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I have recently seen multiple authors insisting that their book fits one genre, but refusing to adhere to the rules of that genre in the same breath. Not surprisingly, not long after, they’ll complain about low sales and negative reviews, but have no idea why. Well, I’m here to tell you the tough truth:
Forcing your book into the wrong genre only hurts you.
I see this the most with romance novels, because the romance genre tends to be very picky. There are many subgenres to sort out the particulars, but there are still a handful of rules that all romance novels, no matter the subgenre, must adhere to. The stickiest, in my humble opinion, is that every romance novel must have a happily ever after (HEA), or, at the very least, a happily for now (HFN). There are no ifs, ands, or buts about this rule. If there is not an HEA or an HFN, it’s not a romance novel.
There are, of course, some loopholes here—say, you write a three-book series about the same couple, and the first two books end in cliffhangers, but by the end of the third book, everything is resolved. The characters aren’t necessarily happy at the end of the first two stories, but they are happy at the end of the series. Technically, this can still fit into the romance novel genre, but you probably shouldn’t break any other romance rules while you’re at it (heaven forbid, one of them cheats!) or you’ll have romance readers knocking down your door. The only reason you can call the three books romance novels is that the romance is the most important plotline, and also, the characters are going to end up happy in the end.
On the other hand, if your characters all die at the end, a la Romeo & Juliet, you do not have a romance novel on your hands. But, you say, the romance is the most important plotline! Well, that’s great, but there is no way to have a HEA or HFN in this story. But, you insist, it has to be a romance novel. You love romance novels, and romance readers will probably love this book!
Let’s back up for a moment. What’s the point of choosing a genre in the first place? Yes, it’s a way of categorizing books in the library and in bookstores, but even more than that, it’s a way of getting your book in front of the right readers. It’s the reader’s job to know what type of books they like, and then search them out. So a romance reader probably has all the typical romance reader expectations: the book must end with an HEA or HFN, there’s no cheating, the romance is the most important plotline, etc. They can confidently pick up any book marked Romance and know that it’s going to satisfy all of these requirements. They know that they won’t be disappointed by sad endings or other plotlines overshadowing the all-important romance.
Perhaps you write a novel that’s been in your heart for years. You can practically see the scenes jumping off the page, and writing the full-length novel is one of the easiest things you’ve ever done. You title it Romeo & Juliet 2.0 to make sure that romance readers know this is the one for them. The story follows two modern young adults from opposing football teams who fall in love despite their families’ hatred. They split up in the end, but that’s better than dying, right? You’ve even twisted some of the elements—it’s now darker, grittier, and even has some paranormal elements to it.
So let’s say that you insist on calling R&J 2.0 a romance novel. A romance reader is going to pick up your book with those romance genre expectations, and what will they find? They’re sure not going to find an HEA or HFN there! And now, that romance reader is pissed. They feel disappointed in the story. They’ve been let down. Their expectations have not been met. And so they write a negative review on Amazon, and on Good Reads, and maybe at an independent bookstore or two for good measure. They tell their friends your book sucks. They refuse to read another book from you in the future. They move on to other romance novels that they expect will live up their expectations.
So who is hurt here? Yes, the reader is still pissed, but in the end, by forcing your book into the romance genre, you only hurt yourself. You hurt your reviews, you hurt your sales, and you hurt your career.
Now alternatively, you could have placed R&J 2.0 in a more appropriate genre, like dark fiction with romantic elements. Now, the right readers—who enjoy tormented characters and dark themes, and don’t care about happily ever afters—can find the book. These are the readers who will love your book, who will write positive reviews and share with friends, and who will pick up your next release without a second thought.
I know that as authors, we can become attached to a particular genre, especially if we’re avid readers of that genre ourselves. It’s tempting to say that we fit into a genre, even if it’s not quite the right fit for us. But next time you’re choosing a genre for your book, think twice. Are the readers of that genre your target audience? If not, it might be time to reconsider a new genre.
