On Writing in Multiple Genres

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As many of you know, my debut Beyond the Red is a YA Sci-Fi. What less of you know, is the book I just recently sent off to my agent is a NA Paranormal, and the book I’m revising now is a YA Fantasy. I also have a YA Paranormal in the drawer that I hope to one day revive, though whether or not that’ll happen remains to be seen. 

Basically, what I’m trying to say is I write in several categories and genres.

Oftentimes, I’ve come across posts about creating an author brand. The examples given usually involve authors who specialize in a single genre, and I’ve seen some (but definitely not all) insinuate that it’s in an author’s best interests to focus on a single, cohesive audience.

I totally get that, and I’m not trashing that strategy. I think it can be a totally viable, and strong strategy for genre authors, like Sarah Dessen, Gayle Forman, Jodi Picoult and John Green, for example. You know exactly what kind of book to expect from those authors, and their fans are indisputably loyal.

All of this talk of branding, however, sometimes gets interpreted to mean that authors can’t (or shouldn’t) write in multiple genres. And I don’t think that’s quite true.

While I think the strategy for an author who writes in multiple genres is naturally going to be different than an author who focuses on one (including the fact that not all fans of author genre A will read author genre B), that doesn’t mean that an author can’t be successful writing in multiple genres and categories.

Of course, I’m a little biased, so let me give some examples:


All of these authors have published (or have book deals) in multiple genres and/or categories, and I’m sure there are loads more—these are just the ones I was able to think of quickly.

It’s not often discussed, but I think especially today, writing in multiple categories and genres is becoming increasingly more common. Which, for writers who love writing in different genres and categories, is possibly the best news ever.

So whether you write in one genre or five, I encourage you to write whatever your heart desires. After all, ultimately, it’s not the genre or the category that sells a book—it’s the passion behind the story itself.

What do you think? Is it smart for writers to write in multiple genres or categories?  

 Twitter-sized bites: 
Is it smart for authors to write in multiple categories or genres? Writer @Ava_Jae weighs in her thoughts. (Click to tweet) 
Do you think writers should write in multiple categories or genres? Join the discussion on @Ava_Jae's blog. (Click to tweet)

18 comments:

  1. The Review HartJanuary 21, 2015 at 4:04 AM

    Absolutely, we have to write what calls to us and within the areas that appeal to us. I write primarily dark urban fantasy, that's just what comes to mind. I will however be trying some political fantasies and even some paranormal romances. They all work in my head and as long as I do them justice I don't see it being a problem. If anything it will widen my overall audience and give me more of a chance to reach more people. :)

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  2. Lola RJanuary 21, 2015 at 7:21 AM

    I like it when authors write in different genres, as I read a lot of different genres myself or it might even introduce me to a new genre. One of my favourite authors SJ Pajonas writes both YA/ Na sci-fi and adult contemporary romance and even though those genres are very different I still love both both of them.
    You might attract different people with different genres, but I also think that's a good thing, because you have a broader audience in total. And someone who reads one of your books might even check out those other genres if they love your book enough. Great post and it certainly seems that writing multiple genres and age categories becomes more common lately!

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  3. Ana @ Butterflies of the ImagiJanuary 21, 2015 at 9:48 AM

    I'm so glad that you wrote this post because there are so many people that say writers have to stick to one genre, but I don't want to stick with one genre. I love to try a wide range of genres from historical fiction to family history memoirs to fantasy to sci-fi to contemporary, and I don't think I could give up any one of them. I might write more in one genre than another, but I still want freedom to try a bunch of different genres.

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  4. Vicki LeighJanuary 21, 2015 at 12:07 PM

    Yes, I absolutely agree it's more important to write what you love, regardless of genre. As a reader, I don't just read one genre; I read multiple. And when I find an author I love, I don't really care what he/she writes - because I love HOW he/she writes. Either he/she creates brilliant characters or amazing plots or vivid emotions. And that's what I look forward to most from great writers, not what genre it is.

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  5. Emma AdamsJanuary 21, 2015 at 2:05 PM

    I don't think I could stick to just one category or genre - in fact, I often find it hard to categorise my manuscripts because they contain elements of more than one sub-genre. One of my series is upper-YA urban fantasy with paranormal elements and the other is adult/crossover contemporary fantasy with some sci-fi elements. I've also written MG fantasy, YA fantasy, post-apocalyptic and sci-fi. I think an author's "voice" can be their brand, and a lot of my favourite authors write in multiple genres, too.

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  6. Ava JaeJanuary 21, 2015 at 5:47 PM

    I definitely agree—to me, reaching a wider audience is never a bad thing. It takes a little more juggling, especially if you publish in several genres traditionally (because oftentimes it means publishing with more than one publisher), but I think the most important thing is to write whatever makes you happy. :)

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  7. Ava JaeJanuary 21, 2015 at 5:49 PM

    I read loads of different genres, too, so that could very well have an effect on what I write. I hadn't really thought about it...but it definitely makes sense!


