# What genre does Nicholas Sparks write in?



## Gregg Bell (May 13, 2013)

I'm searching to find out where I fit into the genre world, and in the process I mentioned Nicholas Sparks, and someone said he doesn't write romance. I was wondering, if he doesn't write romance, what genre does he write?


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## Justawriter (Jul 24, 2012)

He calls it "love stories". I'd say women's fiction. It's really not romance because most if not all of his books don't have happy endings.


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## dgrant (Feb 5, 2014)

Well, checking the Amazon categories for his top seller - because "genre" means "where do I shelve this?"

Books > Literature & Fiction > Literary
Books > Literature & Fiction > Women's Fiction > Contemporary Women
Books > Literature & Fiction > Women's Fiction > Domestic Life
Books > Romance > Contemporary
Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary Fiction > Literary
Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary Fiction > Romance
Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary Fiction > Women's Fiction
Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Family Life
Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Literary Fiction > Romance
Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Women's Fiction > Literary
Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Women's Fiction > Romance

...I'd say Women's Fiction.

Your keywords for that are here:
https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=201359210


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## Gregg Bell (May 13, 2013)

Thanks Pamela and dgrant. Seems he pretty much created his own genre. As to women's fiction I don't know. Women's fiction tends to focus more on the woman's struggles and growth, and Sparks' books are so into the romance angle. Maybe he's (like in KDP's categories) "non-classifiable."

All I know is people sure complain a lot about unhappy endings but don't seem to stop buying Sparks' books because of them.


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## Justawriter (Jul 24, 2012)

I think a big part of it is reader expectation---the reader knows that a Nicholas Sparks book will be a sad tearjerker. It's true though, he does own this market niche.


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## sydneystrand (Sep 17, 2013)

Whatever Love Story by Erich Segal was, that's Sparks. Neither are romance and both are stocked in Literature in the bookstore. But, yeah, women's fiction is Jennifer Weiner, Emily Giffin, Sophie Kinsella. As a female, I know women's fiction when I see it (and read it!).  

-S.


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## EmmaS (Jul 15, 2014)

Cancer romance.

Or something similar. I think everyone's closest with women's fiction.


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## NotHere (Jan 21, 2015)

Sounds like I got to check out some Nicholas Sparks books. I've been wondering whether there was romance without happy endings! I've usually heard the saddest it can go is happy for now.


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## NoCat (Aug 5, 2010)

LWFlouisa said:


> Sounds like I got to check out some Nicholas Sparks books. I've been wondering whether there was romance without happy endings! I've usually heard the saddest it can go is happy for now.


They aren't romances though. I picked one up thinking it was at one point and will never read one again. Total disappointment, because it was being marketed as a romance. These days they seem to be their own thing and most people know it is tear-jerky drama and not really romance, thankfully.


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## Crystal_ (Aug 13, 2014)

Tearjerker romance
or Melodrama

Not a category on Amazon for it 

You can put something in the blub about "for fans of Nicholas Sparks" or say "This is a love story but it's not a romance."


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## Lummox JR (Jul 1, 2012)

Crystal_ said:


> You can put something in the blub about "for fans of Nicholas Sparks" or say "This is a love story but it's not a romance."


Don't drop names in a blurb. It turns many people off.


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## NoCat (Aug 5, 2010)

Lummox JR said:


> Don't drop names in a blurb. It turns many people off.


Perhaps. But it also works, in my experience.


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## Abalone (Jan 31, 2014)

Realistic romance. The king of romance is also getting a divorce, so... Generally I'm not a fan of the man. He compares his work to the Greek tragedies and believes Cormac McCarthy is a silly writer who shouldn't write.


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## Elizabeth Ann West (Jul 11, 2011)

Two people almost kissing plus tears.


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## DawnLee (Aug 17, 2014)

I struggled for a while with where to put my first book and ended up with Literary Fiction as my main cat and Literary Fiction - Romance as my primary subcat. Because it is a love story but doesn't necesarily have a happy ending (depending on the perception of the reader), I stated in the blurb that it was a love story but not a romance. At the last minute, I also admitted upfront in the blurb that the male protag was dying. So far, reviewers have said that it was very romantic and a love story. No one has said they felt ripped off. Almost every reviewer has mentioned how much they laughed reading the book, so I guess it was okay to go for the Romance subcat despite it not really fitting.

