# Would you follow an author from genre to genre?



## Mark Young (Dec 13, 2010)

Would you consider following an author from genre to genre, or would they lose you as a reader? Personally, I generally stay with particular genre I enjoy (mystery, suspense, thriller) but occasionally I will follow a writer into another type of novel if I have enjoyed that writer's books. For example, I followed one writer (who wrote legal thrillers) to a series of novels having to do with vampires and the non-dead. Not my normal cup of tea, but I enjoyed the writing style of this author, and so I followed. How about you?


----------



## JenniferHarlow (Jun 8, 2013)

I do. I usually fall in love with the author's voice more than their plot lines. I like to see their take one something completely different. Now sometimes they fall flat and I won't continue the series but I'll at least give it a chance.


----------



## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

Yes, I do, out of curiosity. Like Terry Pratchett. But it is often a bit of disappointment because I subconsciously expect to find the same elements that attracted me to the author on the first place. There are very few writers who are so completely brilliant I would gladly read anything they wrote, regardless of genre, subject matter, characters or plot. 
Interesting question.


----------



## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Unless I find the author totally amazing, probably only if s/he moves between genres that interest me.


----------



## Guest (Aug 7, 2013)

I don't follow writers per se. I'm not going to start reading YA romances just because Stephen King wrote one (on second thought, the train wreck factor might entice me...). If a writer moves into a different genre I already enjoy, I'll probably give it a shot. But if it is a genre I don't like and don't read I'm not a sheep.


----------



## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Not really. I guess it depends on what is meant going from genre to genre. If someone usually writes historical romance, I might read something they wrote in historical mystery, or historical fiction for example. 
But I wouldn't read something from an author I like if its not in a genre I don't read. I love Mary Jo Putney for example, she writes a lot of great historical romance. But she also writes young adult, which I just have no interest in whatsoever. So I would never read that. 

I know what I like, so I find my authors there. If they go elsewhere, then I won't follow them there. If they write in several genres, then I'll still have something to read. Unless they change the way they write a genre because of other genres they now write. That happens unfortunately. 

For me its always genre first, author second.


----------



## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

Would depend on the genres.


----------



## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

It would depend on the author's skill in creating believable plots, interesting characters, and their ability to work within the selected genre. I can only think of 2 authors I have ever followed into multi-genres. The first is C. S. Lewis. I love just about anything he wrote. He was able to weave enchanting fantasy (The Chronicles of Narnia, Til We Have Faces, The Great Divorce, etc.) create spellbinding sci-fi (his space trilogy: Out of the Silent Planet, Prerelandra, and That Hideous Strength) and make a credible case for his apologetics and essays. Even his essays were entertaining. Try reading The Four Loves and keep a straight face at times as he hits at the human element in all of us. 

The other author is Victoria Holt, a pseudonym who writes under other pseudonyms like Jean Plaidy and Phillippa Carr. I love her Holt romantic suspense novels because of the unusual characters and realistic portrayals of family life as well as for the mystery she has in each book, all of them in various settings ranging from Victorian England to India to the Far East and the outback of Australia in the goldmining days. Her Plaidy historical novels are excellent, documenting actual characters in novel forms that keep you turning the pages and prove that truth is stranger than fiction. Try her Catherine de Medici series if you want to experience the Italian Renaissance and the intrigues of the French court at their most devious. You will definitely want to go on to her Tudor series from there! But I admit I have not tried her Phillippa Carr books as they are Regency romance and I rarely read a book that is just romance without a mystery or history setting.

Apart from these authors I can't recall trying anyone else as they ventured into new waters. But I probably would give them a shot as I have a tendency to stick with authors and become a loyal fan!


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

NogDog said:


> Unless I find the author totally amazing, probably only if s/he moves between genres that interest me.


Yeah, this.

If one of my favorite writers of mysteries/thrillers/forensic crime novels decided to write a full blown boy-meets-girl-etc. romance, probably not.