    As far as YA goes, I know that it's a relatively new movement (as in, within the last century). I believe Robert Cormier's THE CHOCOLATE WAR is one of the first novels considered YA, and S.E. Hinton's THE OUTSIDERS is another that's considered one of the earliest YA novels. I don't know enough about Urban fantasy or Science Fiction history to really talk about that, though...

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  8. Ava JaeJanuary 21, 2015 at 5:50 PM

    You're so welcome, Briana! Part of the reason I wrote this post is because I know especially before I was agented, I was hearing a lot about focusing on one genre, which worried me because...I was writing in several. The good news, is there are agents out there who are happy to represent authors who write in several genres, as long as they represent all the genres the author generally writes in. :)

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  9. Ava JaeJanuary 21, 2015 at 5:58 PM

    What a great answer! I completely agree. While there are definitely some fans who I think might stick with one genre the author writes in, I think there are also loads more who will discover an author they wouldn't have otherwise discovered because they branched out into a new genre. And there are plenty of readers who are equally happy to genre-hop with the author. And for those who don't, that's okay too, they'll still be there when the author writes in the original genre, too! To me, it seems like a win for everyone involved. And it's definitely becoming more common, which makes me very happy. :)

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  10. Ava JaeJanuary 21, 2015 at 5:59 PM

    Yes! I've definitely heard that, too, which is why I wrote the post. I think it's awesome that you're playing around with different genres—I think it's really fun to be able to play around with different frames and expectations. It's like a completely new world with completely new rules every time. :)

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  11. Ava JaeJanuary 21, 2015 at 6:00 PM

    Yes! Totally agree, Vicki. As you know, my reading habits are pretty diverse, too, which is maybe part of the reason I genre-hop so much with my writing. :)

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  12. Ava JaeJanuary 21, 2015 at 6:03 PM

    I've definitely done crossover-type stuff, which I find exceedingly fun. (Less fun when trying to categorize, but hey!) Also, I think that's a great point about an author's voice working as their brand—I totally agree. Even if you write in several genres, there are elements that, I think, come across no matter what.

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  13. Briana MorganJanuary 22, 2015 at 6:27 AM

    Thank goodness! :)

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  14. Gwen ToliosJanuary 22, 2015 at 3:22 PM

    I couldn't help but notice a lot of the cross genre authors you listed were, well, genre authors. I think its easy, and often times logical to do that because such crosses also happen in stories themselves. Who says a space faring race can't have magic? Or a paranormal tale can't have an urban fantasy setting? A lot of those themes and concepts merge together, and it when happens I can't help but lift an eyebrow. (Like Ted Dekker on your list.)


    I will admit though, that was something that made the book Cloud Atlas so interesting to me, seeing how well Mitchell handled the different genres. It made me respect him more as an author, and while I haven't bought any of his other books yet they always draw my mind and eyes so I know it's only a matter of time.


    Such larger differences in genre though I'd hold off one until I have a reputation at least in one. And then I'd go for it. But I'd never discourage a writer from cross genres, we all have to follow our muses where ever they lead us.

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  15. Alexandra PercJanuary 22, 2015 at 11:26 PM

    I think it's also a great exrcise for any author to write on many genres. You get to test your abilities and your boundaries. Also you get to have more people interested and expole the possibilities of even changing from YA to NA.
    I've written YA Fantasy, tested myself on YA Paranormal and currently I am experimenting with YA sci-fi. Thank you for the post Ava! :)

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  16. Ava JaeJanuary 25, 2015 at 5:48 PM

    Right, so, I might be possibly misunderstanding what you mean here, but I'm going to try to answer anyway.


    The genres I listed above aren't genres mixed together in the same book—each one listed per author is a book (or several books) written in that specific genre. Naturally, there are books that could be blur the lines between some genres, though generally, even books that have elements from several genres are primarily based off one genre (so, a Sci-Fi with a hint of Mystery, for example) and thus gets classified as the primary genre.


    I think you know that, but I also think that writing in separate genres or categories isn't the same as merging more than one genre in a single book (which is also fun! I enjoy doing that). I think you're right that it might be natural for a writer who likes to merge two genres to also write in those genres separately, but they're also two separate processes.


    And yes, I chose genre authors because...well I was talking about writing in separate genres. Which usually happens with genre authors. Also, I read genre fiction more than anything else, so I wouldn't have thought of non-genre authors off the top of my head anyway. :)


    I do agree, though. Writers should definitely write whatever they feel led to write.

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  17. Ava JaeJanuary 25, 2015 at 5:49 PM

    So true! You've got some great points here, Alexandra, and I definitely agree. It can be a great way to challenge ourselves as writers and stretch those writing muscles. :)


    Good luck with your writing! And you're welcome!

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  18. Ava JaeJanuary 25, 2015 at 5:49 PM

    :)

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