I was really frustrated at first because I felt that it was Women's Fiction, but now I wonder if I should have tried so hard to get it into that cat. Almost half of my reviews are from men. I still think my primary audience is women, but maybe Lit Fic is where it belongs.

As far as Nicholas Sparks, I have to admit I've only read "Nights in Rodanthe" and that was years ago, so I don't really know how much of a romance/love story element his other books have.

My second book, The Cricket Jar is also a love story, but there's even more dark humor than See You, the main characters are a bit more odd and there is a dead body, so I think I'll stick with Lit Fic and Lit Fic-Romance. Even though this one has a HEA, it's definitely not a category romance. I also think this one probably would have more of a male audience (potentially), so I'll forget about focusing so much on Women's Fiction.

Not sure anything I just said was helpful, lol. I suppose my not-quite-illuminated point is that maybe your genre is Lit Fic?


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## Lisa Grace (Jul 3, 2011)

Lummox JR said:


> Don't drop names in a blurb. It turns many people off.


Those that like Nicholas Sparks will search "like Nicholas Sparks" so yes, that term should be in at least the editorial section or at the bottom of the blurb. Search engines rule when it comes to visibility. Just like JAFF is now a search term.


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## Jena H (Oct 2, 2011)

One of my stories is a not-classical-romance romance story, as it doesn't have the classic HEA.  (But nobody dies, either.)  I call mine a relationship novel.


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## Briteka (Mar 5, 2012)

If you listen to Nicholas Sparks' high opinion of himself, he'll tell you he writes literature on par with Shakespeare and Hemingway. Truthfully, he's just a romance writer that doesn't always use HEA.


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## ruecole (Jun 13, 2012)

sydneystrand said:


> But, yeah, women's fiction is Jennifer Weiner, Emily Giffin, Sophie Kinsella. As a female, I know women's fiction when I see it (and read it!).
> 
> -S.


Jennifer Weiner, Emily Giffin, and Sophie Kinsella Write chick lit, a sub-genre of women's fiction.

Rue


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## Taking my troll a$$ outta here (Apr 8, 2013)

Elizabeth Ann West said:


> Two people almost kissing plus tears.


Lol, I think I recall seeing a meme like that about his books.


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## My Dog&#039;s Servant (Jun 2, 2013)

]You can put something in the blub about "for fans of Nicholas Sparks" or say "This is a love story but it's not a romance.]

Definitely this. 

Sparks (and his ilk--all men, and I suspect that's an important part of the appeal) appeal to readers who aren't necessarily romance readers. I've met passionate fans who see themselves as reading "literature" when they read his books and who would be offended if you even suggested they might read trash like romance.  Not all, but enough to make me think it's a significant part of the attraction to a substantial number of his fans.


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## I&#039;m a Little Teapot (Apr 10, 2014)

Briteka said:


> If you listen to Nicholas Sparks' high opinion of himself, he'll tell you he writes literature on par with Shakespeare and Hemingway. Truthfully, he's just a romance writer that doesn't always use HEA.


LOL!

I've never read a romance novel that was as badly written as a Nicholas Sparks novel.


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## hunterone (Feb 6, 2013)

Gregg Bell said:


> I'm searching to find out where I fit into the genre world, and in the process I mentioned Nicholas Sparks, and someone said he doesn't write romance. I was wondering, if he doesn't write romance, what genre does he write?


Before you dive into that market, know a couple of things

1. Males tend to sell less than females ( whether that is romance or "love stories" as he says)

2. He lucked out as the notebook other than the start and ending was total nonsense ( my opinion ) Movie was better. Since then he has been riding that tail for as long as he can

3. He usually publishes to women's fiction, contemporary. Not romance unless he has a happy ending. Most of the times he kills off the main character

4. He just got divorced which has caused untold issues for him now that his personal life doesn't match up to his book life.


