Academy · Genre
What genre is my book?
How do I figure out what genre my book is?
Beginner
Genre is mostly about reader expectation, not subject matter. Ask what reader will pick this up and what promises that reader expects you to keep. A book where two people fall in love is a romance only if the love is the central arc and there's a happy or hopeful ending; otherwise it's a story with a romance subplot in some other genre. Mystery promises a puzzle solved. Fantasy promises a world that isn't ours. Tell us your premise in plain words and we can suggest the closest genre and the conventions that come with it.
Standard
Genres are commercial categories first, craft categories second. Your book might mix two (romantasy, cozy mystery, literary thriller) — that's fine, but you'll want to lead with the dominant convention so retailers know where to shelve it. The Story Index has a genre field that drives a lot of Pendraic's prompt scaffolding (a romance project gets different beat suggestions than a thriller).
What to try
- Set the genre on your project
- Pick a starter outline template by genre
Related questions
- What are romance conventions?
- What are mystery conventions?
- How important is genre?