# Writing Books in Different Genres?



## brianrowe (Mar 10, 2011)

I'm just curious how you all feel about authors who write books in various genres... do you prefer when an author stays at what he or she is best at, or do you like it when an author breaks ground by trying a brand new genre? I've just started writing books, and I've written a women's fiction novel, a YA novel, and a horror novel. Most people I talk to say I need to choose a specific genre and stick with it book after book, or it will be impossible to develop a following. What do you all think about this issue? Does anyone here test the waters in different genres?


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

This is what pen names are for. If you use the same author name, you WILL get a lot of readers who read one of your books, like it and then pick up the others, not realizing they're in a completely different genre. That may annoy them. While using pen names does mean re-establishing yourself under a different name, you'd have to re-establish yourself in each new genre anyway, even with the same name, because your demographic is different.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I think it may also depend on how close the genres are. Many authors have successfully written under the same name in sci-fi and fantasy, probably because there is a large overlap in readership. But a jump from romance to techno-military thriller might be a good case for adopting a separate pen name. 

I personally don't mind it as a reader, as long as the marketing, cover, blurbs, etc. make it clear to me when browsing that a genre change has occurred. (Mind you, I might be perturbed if I were looking forward to another book from a favorite author who then puts something out in a genre I don't care for, meaning I have to wait another year or whatever before s/he gives me something I want to read.)


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## Keith Brooke (Feb 16, 2011)

I write adult science fiction and fantasy under my own name, and use the pen-name "Nick Gifford" for my teen fiction, and in print the strategy seems to have worked. When Puffin launched "Nick" it was, effectively, a completely new brand for me and I got a lot of attention. 

In the e-world I'm beginning to wonder if the old practice of adopting a different name for a new genre might be counter-productive. I think readers are far more flexible than the gatekeepers in the publishing process: if they read a fantasy novel, I reckon they'd like to know that the same author also writes crime so they can try it; pen-names make that process more difficult. One of the bits of advice we often see on these forums is that the best marketing is to write the next book, and I think that's because readers do follow writers they like, regardless of genre. 

Would I do things differently now? Probably not. The pen-name strategy still makes sense if you want to separate adult from kids' fiction, but I'm not convinced it does if you're writing for the same age-group across different genres.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

Keith Brooke said:


> In the e-world I'm beginning to wonder if the old practice of adopting a different name for a new genre might be counter-productive. I think readers are far more flexible than the gatekeepers in the publishing process: if they read a fantasy novel, I reckon they'd like to know that the same author also writes crime so they can try it; pen-names make that process more difficult.


Not me. I'm only really interested in my favorite genres. Also, I find in historical fiction and non-fiction, people sometimes confuse biographies for novels. So if you're a historical novel author and you suddenly decide to write a biography on a historical figure, it would be wise to do so under a pen name so people don't mistakenly assume you've written another historical fiction. Certain big name authors like Alison Weir can get away with using the same name because they are so well known. But if you're not that well known, it's wise to separate them.


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## JohnMcDonnell (Mar 31, 2011)

I am struggling with this issue too. I have three books on Kindle: a collection of horror short stories, a YA novelette about Christmas, and a collection of humorous stories about an alien named Larry. The only one that is selling well is the horror story collection. I would like to switch around between genres (I also write romance and sci-fi), but if it's going to confuse or annoy readers, I guess I'll have to stick to one genre. I've seen YA books written by Stephen King, Clive Barker and Carl Hiassen, who all write in either the horror or mystery genre, but maybe you have to be a well-known author to pull that off. I'd love to hear of any examples of people who've had success switching between genres.


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## jason10mm (Apr 7, 2009)

Pen names work fine with me, just make sure someone interested enough can figure it out. In bookstores it isn't much of an issue, if I'm in the sci-fi/fantasy section you could have the entire romance section and I'll never know. When online however, differentiating between genres is much more difficult and a pen name may be beneficial.

