After not following submission guidelines, one of the most frustrating things agents and publishing editor’s alike see is a lack of understanding of categories and genres. I’m going to be blunt, if you do not know the difference in categories and you do not understand what genre your manuscript fits, it seriously dilutes our trust in your manuscript and your understanding or the industry.
Firstly, let’s talk CATEGORIES.
Simply put, the category is the age or reader bracket. In other words ROMANCE is not a category, YOUNG ADULT is. For the purpose of this post, I am talking about manuscript length novels and not short stories, poetry, sonnets etc.
The categories for fiction are:
Picture Book (PB)
Middle Grade (MG)
Young Adult (YA)
New Adult (NA)
Adult
I’ll do a follow up blog post on categories, the age-group, and word-count (etc.) for each and also talk about voice, today I want to concentrate on genre definitions. This is an extensive list, however, there are many cross-over genres, for example Adventure-Romance (etc.) The list is NOT intended to be the “final word” on all genres and sub-genres but rather a helpful guide to assist you in ‘labelling’ your manuscript correctly.
Also, please DO NOT write something like this: My (TITLE OF MS) is a Young Adult/New Adult historical-fantasy rom-com thriller. For a start what the heck is that anyway? And secondly, even if I could work that out I would be thinking:
a) this author has no confidence in their work and is scatter-gunning the category and genre;
b) this author has done no research into either my tastes or industry standards;
c) this author has no direction and therefore I expect the MS to be as confusing & mixed up; or
d) ALL OF THE ABOVE
Trust me when I say you do not want any of those thoughts to enter an agents or editors head before they have read a word of your manuscript because once the idea is there, imprinted, its so damned hard to remove.
Defining Genres & Sub Genres:
Most writers are familiar with the main genres, such as romance or mystery, and readers are most familiar with them but the lines of genre are blurry, and new subcategories are evolving all the time. The following are some of the best-known categories and their sub-genres, and it is by no means a comprehensive list.
ROMANCE GENRE: A romance is a love story in which the central focus is on the development of the love relationship between the lead character and a love interest.. The romance itself is the key element, as is the emotional engagement of the reader. The book should have a happy or satisfying ending.
Sub-genres include:
Chick-Lit: often humorous romantic adventures geared toward single working women in their twenties and thirties.
Christian: romances in which both hero and heroine are devout Christians, typically focused on a chaste courtship, and mentioning sex only after marriage..
Contemporary: a romance using modern characters and true-to-life settings.
Erotica: also called “romantica,” a romance in which the bedroom doors have been flung open and sexual scenes are described in candid language.
Glitz/Glamour: focused on the jet-set elite and celebrity-like characters.
Historical: a romance taking place in a recognizable historical period.
Diversity/Multicultural: a romance centred beyond Anglo-white middle-class characters.
LGBT: a romance centred on gay, lesbian, bisexual and/or transsexual characters.
Paranormal: involving some sort of supernatural element, ranging widely to include science fiction/fantasy aspects such as time travel, monsters, or psychic abilities..
Romantic Comedy: a romance focused on humour, ranging from screwball antics to witty interplay.
Romantic Suspense and/or Mystery: a novel in which an admirable heroine is pitted against some evil force (but in which the romantic aspect still maintains priority).
FANTASY & SCI-FI GENRE:
Fantasy: Often grouped together with science fiction, fantasy tales are based on heroes, myths, folklore, fairy tales, and magic. The Lord of the Rings is a good example of fantasy fiction.
SciFi: Science is the star of this show. Science fiction often takes place in the future and is based on technological advances, both real and imagined, and how they influence the characters and their world.
Common misunderstandings of various *PUNK* genres:-
* PUNK GENRES EXPLAINED:
- Atomicpunk: Optimistic retro SciFi based on Space Age. Think The Jetsons.
- Biopunk: All about altering genetics and DNA. These stories often take place in the near-future in which humans have been altered or in which human experimentation is common.