----------



## O_o (Aug 6, 2013)

I'd agree it would have to be genres that already held some interest for me.

Off the top of my head I followed Michael Marshall Smith from sci-fi to crime (but admittedly never found his crime novels as great as previous work), Richard K Morgan from sci-fi to fantasy and Iain Banks back and forth between literary fiction and sci-fi.

I think it takes a great writer to be able to really pull it off, but if they can my respect for them goes up a lot - to me it's a sign of great talent, a bit like someone excelling in say singing and acting, or two different sports.


----------



## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

Normally, no. But I won't say never.


----------



## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

I would probably give it a try, at least once.


----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

it would have to be a genre i like.  so if a sci-fi author i like wrote a mystery, i might read it.


----------



## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Pretty much what the others have said, only if the new genre is one I already like; otherwise, no.

There is a KB author I love that writes thrillers, I buy them on release day.  They also write sci-fi - never been tempted to read them.


----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

crebel said:


> Pretty much what the others have said, only if the new genre is one I already like; otherwise, no.
> 
> There is a KB author I love that writes thrillers, I buy them on release day. They also write sci-fi - never been tempted to read them.


gee, who could that be? oh, the one author whose "thrillers" I actually read? i don't think of them as thrillers, oddly enough....


----------



## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

telracs said:


> gee, who could that be? oh, the one author whose "thrillers" I actually read? i don't think of them as thrillers, oddly enough....


Well, I would be "thrilled" if they would finish book #3!

To stay somewhat on topic, there are authors who have a different writing style in the same genre for different series and I won't always follow them from voice-to-voice either. I like Nora Roberts writing Historical Romance, I dislike her writing as JD Robb for futuristic romance. I like Elizabeth Peters when she writes Amelia Peabody mysteries, but I won't buy her Vicky Bliss mysteries.

I guess it's a good thing there are lots of options for lots of readers.


----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

crebel said:


> Well, I would be "thrilled" if they would finish book #3!
> 
> To stay somewhat on topic, there are authors who have a different writing style in the same genre for different series and I won't always follow them from voice-to-voice either. I like Nora Roberts writing Historical Romance, I dislike her writing as JD Robb for futuristic romance. I like Elizabeth Peters when she writes Amelia Peabody mysteries, but I won't buy her Vicky Bliss mysteries.
> 
> I guess it's a good thing there are lots of options for lots of readers.


good point about same author/different series. i loved Simon Green's Nightside series and liked his Secret History series (until he cliffhangered a book and i refuse to read any more), but hated his Ghost of A Chance series.


----------



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I followed several science fiction writers into science fact, and for one of those (Asimov), I even bought a couple of his mysteries and thought they were okay. Careful readers of my 80 books thread may remember that recently I bought a mystery written by another favored science fiction writer, Mack Reynolds, and wasn't so happy.

Similar to other posters, I'd be reluctant to follow into a genre I wasn't already interested in without extraordinary persuasion. But wouldn't rule it out entirely.


----------



## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

I think the afore-mentioned Asimov is the only example of an author who wrote multiple genres that I've followed.  I have two SF authors and one Mystery author on my must-buy list*, and all three write/wrote Westerns in addition to SF and Mystery, but I was never even slightly tempted to read the Westerns.

I just thought of a second cross-genre author I do indeed follow: Patrick MacManus, writer of very tongue-in-cheek mysteries, but more well-known as a writer of humorous semi-autobiographical novels and short stories.


Mike


* For the terminally curious, they are Clifford Simak, Chad Oliver, and Bill Crider.


----------



## CoraBuhlert (Aug 7, 2011)

telracs said:


> good point about same author/different series. i loved Simon Green's Nightside series and liked his Secret History series (until he cliffhangered a book and i refuse to read any more), but hated his Ghost of A Chance series.