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## hunterone (Feb 6, 2013)

No Cat said:


> They aren't romances though. I picked one up thinking it was at one point and will never read one again. Total disappointment, because it was being marketed as a romance. These days they seem to be their own thing and most people know it is tear-jerky drama and not really romance, thankfully.


They are romances, just they aren't following the typical. Yes you are right that "TRADITIONALLY" romance is meant to have a happy ending or happy for now. But let's face it. REALITY says that people can have romance in their life and no happy ending. In reality ( today's romance novels should be put under FANTASY) as really that's what they are. Idealistic view that every relationship should end in a happy ending. Sparks has just divorced this month his wife of 20 years or so... which kind of puts that to rest.

I don't go in to romance books EXPECTING a happy ending. I go in expecting romance. I don't care how it ends. Drop a piano on their heads for all i care. Have zombies eat the main characters. Just give me romance at some point in the story and you have hit the mark.


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## hunterone (Feb 6, 2013)

AA2014 said:


> Realistic romance. The king of romance is also getting a divorce, so... Generally I'm not a fan of the man. He compares his work to the Greek tragedies and believes Cormac McCarthy is a silly writer who shouldn't write.


Yes he is known for being narcissistic unfortunately. All that fame has gone to his head.


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## joyceharmon (May 21, 2012)

hunterone said:


> I don't go in to romance books EXPECTING a happy ending. I go in expecting romance. I don't care how it ends. Drop a piano on their heads for all i care. Have zombies eat the main characters. Just give me romance at some point in the story and you have hit the mark.


That's you - and you are a distinct minority. If the book is genre romance, it had better have a happy ending, because if it doesn't, for the vast, VAST majority of romance readers, that book is not a real romance and they got sold a defective or at least a mislabeled product.


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## hunterone (Feb 6, 2013)

joyceharmon said:


> That's you - and you are a distinct minority. If the book is genre romance, it had better have a happy ending, because if it doesn't, for the vast, VAST majority of romance readers, that book is not a real romance and they got sold a defective or at least a mislabeled product.


Whos to say dropping a piano on their heads is not a happy ending lol


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## anotherpage (Apr 4, 2012)

One thing is for sure when he said this '"There are no authors in my genre. No one is doing what I do."

That makes him look a little silly. Tons of people are doing what he does. He just can't see past his own work.


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## katrina46 (May 23, 2014)

sydneystrand said:


> Whatever Love Story by Erich Segal was, that's Sparks. Neither are romance and both are stocked in Literature in the bookstore. But, yeah, women's fiction is Jennifer Weiner, Emily Giffin, Sophie Kinsella. As a female, I know women's fiction when I see it (and read it!).
> 
> -S.


I was going to compare him to Love Story. I'm pretty sure it's just romance. Not all have to have a happy ending.


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## rosclarke (Jul 12, 2013)

katrina46 said:


> I was going to compare him to Love Story. I'm pretty sure it's just romance. Not all have to have a happy ending.


They do. That's in the definition.

Do we have to have this debate every week here on kBoards? Seriously, romance is a well-defined genre and its readers know exactly what to expect of it: a book about a central relationship with a happy ending. It is not rocket science.

People are very welcome to read and write all kinds of other books, with any kind of story and ending they want. But they aren't genre romance.


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## Briteka (Mar 5, 2012)

Then we can call it Fauxmance. I don't know. But it's just romance with a twist and no hea. Romance is the closest thing he fits into. He is a genre writer, despite his claims that he writes literature.


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## rosclarke (Jul 12, 2013)

Briteka said:


> Then we can call it Fauxmance. I don't know. But it's just romance with a twist and no hea. Romance is the closest thing he fits into. He is a genre writer, despite his claims that he writes literature.


I totally agree he's writing genre. I'd say women's fiction is nearest, and that seems to be where it's usually categorised.


