How To Pick The Correct Genre For Your Book

Filed under Book Proposal, Essentials, Get Published.

When pitching your book to a publisher or agent, it is essential that you pinpoint a publishing professional that has the expertise and resources needed to make your book a success. Since most agencies, and all publishing houses, divide books along the line of genre, it is essential that you identify the correct genre for your book. Only by doing this is it possible to find the most suitable agent or publisher.

Below is the Fiction and Non-Fiction genre lists we use at BubbleCow when helping writers to pitch their books. As a writer you must be able to clearly identify into which genre your book falls.

I would add one further nugget of advice. It is very tempting to reduce your genre into sub-genres. Though this is a useful exercise for you, as a writer, when pitching it is important to keep the genre as broad as possible.

Fiction Genre List

  • Action and Adventure,
  • Chick Lit,
  • Children’s,
  • Commercial Fiction,
  • Contemporary,
  • Crime,
  • Erotica,
  • Family Saga,
  • Fantasy,
  • Gay and Lesbian,
  • General Fiction,
  • Graphic Novels,
  • Historical Fiction,
  • Horror,
  • Humour,
  • Literary Fiction,
  • Military and Espionage,
  • Multicultural,
  • Mystery,
  • Offbeat or Quirky,
  • Picture Books,
  • Religious and Inspirational,
  • Romance,
  • Science Fiction,
  • Short Story Collections,
  • Thrillers and Suspense,
  • Western,
  • Women’s Fiction,
  • Young Adult.

Non-Fiction Genre List

  • Art & Photography,
  • Biography & Memoirs,
  • Business & Finance,
  • Celebrity & Pop Culture,
  • Music, Film & Entertainment,
  • Cookbooks,
  • Cultural/Social Issues,
  • Current Affairs & Politics,
  • Food & Lifestyle,
  • Gardening,
  • Gay & Lesbian,
  • General Non-Fiction,
  • History & Military,
  • Home Decorating & Design,
  • How To,
  • Humour & Gift Books,
  • Journalism,
  • Juvenile,
  • Medical, Health & Fitness,
  • Multicultural,
  • Narrative,
  • Nature & Ecology,
  • Parenting,
  • Pets,
  • Psychology,
  • Reference,
  • Relationship & Dating,
  • Religion & Spirituality,
  • Science & Technology,
  • Self-Help,
  • Sports,
  • Travel,
  • True Adventure & True Crime,
  • Women’s Issues.

What genre does your book fit into?

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  • Heidi L Phelps

    Where do ghost stories fit in?

    • garysmailes

      I would say that ghost stories could well fit into the genre Fiction – Horror

    • garysmailes

      I would say that ghost stories could well fit into the genre Fiction – Horror

  • Heidi L Phelps

    Where do ghost stories fit in?

    • garysmailes

      I would say that ghost stories could well fit into the genre Fiction – Horror

  • Bob Mayer

    Actually, I’m afraid I disagree. It’s right desk, right day, right person. By excluding large numbers of agents and editors, you limit your chances. I know this will cause screams of pain from every agent and editor, but I say submit to anyone who is even close to covering your type of book. While an agent’s primary job is their current clients, if they are open to submissions, that’s their job too. The constant complaining about the slush pile I see in social media by agents is akin to authors complaining they have to do more than just sit alone in their room and write. It’s the job.
    When I say right desk, you might say: then only submit to those who specifically cover your genre. No. I mean a rejection is to a large degree an emotional decision. An agent who might not do thrillers, who gets a thriller query letter that knocks their socks off will:
    a: consider maybe taking it on.
    b: refer that query to a friend agent who does cover it.
    c: become indignant the author didn’t do their homework and toss it in the trash, probably not even sending a rejection back.

    My point about c is: so what? How does it hurt you, the author?
    I say this not only as an author, but as a publisher who has to reject people all the time and gets inappropriate queries all the time. All I can do is say, thanks, but no thanks. But it is my job to look at them, searching for the diamond in the rough.
    I’m not saying be obnoxious, unprofessional or rude.