Green is actually a good example of an author I enjoy regardless of genre. I loved the Nightside series (Secret History and Ghostfinders or whatever the new one is called not so much), loved his Deathstalker SF series, loved his Hawk & Fisher fantasy crime series and his Blue Moon epic fantasy series. Now Nightside and Deathstalker were sure bets, since I love both urban fantasy and space opera. However, I'm not the world's biggest epic fantasy or sword and sorcery fan and still loved Hawk & Fisher and Blue Moon (which are linked).

Nora Roberts or Jayne Ann Krentz are two other authors I read regardless of subgenre, though I don't read every Roberts, e.g. I had no interest in the wedding planner series (I can't stand weddings) or the one about the small town hotel.

But in general it depends on the genre and subgenre. I read across genres, though I prefer some genres and subgenres to others. If an author I like switches genres, I will usually at least give their new work a try, unless it's a subgenre I really don't care for.


----------



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

jmiked said:


> I just thought of a second cross-genre author I do indeed follow: Patrick MacManus, writer of very tongue-in-cheek mysteries, but more well-known as a writer of humorous semi-autobiographical novels and short stories.


I _LOVE_ the humor writing of Patrick McManus! Started reading it in my father's fishing magazines as a kid, and now read the books from time to time.


----------



## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> I _LOVE_ the humor writing of Patrick McManus! Started reading it in my father's fishing magazines as a kid, and now read the books from time to time.


HC, you should give his mystery series a try. The first one is _The Blight Way_. Just a tad expensive, but worth it to me. They read almost like his other work, i.e., humorous.

Mike


----------



## bhazelgrove (Jul 16, 2013)

Yes. I read the author because I like his or her writing. The posts here give me heart because I tend to jump around a bit in genres. It is not conscious but I think a lot of authors just write about what interests them at the time. I know I do.


----------



## 1131 (Dec 18, 2008)

I read several different genres as is actually look for books in those genres. If an author I like writes in one of those, I'll give the book a second look which may turn into a read. If it's a genre I don't like then I'm not reading those books. 
There is only one Alexander McCall Smith series I like, I didn't follow Anne McCaffery from Pern to most of her other worlds and I pretty much stay away from Elizabeth Moon's fantasy books. Yet each of these is/was an auto buy for me for the series I liked.


----------



## TWErvin2 (Aug 7, 2010)

Yes, I would. If the storyline appealed to me. For example, I'm not much of a romance reader, so that sort of storyline wouldn't appeal to me, even if I enjoyed other works by that writer (say fantasy or SF). 

What exactly equals 'good writing' can be subjective but if I think it is, and if an author can replicate that from one genre to another, that greatly increases the chance for an enjoyable read.


----------



## Mandy (Dec 27, 2009)

cinisajoy said:


> Would depend on the genres.


Ditto. The genre I am least likely to follow into is romance. Or erotica. They are okay, just my least favorite. Probably because, as a teen, I was starved for any books, and all I had access to was my bio mother's romance novels - all complete with Fabio's presence on the covers.


----------



## Clark Magnan (May 23, 2013)

I actually get really excited when I see an author I like from one genre dabbling in another. However, I read quite decent range of genres.


----------



## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

Very much depends on what the switch is to. I've followed some romance writers when they moved to mystery or thrillers. C.S. Harris, writing the Sebastian St. Cyr historical mysteries, is currently one of my favorite authors. I also liked her romances written as Candace Proctor. However, I've read every one of Susan Conant's dog mysteries and never even looked at one of the food mysteries she's now writing with her daughter. Dogs interest me. Food doesn't, at least not to read about.


----------



## Carrie Rubin (Nov 19, 2012)

I'd like to say I would, but I never have, so I guess I don't. I suppose I get used to what I expect from a writer, and so far, their work outside of the genre hasn't appealed to me (I'm thinking of John Grisham and Stephen King here). But if one of my favorite authors tried something different, if the premise was intriguing enough, I'd like to think I'd check it out.


----------



## Debbie Bennett (Mar 25, 2011)

Possibly. Depends on the author and books. If I *really* love the way a particular author writes, I'd certainly take a look at something in a different genre, but I wouldn't buy automatically. But I read a lot of cross/multi-genre fiction so the waters are always going to be a bit muddy.


