in.