    • garysmailes

      I understand your point here, but I think you are missing one important aspect. Agents live and die on their contact list. The reason good agents flourish is that they have very strong links with publishers and editors, and since the whole industry is based on genre, these links are almost always genre specific. Agents tend to keep their ear to the ground in certain genre, know the ebbs and flows of the publishers and tastes of readers. They are very much a link between publishers and writers. I feel that pitching to an agent outside you genre is just asking for trouble. If they did take it on they would not have the contact lists or relationships required to get the best deal.

      • Jack Everett

        Again you genre in your last post should read your

        • garysmailes

          Thanks Jack – fixed.

          • Poppy

            It’s a list of bullet points, so get rid of the commas.

          • garysmailes

            Ermm… I have always worked on either commas or full stops. I like commas best.

          • http://angeljanesworld.blogspot.com/ AngelJane

            I really like to write from the heart and my style is quite direct it’s as if I were telling the story so, I definitely like to see it when we all know what we like in words and grammar… :)

      • http://twitter.com/kristinaAholmes Kristina Holmes

        There’s another aspect to this too – not only are the contacts not as strong, but the agent may not understand that genre nearly as well as their main genres. Understanding how to assess the quality of a book, spot specific issues in the manuscript, and give constructive feedback that can improve the book is essential. Knowing how to appropriately pitch the book to publishers is a related aspect of this too.I would personally be a little less concerned with the contacts issue (editors’ names/areas of acquisitions can always be discovered) than I would be with really understanding what the dynamics and potential pitfalls in a given genre.

  • Bob Mayer

    Actually, I’m afraid I disagree. It’s right desk, right day, right person. By excluding large numbers of agents and editors, you limit your chances. I know this will cause screams of pain from every agent and editor, but I say submit to anyone who is even close to covering your type of book. While an agent’s primary job is their current clients, if they are open to submissions, that’s their job too. The constant complaining about the slush pile I see in social media by agents is akin to authors complaining they have to do more than just sit alone in their room and write. It’s the job.
    When I say right desk, you might say: then only submit to those who specifically cover your genre. No. I mean a rejection is to a large degree an emotional decision. An agent who might not do thrillers, who gets a thriller query letter that knocks their socks off will:
    a: consider maybe taking it on.
    b: refer that query to a friend agent who does cover it.
    c: become indignant the author didn’t do their homework and toss it in the trash, probably not even sending a rejection back.

    My point about c is: so what? How does it hurt you, the author?
    I say this not only as an author, but as a publisher who has to reject people all the time and gets inappropriate queries all the time. All I can do is say, thanks, but no thanks. But it is my job to look at them, searching for the diamond in the rough.
    I’m not saying be obnoxious, unprofessional or rude.

    • garysmailes

      I understand your point here, but I think you are missing one important aspect. Agents live and die on their contact list. The reason good agents flourish is that they have very strong links with publishers and editors, and since the whole industry is based on genre, these links are almost always genre specific. Agents tend to keep their ear to the ground in certain genre, know the ebbs and flows of the publishers and tastes of readers. They are very much a link between publishers and writers. I feel that pitching to an agent outside your genre is just asking for trouble. If they did take it on they would not have the contact lists or relationships required to get the best deal.

      • Jack Everett

        Again you genre in your last post should read your

        • garysmailes

          Thanks Jack – fixed.

          • Poppy

            It’s a list of bullet points, so get rid of the commas.

          • garysmailes

            Ermm… I have always worked on either commas or full stops. I like commas best.

          • http://angeljanesworld.blogspot.com/ AngelJane

            I really like to write from the heart and my style is quite direct it’s as if I were telling the story so, I definitely like to see it when we all know what we like in words and grammar… :)

      • http://twitter.com/kristinaAholmes Kristina Holmes

        There’s another aspect to this too – not only are the contacts not as strong, but the agent may not understand that genre nearly as well as their main genres. Understanding how to assess the quality of a book, spot specific issues in the manuscript, and give constructive feedback that can improve the book is essential. Knowing how to appropriately pitch the book to publishers is a related aspect of this too.I would personally be a little less concerned with the contacts issue (editors’ names/areas of acquisitions can always be discovered) than I would be with really understanding what the dynamics and potential pitfalls in a given genre.

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