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## anotherpage (Apr 4, 2012)

Brenna said:


> According to the Romance Writers of America, in order to for a book to be classified as a romance it must have a HEA (happily ever after) or HFN (happy for now) ending.
> 
> http://my.rwa.org/romance


I'm glad romance writers of America only offer opinions. Writers determine what is what, readers are the final judges. I have seen tons of books classed romance and have not had a happy ending with lots of great reviews. Sure you get the odd traditionalist who gets their knickers in a twist but that's life. Romance is determined not by an ending but by the interaction between two people. If writers of America wish to state it requires a happy ending, no worries, but that isn't an absolute. That's one opinion among many. Thankfully they aren't the gatekeepers. Amazon lets you publish whatever you like lol


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Briteka said:


> Then we can call it Fauxmance. I don't know. But it's just romance with a twist and no hea. Romance is the closest thing he fits into. He is a genre writer, despite his claims that he writes literature.


there is no such thing as "romance with... no hea". by definition of the genre, a romance requires an hea or hfn.

call it a love story if you want, call it women's fiction, but do not call it a romance.

write what you want, you want a love story without a hea, that's great. but don't try and market it as a romance unless you want scathing reviews.


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## rosclarke (Jul 12, 2013)

kalel said:


> I'm glad romance writers of America only offer opinions. Writers determine what is what, readers are the final judges. I have seen tons of books classed romance and have not had a happy ending with lots of great reviews. Sure you get the odd traditionalist who gets their knickers in a twist but that's life. Romance is determined not by an ending but by the interaction between two people. If writers of America wish to state it requires a happy ending, no worries, but that isn't an absolute. That's one opinion among many. Thankfully they aren't the gatekeepers. Amazon lets you publish whatever you like lol


Of course you can publish anything you like, but if you call it a romance, romance readers are going to expect it to be a romance. Which means a happy ending. I mean sure, if you want a ton of angry 1 star reviews, go ahead...

I just don't understand why people continually want to force their books into a genre when they know it doesn't fit the well-defined expectations of that genre. Genres are what help readers find the books they want and avoid those they don't. Don't insist on giving readers something they weren't looking for.


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

Pretty much what Ros, Scarlet, and several others have said. I will expand on the "emotionally satisfying ending" (AKA the Happily Ever After or Happily For Now). That does not mean the bad guys are defeated or whatever. In the context of Romance, it means the hero and heroine (or hero / hero or heroine / heroine) are now a couple. The Happily For Now (which people interpret to mean it just has to have a happy ending--which isn't so), is because depending on the characters, it might not be believable that the couple is going to get married, have kids, and grow old together. Take the movie Sixteen Candles--if it were a book, it would be a classic Young Adult Romance. Does anybody think Sam and Jake got married, or hell, even stuck together once Jake goes to college? No. But at the end of the movie, Sam gets her guy and the two are together. THAT is the Happily Ever After.


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## Alexis Adaire (Mar 20, 2014)

I don't know the precise genre, but I'd say Sparks writes Pseudo-Romance with a HASP -- Happy At Some Point. Usually the great love of someone's life slips through his/her fingers due to a cruel twist of fate, a stupid irreversible decision, or the dictates of society.


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## Gregg Bell (May 13, 2013)

Crystal_ said:


> Tearjerker romance
> or Melodrama
> 
> Not a category on Amazon for it
> ...


Thanks. That's helpful. And so would that "this is a love story but not a romance" go right on top of the blurb? If not, where? And where would the "for fans of Nicholas Sparks" go?


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## Gregg Bell (May 13, 2013)

DawnLee said:


> Because it is a love story but doesn't necesarily have a happy ending (depending on the perception of the reader), I stated in the blurb that it was _a love story but not a romance_. At the last minute, I also admitted upfront in the blurb that the male protag was dying. So far, reviewers have said that it was very romantic and a love story. No one has said they felt ripped off. Almost every reviewer has mentioned how much they laughed reading the book, so I guess it was okay to go for the Romance subcat despite it not really fitting.


Several people have said say: "This is a love story but not a romance." Is that a generic disclaimer that readers have come to expect?

And in one of my novels I call romantic suspense my male protagonist dies. As I said it's called romantic suspense, not romance. Nevertheless, would it be wise to have the "This is a love story but not a romance" line in there?