----------



## FrankZubek (Aug 31, 2010)

Dan Simmons is pretty good at genre surfing ( His newest...The Abominable due out soon)


----------



## lucita (Aug 11, 2013)

As a reader, I have my favorite authors and would follow them across Genre Street as long as they excelled at the new genre at least acceptably enough as their main literary line.  Some authors do this better than others.  But what I seek to read has nothing to do with genre or the author.  I look for stories with depth, with meaning and substance that will open my mind and leave me thinking about them long after I read the last page... stories that do not fall into the chasm of cliché or the plotline that's been written so many times it's paler than that once-brilliant blue dress you've washed a million times.

As an author, I find it humbling, and wonderful, that readers are reaching out proactively to say they love my writing style and so do read my different works--which reflects several comments here on this thread.  Still, I do find it challenging to cross into certain genres that are simply not my forte, or that do not interest me professionally.  I think it's important for an author to be cognizant of his/her style or overarching theme even if it crosses genres, and stay true to that as their main line of work.  Nothing wrong with experimentation of course, but it's the reader's every right not to like everything that an author writes!


----------



## mdotterer (Sep 18, 2011)

Sure. If an author creates worlds and characters I like, then I'll follow that author just about anywhere. Anne McCaffrey is a good example. Also Sharon Lee of Liaden Universe fame has written some good books in fantasy and detective genres.


----------



## Saffron (May 22, 2013)

Yes I do, if I like their writing style. A competent writer can be trusted not to let you down when they change genre.

I think if a writer wants to go for a major change of style in a new genre, they will write under a different name.


----------



## Deni (Aug 26, 2013)

Mark Young said:


> Would you consider following an author from genre to genre, or would they lose you as a reader? Personally, I generally stay with particular genre I enjoy (mystery, suspense, thriller) but occasionally I will follow a writer into another type of novel if I have enjoyed that writer's books. For example, I followed one writer (who wrote legal thrillers) to a series of novels having to do with vampires and the non-dead. Not my normal cup of tea, but I enjoyed the writing style of this author, and so I followed. How about you?


It depends on the genre. If I know I like a writer, I may try a genre I don't normally read and see what they do with it. Stephen King for example; I've loved many of his stories, but The Black Tower left me bored and wondering when anything was going to happen. An interview with him where he says it takes until the third book to really get going totally put me off the series. I don't particularly like Westerns in general though.


----------



## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

Bleekness said:


> Depending on the writer and the genre, yes.
> 
> Off the top of my head, followed Stephen King, Dan Simmons, Cormac McCarthy...


Love all of these authors regardless of what genre they are writing. I don't really care who the author is or whether it is outside of his/her genre...if the story sounds interesting, I'm all for it. I would never stop reading an author of Sci-Fi that decided to write an Adult Fic or Crime novel. I think it is a strength if authors can hop genres and write strong stories.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Yes, if it was a genre I already read (as others have said.)  If not my usual genre, I might.  But it would probably be a library book, or a borrow from a friend, and have to be highly recommended or well reviewed.  

Betsy


----------



## authorbethanydaniel (Jun 1, 2013)

My favorite authors I would and have! For me its about the writing style. If they have a way of writing that always get me lost in the story then I will read anything they put out.


----------



## JamieCampbell (May 29, 2013)

I would for sure. I love my favourite authors for a reason - I love their writing, no matter what they write. I'd at least give them a chance in another genre.


----------



## Tony Rabig (Oct 11, 2010)

If I enjoy a writer's books, and he tries a different genre, I'll check it out.  I don't read a lot of westerns, but I enjoyed Elmore Leonard and Robert B. Parker enough to give their westerns a try, and wasn't disappointed.  Joe Haldeman is best known for his science fiction, but I thought his mainstream novel 1968 was one of his strongest works.  Harlan Ellison's worked in a number of genres, science fiction and fantasy, mystery and suspense, mainstream, and has done terrific work in all of them.  I grew up on Bradbury's sf/fantasy stories, and tried his mystery novels but they never did it for me.  Evan Hunter did terrific mainstream work under his own name and the equally terrific 87th Precinct police procedurals as Ed McBain.