One concern I've always had and I'm unsure of its origin, is that an author uses a pen name to mask lower quality writing or something they want to disown. Probably more of an issue if both are in the same genre (Stephen King and Richard Bachman come to mind).


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## Keith Brooke (Feb 16, 2011)

I think one of the negatives of adopting pen-names is that it takes longer to build up a presence on the virtual bookshelves at places like Amazon. If you have three pen-names you can't just write three times faster (well, I can't), so your books are going to be more spaced out. One approach might be to have a bit of a blast in one genre so you have two or three titles to put up: maybe something like a novel, a short novel, one or two 79 cent short stories... just so you have more than a solitary book under that name. In fact, depending on what you write, it might work well to write a few shorter things set in the same world, using the same characters, etc - that's the kind of opportunity that's easier for us to pick up when we're in control of our own publishing.


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## J.R.Mooneyham (Mar 14, 2011)

I've definitely seen some authors do excellent writing across different genres. I've also seen some do it badly. There's really no way of knowing how well you'll do yourself until you try.

I've currently got one series of action/adventure novels in publication, and another of science fiction (with a few other genres still in the works). I think partly it all depends on how varied and deep your own interests are. I was intensely curious about everything in my youth, and devoured books and magazines covering just about every subject under the sun. If it was legible and in reach, I read it.

My interests became more narrow and focused as I got older, of course. But they're still maybe wider than they really should be (since life is finite, and you must concentrate your efforts to get anywhere before time runs out).

I think there's a couple fail-safes regarding such endeavors for most of us. One, we often simply won't finish or ever be sufficiently satisfied with a manuscript to publish it, if its genre is one of too little real interest to us. Two, if we DO ever finish/publish such a thing, reader feedback should quickly enlighten us as to our mistake.


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## Averydebow (Jan 20, 2011)

I agree you should probably shift to a pen name for a far genre leap.  SciFi and Fantasy; dark fantasy and horror; romance and paranormal romance; urban fantasy and paranormal romance--all of these could probably be "hopped" without having to change your name.  But, as someone on here said, if you're leaping from romance over to paramilitary, you should consider an alias.  Otherwise, you might look "scattered" to potential readers.  They'll be suspicious of what genre you'll head to next.  They might have a hard time becoming attached to you if they feel you might soon leave them for another fanbase.


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## Cal_Noble (Mar 5, 2011)

I think it is easier once you have a following to switch genres or merge names into a solitary brand.
I have been sorely disappointed in the past when I read something I enjoyed from an author, picked up something else--believing it would be in the same vein--and found it was completely different. I never touched the author again. 

jmho


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## LDHesler (Mar 25, 2011)

Considering the business side of the argument, an author crossing genres can only help increase a readership. Why not draw readers from different genres? Using a pen name, as has been suggested, only complicates the matter. An author *successfully* writing in various genres without playing the "multiple personality" card is only growing readership, which is every writer's goal.

I think readers are cognizant enough to differentiate between an author's different genres. An author just limits herself (and her readers) when she writes with pen names. It's like sneaking around behind a friend's back. There's no reason; without gate keeper publishers breathing down their necks, authors are free to simply write and share.


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## BethCaudill (Mar 22, 2011)

I think it depends on what makes the author good in the genre.  I've followed one historical author into a contemporary genre because her characters were still funny.  Another author went from historical which I love to writing contemporary romantic suspense and I hated those books.  

I don't mind an author branching out and trying new things. I'm willing to give them a shot, but sometimes it doesn't work out.


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## James Everington (Dec 25, 2010)

I'd be far more likely to pick a book based on the author than genre - a good writer is a good writer.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

LDHesler said:


> I think readers are cognizant enough to differentiate between an author's different genres.


I wish that were true but like I say, I've seen plenty of people confuse historical novels and historical biographies. Certain ones in particular are commonly confused. Even I sometimes come across books for my blog which haven't been categorized on Amazon and it's honestly hard to tell by the description whether it's fiction or non-fiction.