DawnLee said:


> Not sure anything I just said was helpful, lol.


Very helpful, yes.


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

Gregg Bell said:


> Several people have said say: "This is a love story but not a romance." Is that a generic disclaimer that readers have come to expect?
> 
> And in one of my novels I call romantic suspense my male protagonist dies. As I said it's called romantic suspense, not romance. Nevertheless, would it be wise to have the "This is a love story but not a romance" line in there?


Not sure whether the disclaimer is expected. But romantic suspense is a sub genre of romance and so has the same genre conventions (primary plot is the couple and their relationship, emotionally satisfying ending).


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## Jena H (Oct 2, 2011)

Alexis Adaire said:


> I don't know the precise genre, but I'd say Sparks writes Pseudo-Romance with a *HASP -- Happy At Some Point.* Usually the great love of someone's life slips through his/her fingers due to a cruel twist of fate, a stupid irreversible decision, or the dictates of society.


Hey, I like the HASP option.  One thing I don't like about the standard definition of romance is that it depends solely on the reader's perception of HEA. I should think there would be some offshoot under the romance umbrella in which the definition of "happily" is expanded to include the characters' own feelings. In other words, not a traditional happy-couple-heading-down-the-aisle ending, but one in which the characters don't end up together and are satisfied/happy with it. (That wouldn't work with Sparks, apparently, with his penchant for killing people off; I doubt his characters are really OK with dying.) After all, romance is romance, whether it ends with "I do" or not.


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## Gregg Bell (May 13, 2013)

Anne Victory said:


> Not sure whether the disclaimer is expected. But romantic suspense is a sub genre of romance and so has the same genre conventions (primary plot is the couple and their relationship, emotionally satisfying ending).


Thanks Anne. Well put. So I had better stop calling that novel romantic suspense. And I will. I'll call it a love story. Right now I have it as:

Jamie's Gamble (Romantic Suspense Novel)

I suppose I could change it to:

Jamie's Gamble (A Love Story)

Or I could simply have it as Jamie's Gamble and start the blurb with:

This is a love story but not a romance.

Any thoughts as to the best way for me to go?


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

Jena H said:


> Hey, I like the HASP option.  One thing I don't like about the standard definition of romance is that it depends solely on the reader's perception of HEA. I should think there would be some offshoot under the romance umbrella in which the definition of "happily" is expanded to include the characters' own feelings. In other words, not a traditional happy-couple-heading-down-the-aisle ending, but one in which the characters don't end up together and are satisfied/happy with it. (That wouldn't work with Sparks, apparently, with his penchant for killing people off; I doubt his characters are really OK with dying.) After all, romance is romance, whether it ends with "I do" or not.


You can have that. It frequently happens in women's fiction where the most important thing is the character's growth. Nobody is saying that there isn't romance involved in that, just that it doesn't meet the standards of genre romance. And romance readers might very well like that... just not when they want that happy ending.


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

Gregg, is it a thriller? Or a suspense novel? I'd classify it that wsy. A lot of books have some sort of relationship angle. You could say it has strong romantic themes if you want. Sorry I don't have more specific advice, but without having read it, it's hard to get more specific.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Folks, 

I need to review this thread so I've locked it for the time being.

EDIT:  Reopening.  The discussion of Nicholas Sparks' sexuality has been removed. This is inappropriate.  Further comments such as the ones I removed will result in post approval for members who post them.

Thanks.

Betsy
KB Mod


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## Lisa Grace (Jul 3, 2011)

Wow, some harshness directed at Nicholas Sparks. Uncool.  So you don't like what he writes, it's no reason to get snotty about him personally or his personal life.

He's making tons of money producing movies of his books. He does classify them as women's fiction, and rightly so according to the RWA, which is the leading authority in romance writing. He has the validation of his readers and movie goers.


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## CoraBuhlert (Aug 7, 2011)

Because the question keep coming up, here is my handy "Is my book a romance?" flowchart:


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Cora for the win  

We need that as a sticky signpost at the top of the WC.


