I have the bad (yet fun!) habit of writing down the first thing on my mind. I do the same thing with speaking…
It’s not the best but it’s also NOT the worst. It’s just that, when it comes to writing, it can end up being a time suck.
Insert my latest dilemma: Writing a middle-grade passion project and realizing that my author brand is in the YA landscape.
Is it whatever?
Will it confuse my readers if I publish it?
Will I have 10-year-olds reading my middle-grade book and then accidentally reading something intended for 16-year-olds?
I’ve done this before.
It was the same scenario a few years ago: I wrote a book about a 20-year-old protagonist and realized afterward that I didn’t know how I’d market it at all.
Because being self-published brings a special slew of roadblocks.
We can’t write whatever we want and hope it sells without a brand to back it up. And if we’re hoping to get an agent or publisher, we must have a clear idea of how we’d help market the book.
So.
Is it smart to bounce around, trying new genres? Or is it best to stay within the same one? To save you time, I’ve put together the best advice I’ve found on the matter.
Ask what the time investment is
Answer: Much time.
Be honest with yourself, do you have time to build up a new audience and following?
It’s about more than one book. If you’re a blogger with adult content on your website, will you have to create or change your content to be kid-friendly, in case parents or kids want to learn more about your latest book? Are you ready to put in the extra effort to ensure you cater to each audience group?
As a refresher, here’s the genre definition (according to Dictionary.com): “a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.”
Perhaps I’m projecting now, but as a young professional with a full-time job, there’s hardly enough time to get the words on the page, let alone re-invent my brand every time a new whim takes me.
When I follow my whims, I say goodbye to hours of time.
All because I didn’t think first about my audience.
Now it is true that, in a self-publishing situation, I (or you!) could try really really really freaking hard to get an agent for my middle-grade novel. Let’s say, against all odds, I do. Then what?
Then I have two books I wrote in high school (and in the YA genre), and one that’s being represented and perhaps mass-produced and sold?
That’d be amazing. But my heart is still in the YA genre. So then what? I’ve finally got a readership base for my middle-grade novel and have to wait for them to grow up and hope they remember me?
Ask who switching genres effects
Answer: You and your readers.
Let’s be honest: If you’re self-published, NO ONE can tell you what to do.
If you’re just writing for yourself, by all means, throw caution to the wind.
If you want to find readership to share your ideas with, well…
Stick with your niche for a bit. Master it. Do more. THEN, MAYBE consider switching if you’re in a serious rut or have a project you can’t get out of your mind.
Just so you don’t think I’m talking out of my ass, here are some other smart people on the subject of switching genres:
- The Book Designer does a great job weighing the pros and cons, down to “creative expression vs. building a career.”
- Self-Publishing Relief lays out the pros and cons very easily. You can then figure out where your priorities lie.
Ask if you want to read my bonus commentary
Here are a few more notes from me on the above points.
- Keep in mind that the genre should not control your plot. It doesn’t have to be that restrictive.
- Don’t JUST write to sell: I’m not implying that you should plot out meticulously what would make the most money it’s just that…
- … when you’re starting out and representing your own author brand, sometimes it doesn’t work to follow the rules for authors finding representation from big agents.
- As with anything, there are exceptions to the rule. A few knock-out authors create pen names and find success in multiple genres but they are few and far between (and usually represented by a publishing house, have money to fall back on, etc.).
- IF you decide to switch anyway and ignore any place genre definition may have in your life, make sure you include some sort of crossover content: If you’re normally a crime writer and want to switch over to romance, see if you can find a way to balance the two (or just include elements of crime in your novel for your loyal fans).
If you’ve successfully switched genres or are considering it, I’d love to hear from you!
