Should your genre define you?

One of the most common (and difficult) questions I’m asked is “What do you write?”

My answer goes something like this: “Uh…well…stuff…horror, I guess. Maybe sci-f, but not hard sci-fi. And fantasy! But not high fantasy. Urban fantasy? Maybe? But no vampires. Unless it’s horror. But my novel is Young Adult. Kind of paranormal. Only with not ghosts. Well, there’s sort of a ghost. I guess. Uh…look over there!”

And then I dash off and hide behind a tree until they go away.

But it doesn’t need to be that difficult. What I’m trying to say when I asked the question of what I write is “fiction.” But of course something in me needs to specify that my fiction always has some sort of impossible element to it. Be it paranormal, alien, magic, or future, all of my fiction has something in it that couldn’t happen in the real world.

Is used to use the term speculative fiction as the umbrella term for science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but I’ve never really like that one. To me speculative fiction is fiction that asks “What if?” and pending on your point of view, that is either too specific and can only refer to science fiction, or it’s too general and could apply to all fiction.

There are other terms you could use, genre fiction (my choice), “a little bit of everything” (not my choice because it makes it look like you don’t know what you’re talking about), or cross-genre (yuck).

But who really cares?

Indeed. Why does it even matter? Why not just say “fantasy” and be done with it. Well, here’s why. As writers, we are afraid to put ourselves into a single box. To continue using myself as an example, even though my only published novel is YA, I hardly consider myself a Young Adult writer, and my real answer when asked what I write is “My short stories are all horror, science fiction, or fantasy, and my novel is spiritual/paranormal young adult. So I write a little bit of everything.” (And yes, I know I’m contradicting what I said earlier about that last sentence…)

So what’s the harm in identifying yourself as a one-genre writer? Well, if you do write in only one genre, and you do it well, there is no harm. If some says “Brandon Sanderson” you think fantasy. If they say “Dean Koontz”, you think horror.

But if you’re a noob like most of us, you’re still learning the craft and hate to stuck with a label while you’re still trying to figure out what you’re actually good at.

So to answer the title question, if you’re not an established writer, I really don’t think you should define yourself as a author in only one genre, unless you truly only write in that genre. And if you are an established author, it doesn’t matter how you identify yourself. The bookstores will stock your books wherever they see fit. You’re name will sell the books, not the genre they are placed in.

And speaking of the name on the book…

A quick note about Pseudonyms

I’ve got a lot of writer friends who will use different names for different genres. I completely disagree with this idea. It might have worked back in the day, but we’re not living “back in the day.” In today’s world, everyone instantly knows the real name behind the stage name.

And let’s face it. In today’s publishing world, whether you’re self published or traditionally published, you still have to act as a salesperson. You’ve got a brand to push, and like it or not, you are the brand. Your name needs to be out there for people to see and read. And it’s a lot easier to push one brand for all your fiction than it is to push a different brand for each genre you write in.

So that’s just how I see it. Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment and let us know!