----------



## Heffnerh (Feb 1, 2013)

That's a great question! I know for one of my favorite authors, Richelle Mead, I read anything she's written--the YA, the adult fantasy, and the more sci-fi stuff with Gameboard of the Gods. Neil Gaiman-- I'll pick up anything he's written as well. However, with favorite author JK Rowling, I've actually had trouble following her over to the mystery genre...but one of these days I'll be in the mood for a good mystery.


----------



## Marta Tandori (Nov 9, 2012)

I saw this question and couldn't resist my two cents' worth.  I remember reading years ago that several famous authors who wanted to write in different genres were forced to write under pseudonyms because their publishing houses didn't believe the authors' readers would accept the author writing in a different genre.  One of those authors, I think, was Nora Roberts who also wrote under J.D. Robb.  

I personally have no problem following an author from one genre to the other.  Whether I stay is another issue altogether.  It would depend on how good the story was and how well the author could adapt his/her "voice" to the other genre.


----------



## Avis Black (Jun 12, 2012)

I tend to be unenthusiastic about authors who genre hop, but I always read a sample of the new title to see if I'd be interested in it.  Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't.  Unfortunately, it usually seems the author doesn't have the new genre down quite right.


----------



## KC Estime (Aug 25, 2013)

I would, I think it's silly that an author has to change their name so that they are able to write in a particular genre other than the one they started with. I think it's equally silly that an author is bound by a particular genre and must continue writing similar works, it loses the whole creative process aspect for me. Writers are artist, and this whole specialization thing doesn't work for me in general and some writers have a wide interest and being forced to pursue one can damage their ability to grow. One thing I will say is, no matter what an author writes, I don't automatically assume it will be good just because their previous work was good. The only exception to that might be if it is a series, and the subsequent series were good, I will continue the series until it proves to be not worth my time, and in that case I will only ditch that book not the whole series


----------



## lazarusInfinity (Oct 2, 2012)

If I really liked the author's previous work, I wouldn't mind reading material from different genres.  Personally I think it's a good idea to explore and experiment with different genres.  It's sharpens creative skills and stretches the author.


----------



## journeymama (May 30, 2011)

I have with Madeleine L'Engle, who wrote children's fantasy, literary fiction, non-fiction, memoir. I loved all of what I wrote of her books. It's a good question, one I'm thinking of as a writer these days as I am considering branching out into a different genre and wondering if I need to use a pen name. But it seems that if people don't want to read my things in a different genre, they'll just steer clear. Probably no need for a pen name.


----------



## Nicholas Andrews (Sep 8, 2011)

I was obsessed with David Eddings during my teen years, and after reading all his fantasy books, I gave his two contemporary novels a try. High Hunt was good. The Losers... not so much. And when wrestling legend Mick Foley wrote Tietam Brown, which was a contemporary novel instead of an autobiography about his wrestling career, I gave that a shot too. But those are the only two examples that come to mind. I think part of it is I'm just not into contemporary fiction. If it's fantasy, sci-fi, or historical, I'm there, but a contemporary setting tends to turn me off.


----------



## Casper Parks (May 1, 2011)

Yes...

Louis L'Amour, Elmore Leonard and Cormac McCarthy did genre jumping.

It is noted, major publishing houses do not like their authors jumping between genres. 

It is not an easy stunt to pull-off.


----------



## Russell Brooks (Dec 23, 2010)

If I enjoyed their previous works and the different genre is something I enjoy, then yes I'd read the book.


----------



## hs (Feb 15, 2011)

I would try it out and see how I like their writing in the other genre. I've found that it works for me sometimes (e.g., Isaac Asimov, who has been mentioned before) and sometimes it falls flat (e.g., I love John Grisham's legal thrillers but hated _A Painted House_).