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## CoraBuhlert (Aug 7, 2011)

I have a feeling that little flowchart will be getting a lot of workout, considering I already posted it on two different threads.


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## Cactus Lady (Jun 4, 2014)

Atunah said:


> Cora for the win


yes, this.


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Thank you, Cora!  Please keep it handy for further posting.


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## Jena H (Oct 2, 2011)

Anne Victory said:


> You can have that. It frequently happens in women's fiction where the most important thing is the character's growth. Nobody is saying that there isn't romance involved in that, just that it doesn't meet the standards of genre romance. And romance readers might very well like that... just not when they want that happy ending.


My question remains: why shouldn't there be an offshoot or sub-genre of romance that includes romances that have other types of endings? There's already paranormal romance and romantic suspense... why not Nontraditional Romance, or Unconventional Romance? The stories still include the central romantic relationship, and the genre description would let readers know what to expect. Or, more precisely, what _not_ to expect. Why lump these novels into women's fiction when there could be a more accurate category for them, making them easier to find for those who want them, and easier to avoid for those who don't.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Paranormal romance and romantic suspense are not off shoots of romance. They are romance. Sub genres of romance, same as contemporary romance, historical romance, sci fi romance, etc. All under the same genre, Romance. Simple as that. 

There are already "offshoots" outside of romance. They are called every other genre out there under the sun other than Romance. Lots of other genres have romantic elements in it, doesn't make them romance. Doesn't need to.


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## G.L. Snodgrass (Aug 12, 2014)

A romance without the HEA is like a Mystery Novel where the crime doesn't get solved or a thriller where the world is not saved. It might be a great book but it doesn't fall into the genre "Romance" unless it has a HEA.


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Atunah said:


> Paranormal romance and romantic suspense are not off shoots of romance. They are romance. Sub genres of romance, same as contemporary romance, historical romance, sci fi romance, etc. All under the same genre, Romance. Simple as that.
> 
> There are already "offshoots" outside of romance. They are called every other genre out there under the sun other than Romance. Lots of other genres have romantic elements in it, doesn't make them romance. Doesn't need to.


This.



G.L. Snodgrass said:


> A romance without the HEA is like a Mystery Novel where the crime doesn't get solved or a thriller where the world is not saved. It might be a great book but it doesn't fall into the genre "Romance" unless it has a HEA.


And This.

Why is it so difficult to understand? It is really pretty black and white, no grey areas in what is or isn't genre romance.


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## Jena H (Oct 2, 2011)

Too bad the original meaning of _romance_ has morphed over the years and been diluted to such a narrow definition.


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## Erin Satie (Mar 21, 2014)

It's not narrow at all. Romance as a genre must check only two boxes--as has been frequently pointed out, they are: main plot concerns a romance, resolves happily.

When you get rid of those two qualities, there is nothing left. So unless your goal is, "I like empty words with no discernible meaning!", leave it alone. 

It just seems bizarre to me that anyone would think to themselves, "Yeah, you can write a romance with mystery or suspense or melodrama, set in the past or the present or the future, about the demands of everyday life or absolutely any possible combination of supernatural elements, but it's just such a NARROW genre."


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## rosclarke (Jul 12, 2013)

Erin Satie said:


> It's not narrow at all. Romance as a genre must check only two boxes--as has been frequently pointed out, they are: main plot concerns a romance, resolves happily.
> 
> When you get rid of those two qualities, there is nothing left. So unless your goal is, "I like empty words with no discernible meaning!", leave it alone.
> 
> ...


Nailed it.


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## Jena H (Oct 2, 2011)

Erin Satie said:


> It's not narrow at all. Romance as a genre must check only two boxes--as has been frequently pointed out, they are: main plot concerns a romance, resolves happily.
> 
> When you get rid of those two qualities, there is nothing left. So unless your goal is, "I like empty words with no discernible meaning!", leave it alone.
> 
> ...


Please read my comment again. I didn't say the _genre_ was narrow. I said the definition of the word romance is narrow. Today all it means to the general populace is "love affair" or "emotional relationship." That's a long way from the original definition of the word, which represented so much more.

