Understanding Book Genres: A Comprehensive Guide for Writers

Have you ever struggled to categorize your writing? Are you unsure whether your novel is a romance, contemporary fiction, or women's fiction? Or maybe you're writing a book that blends multiple genre elements, and you're wondering if this will affect your publishing plans.

In this post, we'll look at what literary genres are, why they are so essential to understand, and how to determine which genre(s) you're writing in.

What are book genres?

Genres in literature categorize works based on their form, content, style, and related characteristics. They help readers identify and understand different types of fiction and nonfiction. Fiction genres include stories based on imaginary events and characters, while nonfiction genres include works of literature based on factual information.

Some broad categories of the fiction genre include:

• Science Fiction
• Fantasy
• Romance
• Mystery
• Historical Fiction
• Thriller
• Horror
• Western
• Crime
• Women's Fiction

Common nonfiction book genres include:

• Biography 
• Autobiography
• Memoir
• History
• Science
• Philosophy
• Self-help
• Travelogue
• Essay
• Poetry
• True Crime

Subgenres—smaller categories within the broad, larger one—can be found within each book category. For example, Horror has subgenres such as supernatural/paranormal, gothic, psychological, body horror, slasher, and more. Fantasy has subgenres such as dark or grim-dark fantasy, portal fantasy, historical fantasy, romantic fantasy, epic fantasy, and fairy tales, and Women's Fiction is an extensive and diverse genre that explores women's experiences and concerns. It can include subgenres such as romance, family sagas, literary fiction, and chick lit.

Why are book genres important?

Genres are crucial in literature for several reasons. They help readers quickly discover books that match their interests. By sorting books into distinct genres, readers can easily find what they're looking for amongst a vast amount of books. Genres also help publishers and booksellers in marketing books more effectively by understanding the characteristics of different genres and tracking book sales. This enables them to target specific readers and to promote the books that are likely to appeal to them. The genre of a book can allow writers to establish their niche and cultivate a readership. By writing within a particular genre, writers can develop a loyal following of readers who are interested in the genre they write in or the subject.

Genres set expectations for the reader, giving them an idea of what to expect from a book. Whether it's a romance novel or a mystery thriller, readers know what kind of story they're getting themselves into before they even begin reading. Finally, genres help scholars and critics analyze literature by categorizing books into different groups. This allows for easily comparing works within the same genre and identifying common themes and motifs. Overall, genres are an essential tool for both readers and writers as they organize and help understand the wide variety of books available and provide a framework for critical analysis and discussion of literature.

Tips for identifying your genre

What are you interested in writing?

One way to figure out what genre you enjoy writing is to consider your interests and the books or topics you enjoy reading. Think about what type of stories these are. Are they fast-paced with lots of action or more character-driven stories that build up slowly? Certain tropes can also indicate which umbrella genres you may enjoy, such as the unreliable narrators for mystery and thrillers, first love or second chances for romance, time travel or alternative universes for sci-fi, and haunted houses or the "Final Girl" trope for horror.

Analyze the plot and setting

In analyzing the plot of a story, it's essential to look at the major events and conflicts that occur throughout. These elements can provide valuable insights into the type of book you're writing. For example, if your story involves a crime that needs to be solved, it may fall under mystery or thriller. Besides the conflict, other factors like pacing,  structure, and setting can also help identify the genre. A fast-paced story with lots of action and suspense is more likely to be categorized as a thriller, while a slow-paced story focusing on character development may be considered literary or women's fiction.

With settings, consider not only where but when your story takes place. If it takes place in a medieval fantastical world with magical creatures, it may be epic or high fantasy. If it takes place in a dystopian future, it may be science fiction, and a story set in a small town or rural area involving some type of mystery may be considered a cozy mystery.  By evaluating your plot, you will gain a better understanding of not only the genre but also the underlying themes and motifs.

Consider your characters

Analyzing the characters in a story and the roles they play can help writers identify their genre by revealing critical elements associated with specific popular genres. Supernatural creatures, like vampires, werewolves, or ghosts, mean you're likely writing a paranormal or horror story. If you write about high school friends dealing with their relationships, identity, and growing up, then it's probably a young adult or coming-of-age fiction.

Another way to pinpoint the genre is by looking at the characters' roles. Detectives, spies, or crime solvers are usually found in mystery or crime books. Meanwhile, warriors, merchants, kings, queens, or lords are typically found in historical fiction or fantasy stories. Readers often have specific expectations for a certain genre, and if a story fails to deliver the key elements associated with it, then it may not resonate with readers. Understanding how characters and their roles impact the genre can help writers craft stories that are more engaging, satisfying, and successful.

Understand popular book genres

Genre conventions define what readers can expect from a story, including plot, characters, settings, themes, tone, and style. These conventions are guidelines that writers can adapt to create unique stories. However, each genre has its own reader expectations, so it's important to learn what they are. Adhering to a genre's conventions can create familiarity, while breaking some conventions can create something new and exciting–if it's done well. Let's look at some storytelling elements and how they can help you identify your genre.

Mood refers to the emotional atmosphere that a story creates in the reader. Horror stories may create a mood of fear and suspense through their use of dark settings, ominous language, and tense pacing.

Tone refers to the writer's attitude or opinion towards the subject. It can influence the reader's interpretation and emotional response to the book. For instance, an angry or passionate tone may express frustration or outrage about an issue.

Themes can give important clues about the genre. For example, exploring themes of love, relationships, and personal growth may fall into the romance or women's fiction genre.

Tropes are common themes, plot devices, or character types used as a storytelling convention. To identify tropes, read widely within each genre and pay attention to recurring themes, plot devices, and character types.

Language and style can also help identify a piece of writing's genre. Literary fiction uses complex and poetic language to create a mood or atmosphere. Genre fiction has a straightforward writing style with a focus on action, plot, and character development. Poetry relies on literary devices like metaphors and similes to create meaning and evoke emotion, and academic writing has a formal and technical style to present information and arguments clearly.

One thing to remember when switching genres or trying a new one is to understand the expectations that come with the new genre. Don't let the conventions of your previous genre overshadow your current one. For example, if you normally write romance and decide to try mystery thrillers, don't let the romance overshadow the mystery or break thriller conventions in an unsatisfying way.

Get feedback

To pinpoint your story's genre, try sharing it with fellow readers or writers and asking for their feedback. An outside viewpoint can reveal aspects of your story that you may have overlooked. You can ask other writers, editors, agents, or publishing professionals to give you feedback as well. Also, reading a variety of categories and engaging in book club discussions can help you learn the conventions of different genres. It's okay if you find your story fits into more than one genre. You can use elements from multiple genres and blend them to create subgenres such as paranormal romance or sci-fi thrillers.

What's your genre?

Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, taking the time to understand genres can help you create stories that captivate readers and leave a lasting impression. By identifying the types of stories you're interested in, analyzing the plot, setting, and characters, learning genre conventions, and getting feedback from others, you can craft stories that meet readers' expectations while also pushing the boundaries of your genre. So, ‌explore the different genres out there—you never know where your next great story idea might come from!