----------



## 31842 (Jan 11, 2011)

I fell in love with Caleb Carr's Alienist and have followed his writings across genres. I think (looking at my past behavior) if there is an author I love that writes outside their genre, I'll give one of their "other" books a shot. If it's good, I'll keep reading their other "other" stuff. If not, I'll wait for them to come back to the world I love.


----------



## Sandra K. Williams (Jun 15, 2013)

Definitely, as long as the new book's in a genre i enjoy.


----------



## Christine Elaine Black (Mar 31, 2013)

Ha, I'm saying yes. 

I follow authors and tend to read whatever they write. Not that I love all of it but it's usually worth the read if I like them.


----------



## Christine Elaine Black (Mar 31, 2013)

Did I kill this thread or did it die a natural death.


----------



## Charles Harvey (Dec 29, 2010)

It depends on the writer. A good writer carries their skills to whatever genre they happen to choose to tell a story.


----------



## mattyc81 (Oct 1, 2013)

Chuck Palahniuk is my favorite writer.  He's done a couple of non-fiction books which are cool, and he really doesn't fit neatly into a genre.  But I don't think I would read if he crossed into romance or historical.


----------



## elaineorr (Mar 18, 2012)

I often follow from series to series in the same genre, and would try a different genre. I'd probably look for common characteristics.  If I like how an author uses humor and a review of a book in a different genre cites the use of humor, that would influence me.


----------



## lazarusInfinity (Oct 2, 2012)

If I really appreciate the author's voice, I wouldn't have a problem with it.  Some authors can't and shouldn't be put into just one category.


----------



## Zackery Arbela (Jan 31, 2011)

It depends on the author...I read Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, as well as the Conan stories he wrote way back in the day. But the historical novels he wrote under the pen name Regan O'Neil...not so much.


----------



## Robena (Jan 19, 2013)

I do follow my favorite authors from genre to genre. If I've come to know the author as contemporary romantic comedy, and love the voice, and the author switches to paranormal, of course the voice will change. I've read fabulous historical romance and then the author has switched to contemporary and the rich historical voice is gone, replaced with a voice that can't compete, and I end up liking the writing, liking the plot, but disappointed that the voice I'm familiar with is gone. 
That said, I've recently begun writing contemporary romance rather than romantic suspense, so I'll see who follows. I don't think it will be a major stretch as both are contemporary worlds, it's just that in the contemporary there will be no shoot 'em ups, or things blowing up. : )


----------



## RLC (Mar 19, 2013)

Yes, I would and do. Why limit yourself?


----------



## Grace Elliot (Mar 14, 2011)

I love Harry Potter - and I bought  some time ago - but still haven't read it. 
To be honest I bought the book out of curiosity to see how it held up - rather than because I'm a huge JK fan - It was the world of Harry Potter I fell in love with, rather than the author.


----------



## Brian Meeks (Oct 24, 2013)

Yes, I do follow, but it isn't always with great eagerness.

Johnny B. Truant and Sean Platt wrote a series called Unicorn Western, which I loved. They came out with a new book The Beam that had a lot of politics in it from what I could tell in the description. I HATE politics...but I loved their writing. I thought about it for a while, and then I got an email that the book was on sale. I went for it. Their story telling was just as brilliant as with Unicorn Western and I ended up enjoying it even more. I've just bought Johnny's Fat Vampire series. I hate vampire books, but again, his writing is what I enjoy.

I've never been disappointed by anything that Rudyard Kipling has written...or Vikram Seth...or a dozen other authors. That being said, there are plenty of authors who I keep trying but they continue to disappoint. Ernest Hemingway comes to mind. Old Man and The Sea was fair...everything else has been little better than a pile of cat sick...and yet...I keep reading.


