Finding a Genre That Sells Your Book: A First-Hand Narrative

When I was writing my first book, a romance with suspenseful elements, I was shocked when my beta readers told me what I’d actually written was an inspirational romance. By having my characters pray, lean on their faith, and talk with God, I was writing “inspirational”?

I asked myself, “Don’t most people do that? Doesn’t everyone pray for the sick and cry out to God when in anguish? That’s normal, right?” So how did my book fall into a category I myself avoided like the plague because I didn’t want to be preached to?

I was in for a lot of learning.

Marketing my first book, Love on the Edge, as “Inspirational Romantic Suspense” failed miserably. No one knows what that is, and few are willing to spend five or fifteen dollars to find out. When I published the sequel, Love on the Rocks, as “Clean and Wholesome Romance” it sold to readers looking for exactly that, and turned off everyone else. I learned from my romance author friends that by calling it “clean,” I was implying that everything else was dirty and shameful, which offended nearly every romance author and reader I knew who did not read “Clean and Wholesome.”

I tried again, marketing the series as small-town romance, and covering the third book, Love on the Beach, with a couple in their bathing suit. I was sure the bare shoulders and a hint of the male model’s physique would appeal to all romance readers. But it was too much for the “clean” readers, who avoided the man chests, and not enough for the readers that liked them.

I tried again.

Book four, Love on the Fly, was marketed as small-town and featured a couple with their backs to the reader, looking at a seaplane in the gorgeous Caribbean water. Guess what? It sold!

Readers are finicky, y’all. They know what they want, and what they don’t. Most will give a new author a try ONLY if recommended by someone they trust. That’s how I’ve been able to build my readership. Because honestly, saying something is “Christian” is going to turn off everyone who doesn’t fully embrace the born-again doctrine in my experience.

Personally, my goal is to write for people like me—the average person who believes in God, tries to always do the right thing, and above all, wants to find love and be loved by someone who’s not perfect, but is perfect for them. If you can get that message across, your audience is wide open.

With my newest publication, The Believer’s Journal for Everyday Faith, I’m aiming for a wide audience. By using a conversational tone and sharing my experiences as my faith has grown over the years, I’ve produced a book that can be used by anyone who believes in God.

The lesson here is to be true to yourself when you write. Every experience you’ve had creates the lens with which you view the world. Through that lens, your voice will shine brightly. When the right audience connects with your voice and your message, then you’ve found your genre.

Kerry also wrote an awesome blog series about Creating Unforgettable Characters for FWA. Check it out here:

• Creating Unforgettable Characters, Part 1: Who Are They?

• Creating Unforgettable Characters, Part 2: Your Primary Character(s)

• Creating Unforgettable Characters, Part 3: Secondary Characters

• Creating Unforgettable Characters, Part 4: Tertiary Characters 

• Creating Unforgettable Characters, Part 5: Putting All the Pieces Together