When I read recent headlines in the on-line Guardian
I couldn’t help but sit up and read it through. I’ve grappled with fitting my novels to particular genres for years and I’ve often wondered why they are so rigid. (although Amazon have added a plethora of combinations now and so it’s hard to keep up)
Hilary Mantel’s earlier experiences in changing the genre she was writing just to get published resonated with me. Back in 2012, when Riduna and Ancasta were released they were being sold down south and in the Channel Islands, but did little on Amazon. Many said ‘Why don’t you write a murder mystery?’ and so I did. With 50 hard earnt reviews for MURDER Now and Then (without the backing of a large marketing arm) I’m quite proud of my achievements, and it still sells.
Then the article writes:
“Genre is a confining madness; it says nothing about how writers write or readers read, and everything about how publishers, retailers and commentators would like them to.“
This echoed my most recent experience, when the next in my Mystery Inspired by History Series MISSING, Past and Present all went well, until I noticed that on the Waterstones website it is in the genre Mystery, Thriller. It may be the former but it certainly wasn’t the latter. Confusing eh? Maybe it should be recategorized to Literary Fiction as the article so flippantly concludes.
My only thought is that bookshops and libraries would have a devil of a job organising their stock without literary genre wouldn’t they?
Your thoughts much appreciated.
eventispress 