----------



## Gabe (Oct 9, 2013)

If I really like an author, I would certainly follow him/her from genre to genre. I sometimes think it must be frustrating for a writer to have to write the same kind of stuff all the time. Lee Child comes to mind. I think he's only ever written about one character. Wonder if he ever wishes he could write about something else?


----------



## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Yes. I enjoy books based on whether they make me think, laugh, cry, learn, wonder, etc. I like good plots, characters, settings, subjects, writing. For some authors I like everything they write, for some I only like certain books.


----------



## RinG (Mar 12, 2013)

If I really liked the author, and the genre was something I could handle (I don't read horror or thriller type books) then yes, I'd certainly give it a try. I think more and more authors are crossing genre's or at least mixing them, and sometimes, it's a really good way to explore a new genre that I might not otherwise have tried.


----------



## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

Yes, and I do it a lot but only into certain genres. I wouldn't follow to YA, Erotica, pure Romance (though I like a bit of a love interest in the mix) but I would definitely follow into sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, urban fantasy things of that nature. It's as others have said, genre dependent.


----------



## NicWilson (Apr 16, 2011)

It depends. If I enjoyed the authors work, but it was just a well written version of a prevalent concept, probably not. If it had a very unusually personal or quirky voice, or if the plot elements were left-field for the stereotypical tropes of the genre, I'd give it a try. I'm a sucker for a distinctive written tone. Just writing well often isn't enough to hold my interest- it has to have the kind of nuance and unique-ness that makes me feel I know the author (or the characters speaking) as people. I've read many things that are good, but just not that extra step into extraordinary.


----------



## Blerch (Oct 17, 2013)

I'm a sci-fi and fantasy junkie. For example, I love Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, and had his name not been on his Calderon books, I wouldn't have given them a second glance. And now that he's writing Steampunk, a genre I've never read, I'll be giving that a shot.

Otherwise... the work has to catch my attention, and the author has to impress me.


----------



## nmg222 (Sep 14, 2010)

If I like the author's style and the genre interest me, sure. A few author's that come to mind:

Stephen King
Greg Iles
Robert McCammon


----------



## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

I don't generally follow authors, and I'm unlikely to read anything in a genre I don't usually read, however, I have done this before and found myself pleasantly surprised, so I keep my mind open


----------



## J. William Latimer (Aug 15, 2013)

I grew up reading Stephen King horror novels and then when he made the switch to fantasy for his Dark Tower series, I was skeptical.  But those books turned out to be one of my favorite series as a young adult.  But to be honest, I haven't read any other fantasy books. While part of me feels like an author should stick to one genre, if someone has something important or interesting to say, I suppose it doesn't matter what genre they use to express themselves.  Recently, I read The Windup Girl, by Paolo Bacigalupi, which could be classified as biopunk science fiction.  If he wrote a thriller, I would probably try it out! So I guess I would follow an author if I really enjoyed his or her book and particularly if I liked the genre of their next book.


----------



## belindaf (Jan 27, 2011)

If the genres are similar and I enjoyed the writer's style, I would definitely follow them. If they wrote something that just didn't sound like my cuppa, I wouldn't pick it up just because I'm a fan of the author.


----------



## gharty (Dec 1, 2013)

As a reader, I'll follow. I enjoy trying new things and having an author I like to "lean" on in the genre I may not usually read helps. It wouldn't necessarily work well, but at least I gave it a shot.

That being said, as a writer, you can see from this thread why you might want to change your name if you're going to genre hop. People like what they like (I'm not mocking this, it's a taste preference, no different than saying you like trying new things), and rebuilding a base isn't something you'd be dying to dive into if you're still eking out a living.

The next thing I write will be a different genre from my first book, and this thread has terrified me


----------



## TWErvin2 (Aug 7, 2010)

I would and do regularly.

There is some evidence that a small # of readers at least do as well.

In November I released a SF novel. It's done very well. My fantasy series did okay but had slowed down to 1 Kindle version every week or two. Now, it's one download roughly every day, and the also bought line reflects that much of it is due to the SF novel.  The SF novel I selling far better than the fantasy novels, but I believe that a handful of readers have crossed over from SF to Fantasy. 

