You
wrote a book (hooray!). It’s got a little bit of everything and will appeal
to multiple audiences, so it’s absolutely, positively impossible to categorize into one genre. Sound familiar? Getting your book into the hands of your
intended audience can be quite tricky, so it’s important to understand how to
properly categorize your book before
you begin querying an agent, or share your self-published novel with the world.
Check out this high-level snapshot of popular fiction genres, including info
about average word count, protagonist age, and common themes:
Chick Lit: These books strictly appeal to chickens. Just checking to see
if you’re paying attention. :)
Chick lit is about all things girly. We’re talking dating woes, romance,
climbing the career ladder, finding your passion, and personal antics. The
protagonist is usually in her 20-30’s looking for the right ________ (fill in
the blank). Career. Man. Attitude. These stories are fun, quirky, and
entertaining. You’re good to go in the 70-80k word range.
Commercial
Fiction: Full of face-paced,
high-concept hooks and plots which will attract a broad, mainstream audience,
commercial fiction has strong narrative story lines and usually falls into
multiple genres. Stories contain lots of events, high stakes, and dangerous
situations. Think Stephen King, Dan Brown, and John Grisham. 70-90k words is ideal;
however, there are exceptions. There are no hard and fast rules about the
protagonist’s age, but they tend to be adults. Book titles are straight to
the point, perfectly encapsulating what the novel is about.
Fantasy: One of my favorite genres! Magic,
supernatural powers, strange kingdoms, sorcery, other worlds, spells, talking
animals, fairies, wizards, dragons, goblins, mythical creatures, and monsters
are all common elements in fantasy stories. Themes usually include a quest for
something or battle against good and evil. Think Harry Potter or The Lord of
the Rings. There are dozens of sub-genres such as urban, historical, epic, and
dark fantasy. Word count varies from 70-120k. The protagonist’s age will vary
largely based on your sub-genre.
Horror: Boo! The goal of a horror novel is to
scare the reader. This can be accomplished with blood and gore, graphic
violence, monsters, crime and murder, psychological terror, supernatural
elements, or even something innocent like children or dolls. Think H.P. Lovecraft,
Bram Stoker, and Stephen King. There are tons of sub-genres like dark fiction,
dark fantasy, cutting edge, erotic, extreme, occult, gothic, psychological,
supernatural, paranormal, etc. The horror genre often incorporates folklore and
fantasy to create manifestations of evil. 80-100k words is a good rule of thumb.
No strict rules about the protagonist’s age.
Literary Fiction: Appeals to a smaller audience and can
fall into any sub-genre such as literary thrillers, mysteries, or epics. Notable
qualities of literary fiction include excellent writing, style, multi-layered
themes, descriptive introspective narratives, complex characters, and
originality. These are books you might've read in high school like The
Great Gatsby or To Kill A Mockingbird. Literary fiction ranges anywhere from
60-120k words. Covers and titles tend to be more obscure or artistic. Just like
commercial fiction, there are no rules for the protagonist’s age.
Middle Grade: The protagonist is typically 10-years-old
for a younger MG novel, and up to 13-years-old for older, more complex books.
Themes are generally broad like trying to fit in or save the world, with the
protagonist’s mindset on friends, family, or the immediate world. Word count is
generally in the 30-50K range, although this can vary based on your
theme/sub-genre. There shouldn’t be any profanity, graphic violence, or sex. Voice
is usually in the third person. Examples include The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Charlotte's Web.
Mystery: Mysteries focus on solving a crime,
usually murder, rather than the details of the crime itself. The puzzle behind
the crime is central to the plot with the climax usually occurring towards the
end. The protagonist is usually a witty investigator or detective thirsty for
justice. Common sub-genres include cozies, spy, detective, hard-boiled, and
supernatural. On average, word count ranges from 70-90k. Check out Mystery
Writers of America to learn more.
Young Adult: The protagonist is in the 12-18 range and
deals with adult-like problems such as grief, revenge, death, or love. Themes
include the hero discovering how they fit into the world beyond their immediate
surroundings (friends, family, etc.) and reflection on what happened to them
and why. The voice is usually internal, and some swearing and minor violence is
acceptable. Word count is generally in the 50-85K range. Sub-genres include
fantasy, historical, LGBTQ, mystery/thriller, steampunk, mystery, paranormal,
and contemporary. Popular YA books include Harry Potter, Divergent, The Hunger
Games, and Lord of the Flies.
Science Fiction: Incorporates scientific and technological elements into
the story’s setting, characters, and their challenges. Scientific rules are bent
or defied in some way. 100-120k words is standard; however, there are
exceptions. There are dozens of sub-genres
such as apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic, cyberpunk, time travel, science
fantasy/future fantasy, etc. No rules about the protagonist’s age.
Remember,
these are general guidelines and agents/publishers may categorize differently
depending on their needs/wants. Regardless of which publishing route you
choose; my advice is to write the story you have to tell. If it ends up
being a little bit longer or shorter than your intended genre but you’ve given
it your all, then accept it and go for it! You may be an exception to the rule.
Also, ALWAYS get feedback from your friends and family before you share your book with the rest of the world. For example, if you think
that your book falls into the YA category, give it to your friend’s teenage
daughter to read and ask for honest feedback. If she says it was boring, maybe
you’ve got a MG book instead.