So no, I did _not_ say the genre was narrow.


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## Gregg Bell (May 13, 2013)

Anne Victory said:


> Gregg, is it a thriller? Or a suspense novel? I'd classify it that wsy. A lot of books have some sort of relationship angle. You could say it has strong romantic themes if you want. Sorry I don't have more specific advice, but without having read it, it's hard to get more specific.


Anne, I've been reading about genres and I really think my book is Women's Fiction. The below is from a description of Women's Fiction:

_The woman is the star of the story and her changes and emotional development are the subject._

When I read that, I thought, that's what my novel (Jamie's Gamble) is like. In fact, that's what almost all of my novels are like.

Yes, there is romance and suspense but the main focus in on the protagonist, who is a woman, and her changes and emotional development.


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## Gregg Bell (May 13, 2013)

I'm thankful for all the feedback (and the flow chart--although it was a little complicated (kidding)) and I'm starting to realize that my books (except for one) fit more into Women's Fiction than Romance or Romantic Suspense. Women's Fiction does seem daunting to me, though, as it seems endlessly broad and endlessly stuffed with very popular books. The other thing is it feels kind of weird (no disrespect intended here) to be a man writing Women's Fiction. The flip side would be a woman writing Men's Fiction. Also like describing the novel in blurbs or introducing it to book reviewers suddenly seems complicated. "This is my romantic suspense novel..." seems clean and communicative. "This is my women's fiction novel..." (again no disrespect intended) seems awkward and much less communicative. And several people have said for me to say 'This is a love story but not a romance.' Well, that feels awkward too. When you're trying to pitch something why would you use what your book is "not"? Seems a turn-off. And so if I say "my book is a love story" (and leave off the "but not a romance") is that misleading? And really, is "love story" a recognizable genre in most readers' minds?

I'm sure many of you with more experience know how to handle these sorts of things better. I know I'm very inexperienced and a lot of my thoughts about this are perhaps exaggerated. I'm just looking to find myself genre-wise and find a comfortable and effective way of implementing it.


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## Z. Rider (Aug 15, 2014)

Gregg Bell said:


> The flip side would be a woman writing Men's Fiction.


Hi! (Kind of.)



Gregg Bell said:


> Also like describing the novel in blurbs or introducing it to book reviewers suddenly seems complicated. "This is my romantic suspense novel..." seems clean and communicative. "This is my women's fiction novel..."


"[Novel Title] is a suspense novel with a romantic subplot" perhaps? Or "[Novel title] is a suspense novel with romantic elements"?


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## Gregg Bell (May 13, 2013)

Z. Rider said:


> Hi! (Kind of.)
> 
> "[Novel Title] is a suspense novel with a romantic subplot" perhaps? Or "[Novel title] is a suspense novel with romantic elements"?


Hi Z. Thanks. Both your descriptions are accurate but if I say it's a suspense novel I'm already in the suspense genre, right? (No longer Women's Fiction.)


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## Z. Rider (Aug 15, 2014)

Yes. I haven't read your books, so I don't know what they actually fall into. If they're like Jodi Picoult's books (of which I've only read one, Salem Falls), I'd probably call them women's fiction. On Amazon, Salem Falls is categorized under Women's Fiction, Thrillers & Suspense, Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction > Mystery Thriller & Suspense, Women's Fiction > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, etc., but I'd call women's fiction its main genre. You could probably take a look at the blurbs for her books--if they sound like they fit the same niche as yours, you could probably learn how to classify/present them by studying what her publisher's done.


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## quiet chick writes (Oct 19, 2012)

Gregg, I write love stories that are not romances. I shelve all of my stuff in women's, contemporary, and literary fiction. From there, you can further specify sub-genres of humor, romance, historical, contemporary, or psychological and so on. As far as Amazon categories go, I shelve in women's fic, but I never tell people that's what I write in conversation. I might say "love stories" or "relationship dramas" or "literary fiction" or even sometimes "romantic comedy". But never women's fiction. Any time I have said it in conversation, the person's eyes just glaze over, lol! I hate the term. It means basically nothing--because yes, if you write about the emotional journey of a man (which I am, in my current WIP), what do you call it? Well, they just call it plain old contemporary fiction, actually. So why differentiate women's fiction just because the protagonist is a woman (Sorry, feminist rant over.)

