Thinking about Switching Genres?
By Guest | July 19, 2011 |
Kath here. Please welcome Kim Wright to WU today. Kim has been writing about travel, food, and wine for more than 25 years and is a two-time recipient of the Lowell Thomas Award. Her debut novel, LOVE IN MID AIR, has recieved critical praise. It also blends genres in a way that is becoming increasing common in today’s publishing scene. We were intrigued by Kim’s experiences navigating the divide between commerical and literary fiction, and we invited her to share her experiences with our community. Take it away, Kim!
About four decades ago, I was in an eighth grade talent show and decided – for reasons which memory does not render entirely clear – to favor the crowd with my rendition of the Cher classic “Half-Breed.” The song was an eerily accurate prediction of my future career as a writer. Because now, all grown up and having somehow managed to have passed Cher in age, I find myself straddling the divide between literary and commercial writing.
My first novel, Love in Mid Air, was presented as a literary book with commercial elements. Perfect for book clubs. Lotsa sex. Readable. Kind of “literary lite.” The book I’m working now is also a bit of a hybrid, this time predominantly commercial with literary elements. It’s a mystery about Jack the Ripper, the formation of the first forensics team at Scotland Yard, and – theme alert! – the split between the Victorian and modern mind.
Navigating the space between genres is always tricky because people in publishing believe that the market wants clearly-defined books, all niched out and aimed at a specific demographic. When you tell them your book is both literary and commercial they look at you funny, as if you’ve just publically confessed that it’s neither. And if you can’t be quickly categorized, you may pay the price. 
Last week I was hit with a double whammy – I narrowly missed being on a recommended book club list because Love in Mid Air was criticized for “forcing the reader to think, perhaps too much. “ Two days later I got news I didn’t make it off the short list an arts council grant because one of the judges deemed the same book to be “almost chick lit.”
As Cher so aptly put it, sometimes it seems like both sides were against me from the day I was born.
So why do I continue to blend genre? Two reasons. I like these kind of books, like not having to make that ridiculous choice between plot- and character-driven prose. And also….I think this is where the future of writing is headed.
It’s no secret that publishing, to put it in the most polite possible terms, is in transition and no one knows what the ultimate shakeout will be. Literary fiction was a tough sell even in kinder markets and in these unkind times has fallen almost completely off the grid. Writers and agents who want to survive are turning to more commercial projects. And commercial writers are moving out of the narrowly-defined halls of genre to create works that transcend easy definition. The lines have already blurred, it’s just that the system hasn’t yet caught up with the fact. And it’s likely that some of these books will have the hearty resiliency of all half-breeds, showing both the thoughtfulness of literature and muscular energy of commercial writing.
Want to check out how Kim fuses the two genres? Love in Mid Air is available now at all retail outlets.
Many thanks to today’s guest.
You can read more WU guest posts by visiting this link.
“Navigating the space between genres is always tricky because people in publishing believe that the market wants clearly-defined books, all niched out and aimed at a specific demographic.”
Well said! I’m for no labels, but of course the publishing companies would never go for that.
That’s an interesting way of looking at it. I’m about to start a novel that’s a literary alternative fiction… I don’t know where you would put that in a book store… so it’s comforting to know that people have done this (and will continue to do this) with success.
I have the same questions/concerns about the series of four books I’m working on. I’m calling them detective fiction, and the first one of the three I’ve (just about) written so far is definitely the most “genre.” But books two and three are sliding further and further to general fiction, and I do worry about the books finding an audience. If someone’s looking for detective fiction, they’ll find it in my books but not quite what they’re used to from the genre. And if someone is looking for general fiction, they might discount my books once they learn that the main character is a private eye who does, indeed, work on cases.
But these are the books I wanted to write, and I’ll just hope for the best.
Defining something undefinable is hard – and you did it. Thank you! I also prefer books that are both literary and commercial, sometimes I like ones that are either/or as well. We are all very wrapped up in categorizing our books because the industry demands that we do, and because it also makes books easier for us to understand. At least for me. I want to know what I’m getting when I pick up a book. It doesn’t determine what I read, but it might determine when I read it.