- Clockpunk: This genre follows the aesthetics and technology of Western civilization during the mid to late middle ages, though sometimes it’s set in the Victorian era.
- Candlepunk: Similar to clockpunk, but darker and with less technology.
- Cyberpunk: Has advanced technology and often focuses on artificial intelligence and the cyber world.
- Dieselpunk: Based on aesthetics and technology between World War I and World War II, sometimes up until the Cold War.
- Decopunk: Ranges from the aesthetics of the 1920’s to the 1950’s. Decopunk aesthetic is heavily based on modernism. Less gritty than dieselpunk.
- Elfpunk: Think Urban Fantasy but with epic fantasy creatures, (beyond vampires & werewolves) in an urban setting.
- Nanopunk: Similar to biopunk, but biotechnology is less available and nanotechnology is common.
- Sandalpunk: Set in ancient worlds, but with advanced technology.
- Splatterpunk: Extremely graphic and contains a lot of gore.
- Steampunk: This genre gets its name from the heavy steam-powered technology involved & is based in the Victorian & industrial eras of the Western world, though other cultural elements may be used.
- Western Steampunk: Similar to steampunk, but with Western (as in Wild West) aesthetics and settings.
Other SUB-GENRES:
Alternate/Speculative History: speculative fiction that changes the accepted account of actual historical events, often featuring a profound “what if?” premise.
Arthurian Fantasy: re-workings of the legend of King Arthur
Biopunk: refer to PUNK LIST
Comic: fantasy or science fiction that spoofs the conventions of the genre, or the conventions of society.
Cyberpunk: refer to PUNK LIST
Dark Fantasy: tales that focus on the nightmarish underbelly of magic, venturing into the violence of horror novels.
Dystopian: stories that portray a bleak future world.
Erotic: SF or fantasy tales that focus on sexuality.
Game-Related Fantasy: tales with plots & characters similar to high fantasy, but based on a specific role-playing game like Dungeons and Dragons.
Hard Science Fiction: tales in which real present-day science is logically extrapolated to the future.
Heroic Fantasy: stories of war and its heroes, the fantasy equivalent of military science fiction.
High/Epic Fantasy: tales with an emphasis on the fate of an entire race or nation, often featuring a young “nobody” hero battling an ultimate evil.
Military SF: war stories that extrapolate existing military technology and tactics into the future.
Mystery SF: a cross-genre blend that can be either an SF tale with a central mystery or a classic whodunit with SF elements.
Mythic Fiction: stories inspired or modelled on, classic myths, legends & fairy tales.
Post-Apocalyptic: stories of life on Earth after an apocalypse, focusing on survival.
Religious: theological ideas & heroes who are ruled by their religious beliefs.
Science Fantasy: a blend in which fantasy is supported by scientific or pseudo-scientific explanations.
Social SF: how characters react to their environments, including social satire.
Space Opera: a traditional good guys/bad guys face-off with lots of action and larger-than-life characters.
Spy-Fi: tales of espionage with SF elements, especially the use of high-tech gadgetry.
Steampunk: refer to PUNK LIST.
Superheroes: stories featuring characters endowed with superhuman strengths or abilities.
Sword and Sorcery: a classic genre often set in the medieval period, sometimes mixed with Time-Travel and.or Romance.
Thriller SF: an SF story that takes on the classic world-at-risk, cliff-hanger elements of a thriller.
Time-Travel: stories based on the concept of moving forward or backward in time, often delving into the existence of parallel worlds.
Urban Fantasy: a fantasy tale in which magical powers and characters appear in an otherwise normal modern context, similar to Latin American magical realism.
Vampire: variations on the classic vampire legend, recently taking on many sexual and romantic variations.
Wuxia: fantasy tales set within the martial arts traditions and philosophies of China.