Now, if someone writes a historical novel and a modern chick-lit, yes, I would expect readers to immediately notice the difference. The style of the cover art and the title will be completely different. It's actually the genres that are very similar which I think authors should consider using a pen name for. I once read a chick-lit series from a certain author and liked it so much, I snatched up her next release without looking into it too much. Turned out to be YA. It was similar to her chick-lit series, just targeted at teen girls instead of adult women. But I'm not really into YA so I was really disappointed.

So I'm actually in disagreement with everyone else who says similar genres don't need a pen name. That's assuming all readers who like one genre also like a different but similar genre and that is not always the case. Not everyone who reads historical fiction reads historical bios (or vice versa). Not everyone who reads chick-lit reads YA for girls (and again, vice versa, some chick-lit may not be appropriate for teen girls but may be mistaken for YA if it's the same author).


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

brianrowe said:


> I'm just curious how you all feel about authors who write books in various genres... do you prefer when an author stays at what he or she is best at, or do you like it when an author breaks ground by trying a brand new genre? I've just started writing books, and I've written a women's fiction novel, a YA novel, and a horror novel. Most people I talk to say I need to choose a specific genre and stick with it book after book, or it will be impossible to develop a following. What do you all think about this issue? Does anyone here test the waters in different genres?


So far I've written horrors, fantasies, sci-fi, crime, thrillers, historicals and a western. Still to do romance or erotica, but there's time yet


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## Cal_Noble (Mar 5, 2011)

LDHesler said:


> Considering the business side of the argument, an author crossing genres can only help increase a readership. Why not draw readers from different genres? Using a pen name, as has been suggested, only complicates the matter. An author *successfully* writing in various genres without playing the "multiple personality" card is only growing readership, which is every writer's goal.
> 
> I think readers are cognizant enough to differentiate between an author's different genres.


LD,

I understand and fully appreciate this. At the same time, I think about branding.

Do you think backlist matters? For example, I have a supernatural suspense/horror novel out. If the next one I put out is chick lit, Christian fic, or mid-grade you don't think that will turn off readers who came expecting me to write another genre piece? Might I lose followers at various social media sites?

I think someone who has a backlist of 4, 10, 20+ titles may find it easier, because--presumably--there are more than one title per genre/category.

Hopefully, I didn't come across sounding antagonistic. I am actually interested in your opinion.



LDHesler said:


> An author just limits herself (and her readers) when she writes with pen names. It's like sneaking around behind a friend's back. There's no reason;


Unless of course you have a mama you don't want to shame.


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

I like my favorite writers to keep writing what they always have. This is because I'm usually reading them in the first place because I enjoy their genre. If they switch to one that doesn't interest me, even if their writing style remains just as compelling, I probably won't pick up the book. I'm big on reading only within my favorite genres.

That being said, as long as the author uses a different pen name to give me a heads up that this isn't their usual style, I don't have any problem with them writing a new genre. I just may not follow them over.


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## RM Prioleau (Mar 18, 2011)

I find it a challenging and enjoyable endeavor to delve into an unfamiliar genre. It gets you into a different mindset to expand your creativity to new limits. You discover things you didn't know you could even do. I didn't think I would like the gothic genre too much, but I actually find it a very interesting genre to write in, now.


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## zizekpress (Mar 9, 2011)

I think you can get enough fans to write in as many genres as you like. Maybe if you wanna get huge, huge sales then you should stick to one genre...crime thriller or vamp novel...

Or maybe you could end up being huge in all different genres!


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## KJ Kron (Mar 24, 2011)

I believe an author should use a pen name if he or she wants to be anonymous.  As far as using a pen name when writing in a different genre, it might be useful if the other genre would hurt your reputation (i.e., Stephen King writing romance novels might turn off some of his fans - maybe).