The problem is that these definitions mean different things to different people — and to sell or place a book it only matters what it means to the one making the decision – the publisher, the book club maven, contest judges etc.
I’ve been told my novel is up-market women’s fiction/bookclub fiction – that it isn’t chick-lit and that it isn’t 100% literary. I hope one day there’s an editor who thinks THAT is a fabulous thing to be!
Much luck with your books, Kim!
Great article! Personally, I love the types of books you’re describing here. But maybe I’m just one of those rare people who like to think. ;)
For what it’s worth, Sonje’s genre-blending is awesome. :)
But then, I am partial to genre-blending, which is what this post is really about. (More so than switching, which is another good topic.) Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a good genre-blender (historical? multicultural? literary?). The whole PNR genre came out of blending paranormal with romance, no? The Help? The Art of Racing in the Rain? I think people are looking for *accessible* but *thoughtful* books, and that’s why genre-blenders appeal.
Great topic, Kim, and I LOVE that cover.
I love genre bending/breaking too. I think readers, after a certain point, like and embrace change. Same with writers. Best of luck with your book!
I’m still on my first manuscript, so we’ll see what happens… :)
Personally, I like genre-blending as well. Don’t box us in! Let us be free!
Great post!
This post speaks to me as both a reader and a writer. Love in Mid-Air sounds like the kind of novel I would like to read right now. Who says a story can’t be both character-driven and plot-driven? What happens when a literary-type character gets herself into a tense plot situation? I’m currently at work on a novel that might end up in this kind of genre no-man’s land, and I’m glad to know I’m not the only one.
I like the sound of your next book, but wihout reading it I would classify it as crime. I think writers sometimes get too uptight about genre. The only reason booksellers label books is so they know which shelf to put them on and so they know which readers to market to.
Readers like genre fiction so why don’t writers?
Love in mId Air? Surely it’s a romance or literary romance or something romance. Why make things difficult for yourself?
This argument reminds me of the lift pitch. You get into a lift with a major agent. You have 10 seconds to describe your novel. Are you really going to start with an explanation about why it doesn’t fit into a genre?
“It’s literary but it doesn’t fit into any genre, let me explain….” The lift door opens and the agent leaves.
There’s a reason why labels are used – they sell more books.
Congratulations on your book! It sounds intriguing. I have been in the camp of genre boundaries from a marketing standpoint, simply because you’ve got about ten seconds (if that!) to attract a reader with all the books these days, and if you can narrow the field a little, then it makes it easier for them to quickly assess if this is something she wants to investigate further or not. That said, I admire genre blends (and thoughtful chick lit, for that matter!) It’s not easy to market, but it IS worth it. Hope you do wonderfully well!
Kim, I think you are spot on about where the market is heading. It’s no coincidence that a number of so-called “literary” authors are releasing books with apocalyptic or paranormal elements.
(See this article from the Wall Street Journal:
https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304520804576343310420118894.html)
But of course these are writers with proven track records and large readerships. It’s much harder for a debut author to blend or straddle genres and sell.
I speak from experience here.
Oh boy, that is the story of my writing life! Sometimes told that my romance is too women’s fiction and my women’s fiction is too romance. But what a crazy publishing world to treat anything chick lit-like to be a bad thing because authors are self-pubbing chick lit and it’s selling – readers want it even if publishers don’t.
Publishers are overlooking so many of us readers who want something not so closely-defined. Your book sounds wonderful!
I was told by several agents that my first manuscript was too much suspense, not enough chick lit.
Then I wrote another one, The Hazards of Hunting While Heartbroken, and several agents told me, this is fun, well written, etc., but chick lit is over. It will be out this Thursday.
Now I’m re-writing the first manuscript because, dammit, I really liked that project, even if it doesn’t fit perfectly into a genre. The publishing world is changing and it’s a fascinating time to experiment.
Congrats on your pub day! Best wishes!