I think that there is far more potential for crossover between those two genres, than many others.


----------



## Greg Stahl (Nov 11, 2012)

What a great question. One I hadn't thought about, particularly since I've got about four manuscripts rolling, and every single one of them is in a different genre: essays, adventure fiction, short stories and memoir. Someone above wrote C.S. Lewis as an example of a widely-read author across genres, and I think that's about as excellent an example as I can think of. Edward Abbey, too. And probably a number of well-known authors. Jeannette Walls has a relatively new novel out. Following blockbuster success with her memoir, I wonder if the novel is selling as well.


----------



## JeanetteRaleigh (Jan 1, 2013)

It really depends on the genre and the author.  With some authors I will read everything they write.  But if it's a genre I'm not interested in, then I may not.  For example, I love Linda Lael's paranormal mystery series but I probably won't read her other books because I'm typically not into contemporary fiction unless it has something weird in it.


----------



## Guest (Dec 23, 2013)

Sometimes I don't follow an author within the genre.  

R.A. Salvatore did some great work with ToR with his Forgotten Realms series.  When they ran into financial problems in the mid-90s he started with another publisher, doing something a little different.  Never read any of that, but when he came back to what he'd originally started with I checked him out again.  I'm sure what he wrote is great, I'm just not interested in it.


----------



## LKWatts (May 5, 2011)

I do if I really like the author.


----------



## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Mark Young said:


> Would you consider following an author from genre to genre, or would they lose you as a reader? Personally, I generally stay with particular genre I enjoy (mystery, suspense, thriller) but occasionally I will follow a writer into another type of novel if I have enjoyed that writer's books. For example, I followed one writer (who wrote legal thrillers) to a series of novels having to do with vampires and the non-dead. Not my normal cup of tea, but I enjoyed the writing style of this author, and so I followed. How about you?


If I like an author's writing, I'll at least sample their work anywhere they go writing-wise. Have done already with several authors.


----------



## SaraBeatty (Jan 29, 2014)

Generally I do follow authors from genre to genre. I don't base whether or not I like a book based on the genre, because I fall for the writer's voice and writing style more than anything. Plus I like to give all books a fair try.


----------



## death wizard (Jan 31, 2014)

I do think that a large part of what attracts me to a writer is the genre. So I think that only a rare few could pull it off in a way that I wouldn't find disappointing.


----------



## DashaGLogan (Jan 30, 2014)

I would always give them a chance if it was someone who really made an impact of me. JK Rowling for example. 
I think I will read her sequel to the Cuckoo too, even if plotwise she still has to improve a bit to be a master thriller writer, I like her use of language no matter what she writes.
I would do so with other authors too.


----------



## heidi_g (Nov 14, 2013)

Yes, because I enjoy many genres although I tend to seek out speck fic most. One reason I would follow an author to another genre: curiosity. How did they approach the different genre? BUT, it would have to be an author whose works I was particularly fond of.


----------



## alawston (Jun 3, 2012)

I've followed a few authors across the genre boundaries. Ben Aaronovitch from hard SF-flavoured Doctor Who to magic-infused police procedurals with the Rivers of London series. Iain Banks, of course, I've read with and without the M. CS Lewis and Terry Pratchett, as I've also seen mentioned above. George Orwell. Sarah Pinborough. Mark Gatiss. I'm jotting down names as they come to me, but the important thing is that if I really like an author's style, I'll check out their new book, whatever genre it happens to be.

Oh yeah, I suppose JK Rowling. Not that I particularly enjoyed either Harry Potter _or_ Casual Vacancy, but I have read them.


----------



## ElaStein (Feb 8, 2014)

Depends how far off they went... as long as it falls somewhere within the realm of genres I normally read, then yes. If it's totally outside the genre, then no. Not even for an author I really love. Anne Rice comes to mind when she wrote those books about Jesus (I think?) - too much of a departure.


----------