WOMEN’S FICTION GENRE:
Stories focused on ‘women’s issues and relationships’ – By relationships we are talking ACTUAL relationships between at least two women, and often more. While there can be romantic elements, the focus is not necessarily on one partner, or even on the romance, but rather the journey and the endings are more realistic than the happily ever-after endings. Stories and/or endings following the formula of the likes of Bridget Jones’s Diary, are more accurately called “Chick Lit” or “Chic Lit,” women’s fiction tends to be more of a personal growth/journey rather than a happily-ever-after destiny. Also, often WF leans toward larger blocks of exposition and what some call “purple” writing. It is VERY important to vet your agents & editors as not all are looking for the same thing in WF. Often a big clue will be if they state a preference for Literary or Commercial WF.
Sub-genres include:
Admission; Literary & Commercial fiction is not only specifically related to Women’s Fiction however, I am sure many of you have read on wish-lists and agent profiles lines similar to:
“Looking for commercial women’s fiction” or “Would love to see some literary fiction, especially a high concept literary women’s fiction.” The below description can be matched to all genre’s as a way to identify if your work is more commercial or more literary.
Comment: COMMERCIAL DOES NOT EQUAL TRASHY – OK, so is that clear? It does tend to mean it’s more accessible but trashy DOES NOT equal commercial no more than LITERARY equates to ‘high brow’ or more cerebral writing. That said, there is a clear line between the two.
Literary: Usually work that offers commentary on larger social issues, political issues, or focuses on the individual to explore some part of the human condition. Literary fiction is deliberately written in dialogue with existing works created with the above aims in mind. Literary fiction is focused more on themes than on plot and for this reason is often found in certain styles of women’s fiction writing.
Commercial: Often called ‘mainstream,’ commercial fiction tends to be faster paced, and, unlike literary fiction, focus is on plot with higher stakes, more activity/events and often more danger. Unlike literary, the theme is clear and the language is not complex. Commercial Women’s Fiction is sometimes also called ‘Book-Club’ women’s fiction because it is more plot driven and therefore often more enjoyed by groups than its literary cousin.
HISTORICAL FICTION GENRE: This type of fiction is set against historical backdrops, where the setting is as important as the plot. While considerable research goes into these books, historical accuracy is not the immediate goal; however, having said that, historical accuracy is a factor. For example, if your story is set in 1880s London, the language and mannerisms of the characters must be true, even if the location/setting/town/village is imagined. Historical is rarely HISTORICAL ONLY, by that I mean, Historical-Romance, Historical-Mystery, Historical-Thriller, Historical-Adventure (and so on).
HORROR GENRE: This genre involves the supernatural, the monsters in the closet, and the fear of the unknown. The goal is to scare or unsettle the reader, and Stephen King has a corner on this market.
Sub-genres include:
Comic Horror: horror stories that either spoof horror conventions or mix gore with dark humour.
Creepy Kids: horror tale in which children are often under the influence of dark forces.
Dark Fantasy (also falls under FANTASY): a horror story with supernatural and fantasy elements.
Dark Mystery/Noir: inspired by hardboiled detective tales, set in an urban underworld of crime and moral ambiguity.
Erotic Vampire: Newly trendy link between sexuality and vampires, often with more emphasis on graphic sex & violence.
Fabulist: from “fable,” an ancient tradition where anthropomorphising objects, animals etc. is used to deliver a message or lesson.
Gothic: think Gothic era & architecture, filled with images of decay and ruin, imprisonment and persecution.
Demonic Possession/Haunting: Possession by ghosts, demons or poltergeists.
Historical: horror tales set in a specific and recognisable period of history.
Magical Realism: Where extraordinary forces or creatures pop into otherwise real-life settings.
Psychological: a story based on the disturbed human psyche, often exploring insane, altered realities and featuring a human monster with horrific, but not supernatural, aspects.
Religious: horror that makes use of religious icons and mythology, especially the angels and demons derived from Dante’s Inferno and Milton’s Paradise Lost.
Science-Fiction Horror: SF with a darker, more violent twist, often revolving around alien invasions, mad scientists, or experiments gone wrong.
Splatter: refer to PUNK LIST
Supernatural Menace: a horror tale in which the rules of normal existence don’t apply, often featuring ghosts, demons, vampires and werewolves.
