I’ve always had somewhat of a genre problem, and I don’t think I’m alone.
Not every book fits tidily into one category. Many novels have elements of various genres. I wanted my book to be unique, and for this reason, I rejected the “know your genre” advice. It’s a simple concept (if you fit in neatly), but I couldn’t understand why it mattered. My thinking was, If someone likes your book, what difference does genre make?
Then I published my debut and the importance of fitting into a specific book category rang like a wakeup call. Genre, it turns out, plays a huge role in marketing. First and foremost, it’s a jumping-off point. Readers are naturally attracted to specific types of books—and as a new author, I