I’m also a fan of writing across genres — both my WIPs are blends. This post has given me lots to think about as a writer but also from a marketing point of view. Great, very helpful post.
Thanks so much, everyone. Glad to know the post hit a nerve. I suspect the writers will lead the way into cross-genre fiction (whether blended, crossed, merged, shaken or stirred) and, as usual, the publishing industry will limp along behind. It seems like it’s our job to write the books and later, perhaps even much later, the industry will finally get around to acknowledging at the books not only exist but are filling a literary need.
Kim -loved coming on to Writer Unboxed today and finding your post. So relevant in today’s market and I enjoyed reading this – GREAT post. As you know, I’m a big fan of your novel LOVE IN MID AIR, which for me is a genre busting, helluva good read no matter how it’s labeled! It merges two of my favorite genres – being both literary fiction and women’s fiction – and I would say we could start calling you the Shania Twain of the publishing world. And there are so many other women’s fiction books out there that I know of that get dismissed as being chick lit or too light when really they are as well-written and important as any other literary piece of work out there. I love both genres and I had when books are boxed in or limited because of what genre a publisher decides to label a book.
I would love to be the Shania Twain of the publishing world! Or even the Mark Twain of country music!
Genre questions must be in the air. I’ve been ruminating along similar lines on my own recent posts. It does seem like, as the nature of publishing changes with the e-revolution, the lines between genres are shifting and changing, too. Thanks for the thoughts!
Great post Kim~ I have noticed a definite shift since my first novel was published 8 years ago. It seems like many literary novels are quickly marked with some ‘commerical’ tag. And as you write so eloquently in your closing graph, “writers are moving out of the narrowly-defined halls of genre to create works that transcend easy definition. The lines have already blurred, it’s just that the system hasn’t yet caught up with the fact.” Well done Kim!Thoughtful, incisive and true.
I already write in many genres…but sometimes I’m not sure which stories are what.
Kim, thank you for a very timely blog for me. I’ve been reading a lot these days about genre and what to do when your book straddles two or three of them. it seems that if one is lucky enough to land an agent then you can label it according to what editor and publisher you’re trying to land. Women’s fiction with romantic elements or romantic women’s fiction or mainstream fiction or commercial fiction – AACK! it is so hard to know what to do!
patti
Thank you so much for this piece. It encourages me tremendously, as my writing falls down the gap between the same two lines. I look forward to reading your work. And, to Writer Unboxed, thank you again for such excellent food for writing thoughts. -JLK
Wonderful post, Kim! I can’t WAIT to read Love in Mid Air! I recently wrote about my experience with my debut novel for Women Writers Women Books. When shopping my book, my agent wrote to me that the commercial houses found it too literary, and the literary houses found it too commercial! It was rejected and rejected. Six years later, it’s being published by a small press and will be released in August. So now I follow my heart and write the book I want to write, trusting that if it’s good, it will find a home … eventually!
Good luck with your release next month, Monica. What press are you going with?
Thanks, everyone. Monica, Patricia, and Jennifer I think a lot of writers find themselves in the gap you all described – they want to write a book that has elements of plot, narrative thrust and marketability yet they don’t want to dumb down the writing. It seems the market hasn’t quite caught up to this new reality – they call it either “mainstream” which is a sure kiss of death or “Upscale women’s fiction” which I never really have understood. But if we keep writing the books and people do want to read these books at some point the market will have to find a way to describe this new beast!
A great post–thank you! I’m a young writer and a blogger for young writers, and I definitely sense that this sort of genre-defying literature is becoming more and more popular, especially those that cross the line between commercial and literary. I think people want to think (traditionally literary) about things that are relevant to them (romance, woman’s issues, whatever–traditionally commercial topics). Here’s hoping that the next generation is publishing in a world with more flexible guidelines.
This is such a big spot it almost seems it should have its own label–nearly all of the books I read these days are right there in that divide, and certainly all of the books I write are there.
And the frustration is, as you say, the judgment from both sides. Is it too dark/serious? Is it too light/fluffy?