I read some Anthony Horowitz because I teach teens.  He writes YA so when he wrote an adult book (The Killing Joke) I decided to read it because it was by Horowitz.  Using the same name could encourage readers to switch genres - if they are a fan of the writer / writings.


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## theraven (Dec 30, 2009)

It doesn't bother me when an author decides to write in a different genre as long as the cover, blurb, etc. makes that clear. I do get annoyed when I'm lead to believe the book is similar in tone and style and then is completely different. (darker or lighter than what I expected based on the other book I read of theirs) And depending on the new genre, I might not buy the book. There are even times when I don't buy a new series of an author that is writing in the same genre. 

To me, its better to use a pen name (or some kind of variation like first and middle name initials) to distinguish one genre from another especially if there is a huge difference in the type of readers the book is targeted for ... example: middle grade readers and even Christian fiction. Parents aren't going to be too happy if they pick up another title assuming it's middle grade and then found it is an adult title with a lot of graphic violence and sexual situations ... and probably the same is likely for those readers that are expecting or not expecting a Christian fiction title.


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

Keith Brooke said:


> I write adult science fiction and fantasy under my own name, and use the pen-name "Nick Gifford" for my teen fiction, and in print the strategy seems to have worked. When Puffin launched "Nick" it was, effectively, a completely new brand for me and I got a lot of attention.
> 
> In the e-world I'm beginning to wonder if the old practice of adopting a different name for a new genre might be counter-productive. I think readers are far more flexible than the gatekeepers in the publishing process: if they read a fantasy novel, I reckon they'd like to know that the same author also writes crime so they can try it; pen-names make that process more difficult. One of the bits of advice we often see on these forums is that the best marketing is to write the next book, and I think that's because readers do follow writers they like, regardless of genre.
> 
> Would I do things differently now? Probably not. The pen-name strategy still makes sense if you want to separate adult from kids' fiction, but I'm not convinced it does if you're writing for the same age-group across different genres.


I labeled one of my fantasies as YA so I question whether using a pen name might have been a good idea, but I decided against it. My fantasies and science fiction is almost all co-authored while my historical fiction is under my own name only, so I hope that will help to distinguish them and they have very different covers. The titles and blurbs make what each is pretty clear.

Will it work? who knows?


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## A. S. Warwick (Jan 14, 2011)

The old pulp writers used to do it all the time.  Just look at Robert E Howard.  He is best know of course for Conan the Barbarian, but not only did he write sword and sorcery fantasy, but westerns, horror, historical and sporting stories.

I write mostly fantasy, but do dabble a bit in sci-fi, urban fantasy and steampunk; they are close enough that I don't really need to change pen names to worry about.


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## Averydebow (Jan 20, 2011)

Cal_Noble said:


> I think it is easier once you have a following to switch genres or merge names into a solitary brand.


I agree.


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

I write crime and horror, and the overlap is pretty natural. A lot of mid-listers have done that over the years, from Ed Gorman to Dan Simmons to Dave Zeltserman, Lee Goldberg, Joe Lansdale, etc. Having said that, the darker books have sometimes shocked people who had only read a mystery story or novel. Speaking only for myself, I'm drawn to the author far more than the genre.


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## Steve Emmett (Mar 31, 2011)

I have no personal issue with writing different genres in my own name - except that my publisher insists on it, wanting to keep my horror quite clearly separate. It's a pain because I have to live two unconnected lives, but maybe there's a book in it! Certainly I have no problem accepting diverse genres from the same writer. If he/she can write, what else matters? Not all readers agree, of course.


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## L.J. Sellers novelist (Feb 28, 2010)

I think it makes sense to write several books in a row in the same genre to build a readership, then once you're established, to branch out and target new readers. But now that every author has an online presence, pen names no longer make much sense to me. Readers are smart enough to read the book description and know if it sounds like something they'd like...or not.
Now that I have five books in the Detective Jackson series, I'm writing a futuristic thriller before I write another mystery. My readers will know it's not a Jackson book, but some may try it anyway. And hopefully, I'll find new readers...who may eventually try my Jackson books. But I'm writing the story just for my own fun. 
L.J.


