The usual writing advice tells you that once you find your genre as an author, you should stick with it. Readers might not follow you to the new genre, they say. Readers want to know what to expect, they say.
And writers say: But what if I have a really great idea in a different genre? What if I lose my taste for what I was writing before? What if my agent tells me the market is overcrowded in the genre I’ve been writing and gently suggests I try something different?
Like much writing advice, the advice to stick with a single genre is totally correct except when it isn’t.
There are writers who successfully publish across genres using the same name; there are plenty more who use pseudonyms, openly or secretly, to separate one genre from another. I’m the pseudonymous kind, and over the past year I’ve been working on a book that (I hope) will be my first foray into a very different genre. It’s hard to find the words to express how terrifying and exciting and frustrating and right it feels all at once.
No one can stop you from writing in a new genre but you. If it’s something you want to do, I highly advocate pursuing it. But I’ve also got a few suggestions that can help maximize your chances of success.
Read, read, read in your new genre. Number one, first, absolute. If you want to write in a genre you don’t read, you’re setting yourself up for problems down the road. Don’t write romance if you’ve never read a romance; don’t write sci-fi if you haven’t read any SF since Stranger in a Strange Land. Look at current releases and classics, winners from any industry awards, books that follow the trends and books that buck them. Ask friends who read in the genre for their favorites. Read some bestsellers. Find what the critics love. Invest some serious time in this endeavor. What this will help you do is…
Know the rules. Notice I didn’t say follow the rules; you can probably tell by now I’m not much for always/never advice. But you need to have a sense of what’s typical and what’s not in your new genre so that you can intelligently discuss why you’ve made the choices you have. A few rules are unbreakable — if you write a romance and intend to sell it as a romance but you kill off one of the two leads on the last page, you’re unlikely to have much luck. Most genres have more unofficial rules, more like guidelines, that successful books in the genre tend to follow. Follow what works for you and ignore what doesn’t, but make sure you’re deliberate about both.
Look for expert help. It’s not a shortcut, and it’s not a substitute for reading in the genre yourself, but once you have a draft, finding an outside editor or beta reader who works extensively in your new genre can be incredibly helpful. They’ll know the tropes and the trends. Is it possible to publish a Western without running it by someone who writes and reads Westerns? Sure. Is someone with more expertise likely to catch the fact that you’ve accidentally given your protagonist the name of a main character from True Grit and replicated a key plot point from Lonesome Dove? You bet.
Consider a pseudonym. When it comes time to pursue publication, either self- or traditional, this is the biggest choice you’ll need to make. Are you going to switch genres without changing names, like Taylor Jenkins Reid? Make a minor tweak that matters to booksellers and Bookscan but readers might not even notice, like Therese Fowler/Therese Anne Fowler? Adopt a new name for the new genre but make clear on your website the connection between the two identities, like Marie Benedict? There are reasons for each, and if you have an agent, you’ll absolutely want to consult with them to make the decision.
Q: What other advice would you give an established author who wants to expand into a new genre?
About Greer Macallister
Raised in the Midwest, Greer Macallister earned her MFA in creative writing from American University. Her debut novel THE MAGICIAN'S LIE was a USA Today bestseller, an Indie Next pick, and a Target Book Club selection. Her novels GIRL IN DISGUISE (“a rip-roaring, fast-paced treat to read” - Booklist) and WOMAN 99 (“a nail biter that makes you want to stand up and cheer” - Kate Quinn) were inspired by pioneering 19th-century private detective Kate Warne and fearless journalist Nellie Bly, respectively. Her new book, THE ARCTIC FURY, was named an Indie Next and Library Reads pick, an Amazon Best Book of the Month, and a spotlighted new release at PopSugar, Libro.fm, and Goodreads. A regular contributor to Writer Unboxed and the Chicago Review of Books, she lives with her family in Washington, DC. www.greermacallister.com
Thanks for your advice when crossing to a new genre. I’m moving from literary to fantasy. A wizard story. I’ve been reading more fantasy. I’m picky, yet I’ve found a lot of good work. Currently re-reading Patrick Rothfuss’ two books in his trilogy. Like all of his fans, still waiting for the third!
Thanks again.
Fun! Good luck with your wizard!
Advice from an agent with decades of experience in the genre world: yes, trying a new genre can be refreshing, and you may bring strengths to your new field.
However, realize that thousands of writers got to this place before you. Most have made it their lifetime focus. They and fans have created a literature which bears expectations that you must both honor and exceed.
Thus, ask not only “do I need a change” but what change can I bring to a genre that resists it? At the same time, what traditions in this genre exist for good reasons and demand my respect?
Genre writing is not easier than mainstream writing. It’s challenge to be both “rule” abiding and barrier breaking. In the last four decades standards in most genres have risen to high levels. Genre writing will demand your utmost.
Think of the switch as one of the magnitude of switching to screenplays, stage plays, graphic novels or greeting cards. It’s writing, yes, but more different than you imagine…and more fun than you may expect. Thanks Greer.
Great advice and well-put, as always, Don. Nothing chaps my hide more than an author who says, “Oh, I’ll just write something in [genre], that looks easy.” No genre is easy. And not everyone has the focus to do the heavy lifting required.
Thanks for sharing the benefit of your expertise!
Greer, you make good points to consider. I’m working on fiction, a novel, after publishing my memoir. I saved deleted scenes and dialogue from that memoir and I’m now using them as fiction. I want my writing to grow and I help that along by trying to write in a new genre.
Good luck in that endeavor — sounds like a natural move forward for you.
An author friend’s publisher forced a name change on her when she decided she wanted to write thrillers too and not just romance. They did little to support her name change, aside from publishing the new books. She was so frustrated, she advertised the link between the names and when her contract ended, she went indie. Something to keep in mind when you’re with a small publisher and they’re pushing a new pseudonym for a new genre.
Another valuable perspective. Thanks!
Oh, I’d love to hear what different genre you’re writing in (yes, that’s a big nudge, nudge, wink, wink)! But back to the subject, Joanne Harris and Margaret Atwood both write in several genres, very successfully. J.K. Rowling (YA fantasy) is Robert Galbraith (adult crime fiction). The late Paul Torday wrote humorous romance (with a touch of adventure) as well as dark, psychological dramas very successfully. A good writer can write a good book in any genre they’re familiar with. Period!
Ha ha! Yes, all will be revealed in time. Margaret Atwood is my hero in terms of running rampant across whatever genre she feels like — though I always caution people who hold her up as an example of what they want to do that she built that career up over decades. And is also a genius.
I started out as a playwright in a small way and then moved into novels (fantasy so far). Now I’m looking at brushing up my theatrical work (before all my skills fall to lack of use) and also considering a novel which might be… literary? And more fantasy.
I think it’s also important that the publicity and blurb etc etc of a book clearly signpost what readers should expect in terms of genre and tone – regardless of whether the author’s been paddling in other pools or not.
Good advice! Although it can be a BIG hassle setting up a new pen name/brand, I agree that the hassle is worth it when starting to publish in another genre. I was reading about Nora Roberts earlier today. As you all know, when Roberts began writing murder mysteries (which I love!) she adopted the pen name J.D. Robb.
Terrific article!