How to determine your WIP Genre

How to determine your WIP Genre -

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Often I have seen agents speak receive requests for sloping manuscripts with three or more genres, which is a problem because it shows that writer is not really sure what the genre is.

The determination of your kind can sometimes be difficult, especially if your WIP has crossover elements (that is, elements that would appeal to other genres or categories). But before beginning the interrogation, it is very important that you have a solid understanding of what your gender and class are WIP.

That being said, here are some steps to follow to determine the type and category of your manuscript.

1. Understand the difference between gender and class. Genre and category are not words that can be used interchangeably, they refer to two very different categorical labels.
   
   kind of a book refers to the type of subject, which is, Fantasy, Contemporary, Adventure, Thriller, Horror, Sci-Fi, etc. In a genre there are sub-genres Paranormal Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Space Opera, Dystopia, Steampunk, etc.
   
   category on the other hand, refers to the age group, such as Picture Book, Middle Grade, Young Adult, New adults and adults. Within each category is a wide range of opportunities Middle-level adventure genre, Sci-Fi Young Adult New Paranormal Adult, Adult Thriller, etc. For the purposes of your WIP, you'll want to know the category and genre (or subgenre, if applicable). One of each. There is no such thing as a middle-grade Young Adult Contemporary Adventure Romance Fantasy. I got it? Okay.
   
   For a somewhat more detailed look at the category compared genre, take a look at this position .


2. Narrow until the genres you think your WIP perhaps. If you go through this process, it is because you are not quite sure what kind or category corresponds to your most book. It's ok, as I said, it can be difficult sometimes. Write down what types and / or categories that you think can fit your book, then go to the next step.


3. Get to know these kinds / research. This is the step that will take the longest. The only way to really determine what type best fits your manuscript is to get to know these genres. Read books in genres that you plan to know the tropes that exist in kinds and do research online. Read, search, repeat until you're comfortable with the kinds.


4. Ask yourself, "What kind is closest to my manuscript?" Now this, for me, is the trickiest step. The thing is, there is a lot of variety in all genres. For example, Twilight series is extraordinarily different from The Girl Coldest in Coldtown , even if both are YA Paranormal affair with vampires and the two are significantly different from Ink , which is still Paranormal but no vampires at all. matched is not the same as The Hunger Games although both are Dystopias and YA Across the Universe is very different from The 5th wave although both are YA Sci-Fi.
   
   The key is not to look at all elements of your WIP. Just because there is the romance does not mean that you have written a romance novel, and just because you wrote a futuristic sci-fi novel does not mean that you have written a Dystopia.
   
   What you want to focus on is what the main elements of your WIP are and decide what kind best embodies these elements. The Shatter Me series, for example, has many paranormal elements, but the main element that prevails is the fight against oppressive recovery, a dystopian type of government in a dystopian setting, and is therefore mainly classified as a dystopian novel. The Mortal Instruments series vampires, werewolves, fairies, etc., but is classified as Urban Fantasy for its establishment NYC very urban. Across the Universe has a heavy element of mystery, but is classified as Sci-Fi because the main elements involve a spaceship and technological advances such as travel and long-term space cryogenics.

If your WIP has crossover appeal, which is certainly not a bad thing, but it is not an excuse to hit three or four kinds of your manuscript, either. Choose the category and type that matches your script better and let your book (and a summary of your book) reveal the rest.

Have you had difficulty determining a category or genre for your manuscript or book that you read? How did you understand it?

Twitter bites size:

"If your WIP has crossover appeal ... it is not a excuse to hit three or four kinds on your MS ... "(Click to tweet)

Struggling to determine your class or kind of WIP? Writer @Ava_Jae shares four steps to determine your gender. (Click to tweet )