Frustrating.
It seems like people are writing this books in great number Barbara, just as you say. The problem is that the market hasn’t come up with a definitive way to describe them. Which doesn’t matter to writers or readers, but which matters a great deal to agents, publishers, and publicists. (Which means it ultimately has to matter to writers if they want to get the darn books published and marketed in the first place.) It’s a little frustrating, but also interesting.
Hi Kim,
Really interesting post. Excuse my total ignorance, but I’d love to know a little more about what distinguishes commercial fiction from literary fiction. I’ve got a debut novel coming out next may. It’s being marketed as literary fiction but it’s definitely plot driven. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
All best,
Jen
One way I’ve heard work in this realm described is “up-market women’s fiction.” But if you say “women’s fiction,” a lot of people automatically think you mean romance and they are very sure that is not what they read.
A lot of the perception of a novel has to do with packaging. I was very upset when I first saw the cover of The Lost Recipe for Happiness, because it was VERY chick lit and it’s a fairly dark book. The first cover was way too dark and old-school, but still….I was freaked out. Turns out, I don’t know anything about covering books, but you can see the “this must be chick lit” influence in some reader reviews, as in, “I don’t usually read chick lit, but I really loved this book.”
Nathan Bradford has a great post on this subject: https://blog.nathanbransford.com/2007/02/what-makes-literary-fiction-literary.html. He basically says that in commercial fiction, the action happens externally, where in literary fiction, it happens internally.
Which actually doesn’t help me define my books and better, but there you have it. :)
Kim & Everyone-
Whatever you may hear from editors, grant committes or reading group admins, the space between literary and commercial fiction is exactly where you want to be.
Take a look at the best seller lists. Plenty of commercial thrillers there, lots of brand name authors. Typical run on the NYTBSL? Three weeks. But there’s also a group of novels that’s beeen on the lists for 1-2 years. What kind of novels? Those that live in the space between literary and commercial.
Check it out: commercial thrillers are popping onto the lists for a few weeks. Literary/commercial novels are selling like blockbusters.
Why do these novels work? Because they are both beautifully written and tell great stories. My next craft book, Writing 21st Century Fiction, is about exactly this space, why it resonates and how it’s done.
I agree with you, Kim, that this is where fiction is heading in this century. I’ll go further. In our century the whole concept of genre is slowly dying. Anyway, it should. Genre identification puts you in a creative box. It makes it too easy to fall back on genre tropes and character types. That produces only low impact on readers.
Stirring readers, piercing through to their hearts, rattling their minds, requires dwelling in a place that’s personal. You can’t do that with fiction that’s formulaic, or even that slides by on style. Literary fiction can be just as imitative and empty as hackned genre fare.
For writers of hybrid novels, the personal dimension of high impact fiction is particularly important to get. If you’re hearing from agents and editors that a given manuscript is too-much-this-not-enough-of-that, or if they say it falls too awkwardly between sections of the bookstore, then the problem may be that your writing actually is raising genre expectations. You may sometimes be falling back on genre comfort instead of creating a story dynamic and world that is wholly your own.
Literary/commercial novels that not only succeed on their own terms but define those terms in the first place…you don’t hear such complaints about them from industry folks.
I remember the way folks at Random House spoke before publication about Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. They said things like, when this manuscrpt came in we didn’t know how to categorize or package it but we loved it so much we had to take it on.
So, think less of “hybrid” writing and more of writing stories that are powerful, and crafting them in a way that’s as artful as you can. That’s the right place to be.
Don
Interesting view of this genre.
I just found out that my writing guide Your Path to Publication is available for preorder at Press 53. https://www.press53.com/BioKimWright.html It gets into a lot of these topics in more detail – including the basics about getting an agent, contracts, networking, working with editors, marketing your book, the pros and cons of self-publishing etc. The intro is available for a free download at the Press 53 site. Would love your feedback.
And Jason, you make a good point. One of my friends is so haunted by the mistakes in his first novel that he paid for the champagne when it finally went out of print