But you need to shelve your book where your readers will find it, and so that would be some combination of women's, contemporary, and/or literary, depending on your writing style. There is a small but devoted audience for books like ours, and they look for them under the women's fiction tag. There are a lot of smart, emotionally-challenging, engaging, funny, and tragic books in there that are nothing like the melodrama that Nicholas Sparks writes. Because ugh. 

Also check out this facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ChickLitChatHQ/ Sort of geared more towards the comedic end of women's fiction, but we have some more somber writers in there too (myself included, sometimes), and we have a couple male writers too!


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## Gregg Bell (May 13, 2013)

Z. Rider said:


> Yes. I haven't read your books, so I don't know what they actually fall into. If they're like Jodi Picoult's books (of which I've only read one, Salem Falls), I'd probably call them women's fiction. On Amazon, Salem Falls is categorized under Women's Fiction, Thrillers & Suspense, Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction > Mystery Thriller & Suspense, Women's Fiction > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, etc., but I'd call women's fiction its main genre. You could probably take a look at the blurbs for her books--if they sound like they fit the same niche as yours, you could probably learn how to classify/present them by studying what her publisher's done.


Thanks Z. That's helpful. And it's interesting you mentioned Jodi Picoult. I thought I did kind of write like her, about heavier things and with heavier emotion. Yeah, Amazon does seem to give you a lot of leeway with the categories they put you in, so I think I'll be okay. Seems it (finding a genre home) might be kind of an ongoing process but that's okay. Like they always say, 'it's about the journey, not the destination.'


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## Gregg Bell (May 13, 2013)

Laura Rae Amos said:


> Gregg, I write love stories that are not romances. I shelve all of my stuff in women's, contemporary, and literary fiction. From there, you can further specify sub-genres of humor, romance, historical, contemporary, or psychological and so on. As far as Amazon categories go, I shelve in women's fic, but I never tell people that's what I write in conversation. I might say "love stories" or "relationship dramas" or "literary fiction" or even sometimes "romantic comedy". But never women's fiction. Any time I have said it in conversation, the person's eyes just glaze over, lol! I hate the term. It means basically nothing--because yes, if you write about the emotional journey of a man (which I am, in my current WIP), what do you call it? Well, they just call it plain old contemporary fiction, actually. So why differentiate women's fiction just because the protagonist is a woman (Sorry, feminist rant over.)
> 
> But you need to shelve your book where your readers will find it, and so that would be some combination of women's, contemporary, and/or literary, depending on your writing style. There is a small but devoted audience for books like ours, and they look for them under the women's fiction tag. There are a lot of smart, emotionally-challenging, engaging, funny, and tragic books in there that are nothing like the melodrama that Nicholas Sparks writes. Because ugh.
> 
> Also check out this facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ChickLitChatHQ/ Sort of geared more towards the comedic end of women's fiction, but we have some more somber writers in there too (myself included, sometimes), and we have a couple male writers too!


Thanks Laura for sharing. I was just looking at Women's Fiction in the Kindle store and it seemed like there was every kind of book there. And there seemed to be so many popular books. Like bestsellers on page six. Oh well. I do feel that's kind of where I belong. I did see some male writers there too. And as you mentioned there are loads of sub categories. And I like your suggestions for how to talk about your books. And I feel for at least one of my books "romance" is the right genre.

Thanks for the link. ChickLitChat--LOL I certainly couldn't have seen myself joining something called that (no offense or anything LOL), but after your recommendation I joined. (Or I guess I'm "pending" now.) I would definitely be interested to hear what other writers of Women's Fiction are talking about.

Personally I think Women's Fiction is a very cool genre. When I think about the books I've written (and wehn I wrote them I was not thinking of genre at all) most of them fall naturally into Women's Fiction.


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