Zombie: tales featuring dead people who return to commit mayhem on the living.
MYSTERY/CRIME GENRE: A mystery usually involves a crime (most often murder), the investigative process, and the resolution of the crime. The main character is often a police officer or a detective, and the reader is given clues, both real and false, to help solve the mystery.
Sub-genres include:
Amateur Detective: a mystery solved by an amateur, who generally has some profession or affiliation with crime or solving the crime.
Child in Peril: a mystery involving the abduction or persecution of a child.
Whodunit: a crime that is solved by a detective, from the detective’s point of view, with all clues available to the reader.
Comic (Bumbling Detective): a mystery played for laughs, often featuring a detective who is grossly unskilled (but often solves the crime anyway, owing to tremendous good luck).
Cosy: a mystery that takes place in a small town—sometimes in a single home—where all the suspects are present and familiar with one another, except the detective, who is usually an eccentric outsider.
Courtroom Drama: a mystery that takes place through the justice system—often the efforts of a defence attorney to prove the innocence of his client by finding the real culprit.
Dark Thriller: a mystery that ventures into the fear factor and graphic violence of the horror genre.
Espionage: the international spy novel—here based less on action than on solving the “puzzle”—is today less focused on the traditional enemy spies than on terrorists.
Forensic: Featuring detail and scientific procedure.
Historical: a mystery that takes place in a specific, recognizable period of history, focused on setting & era.
Medical: generally involving a medical threat (e.g., a viral epidemic), or the illegitimate use of medical technology.
Romantic: a mystery in which the crime-solvers fall in love.
THRILLER/SUSPENSE: Also called “thrillers,” this category often combines elements from other genres. Readers of this genre can expect action, and lots of it. The main character will have to face a villain of some sort, and obstacle after obstacle will be thrown our protagonist’s way.
Sub-genres include:
Action: a story that often features a race against the clock, lots of violence, and an obvious antagonist.
Comic: a thriller played for laughs, whether through a spoof of the genre or wisecracking interplay between the protagonists.
Conspiracy: a thriller in which the hero battles a large, powerful group whose true extent only he recognizes.
Disaster: a story in which Mother Nature herself is the antagonist, in the form of a hurricane, earthquake or some other natural menace.
Eco-Thriller: a story in which the hero battles some ecological calamity
Erotic: a thriller in which sex plays a major role.
Espionage: the classic international spy novel, which is enjoying a resurgence with one important change: where spies used to battle enemy spies, they now battle terrorists.
Forensic: a thriller featuring the work of forensic experts, whose involvement often puts their own lives at risk.
Historical: a thriller taking place in a specific and recognizable historic period.
Legal: a thriller in which a lawyer confronts enemies outside as well as inside the courtroom, generally putting his own life at risk – also can fall under CRIME.
Medical: a thriller featuring medical personnel, whether battling a legitimate medical threat such as a world-wide virus, or the illegal or immoral use of medical technology.
Military: a thriller featuring a military protagonist, often working behind enemy lines
Political Intrigue: a thriller in which the hero must ensure the stability of the government, often one that employs him/her.
Psychological: a suspenseful thriller in which the conflict between the characters is mental and emotional rather than physical—until an often violent resolution.
Romantic: a thriller in which the protagonists are romantically involved.
Supernatural: a thriller in which the hero, the antagonist, or both have supernatural powers.
Technological: a thriller in which technology is central to the plot.
CHRISTIAN FICTION: This is fiction that reflects Christian views and focuses on the relationship between the main character and God. Christian can include any of the major genres, such as romance or science fiction.
TEEN FICTION: Teen fiction encompasses all genres but focuses on characters near a teenager’s own age who deal with issues that are important to their age group, like relationships, teachers, and decisions about their futures.
So there you have it. NOT the “BIBLE” of genres but a pretty extensive list that should help you better understand when an agent or editor asks for STEAMPUNK and should also assist you in classifying your manuscript. I will follow up with a (shorter) post on categories in a few days.
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