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## Steve Emmett (Mar 31, 2011)

L.J. Sellers said:


> But now that every author has an online presence, pen names no longer make much sense to me. Readers are smart enough to read the book description and know if it sounds like something they'd like...or not.


Ah, but apparently the psychology doesn't work that way. Some readers won't buy your cowboy story if they think you should be writing about faeries. This is what I am led to believe, anyway.


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## LDHesler (Mar 25, 2011)

Cal_Noble said:


> Do you think backlist matters? For example, I have a supernatural suspense/horror novel out. If the next one I put out is chick lit, Christian fic, or mid-grade you don't think that will turn off readers who came expecting me to write another genre piece? Might I lose followers at various social media sites?


No antagonism detected, Cal. And you have a good point. I guess I can see where some genres might deter certain readers.

I think it also depends on the communication an author offers to his or her audience regarding the genre-swap.

And reconsidering my original argument, I can see where an author might use different names without being secretive; that is, they put everything up front and let readers know that they are writing all these books, but the pen name may serve as an unofficial disclaimer.

I hadn't considered this until now, but it makes sense. An author can keep an entire audience while using pen names as a way to categorize their own writing.

So, maybe it's not such a black and white argument, after all. You could actually create multiple brands without alienating your audience.


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## JMCornwell (Apr 1, 2011)

I don't think a writer should be confined to a single genre, nor should s/he feel constrained by that genre. The use of pen names can be counter productive. Yes, it gives the booksellers and readers the clue that this is techno-thriller or horror or YA by a specific author, but that seems to be the only thing it's good for. 

For instance, I've written articles, feature pieces, romance (light on the romance), mainstream, women's fiction, horror, and NF. I use the same byline for all, although I have toyed with a specific pen name for writing erotica. Does it really change anything in the end? I doubt it. Richard Bachman is still Stephen King and vice versa, although the genres are slightly different. 

When an author sticks to a single genre from the beginning, like Dean Koontz or John le Carre', it would be a bit of a jolt if they suddenly changed course: Koontz writing romance and le Carre' writing horror. That would require a different perspective from the reader, but I don't think it's necessary to change the name. A rose by any other name...


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## Andre Jute (Dec 18, 2010)

brianrowe said:


> I'm just curious how you all feel about authors who write books in various genres... do you prefer when an author stays at what he or she is best at, or do you like it when an author breaks ground by trying a brand new genre? I've just started writing books, and I've written a women's fiction novel, a YA novel, and a horror novel. Most people I talk to say I need to choose a specific genre and stick with it book after book, or it will be impossible to develop a following. What do you all think about this issue? Does anyone here test the waters in different genres?


A few clever and adventurous readers will adore you; you will know them all by their first names. Publishers, agents and genre readers will be infuriated by your "arrogance". I remember the late David Stewart Hull, a sophisticated and cultured literary representative, never a man to overstate a case, flying from New York to London to warn me that publishers and readers would consider the theme of a new book I was planning and had already contracted in London nothing less than a "betrayal". When he discovered that I had contracted for another two books on even more diverse subjects, he literally threw up his hands in the air. If you're just starting out, unless you are infinitely talented and clever, you should pay heed to industry wisdom. Yah, I know, do as I say, not as I do... It's a lot tougher now to establish yourself than when I started out, and it was tough enough then. See the series of articles starting here: http://coolmainpress.com/ajwriting/archives/254 One solution is to use pseudonyms.


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## Tim Ellis (Mar 27, 2011)

I write in a number of different genres: crime (5 nearly 6), historical (2), YA fantasy (1 - you'll love this), YA scifi (1 nearly 2). As an author, I want to use my real name, not some psuedonym where I have to say, that's really me. I think the target audiences are different. If they like one book, and they're open to different genres then they might read something else you've written, but I imagine very few will read my YA fantasy and then try one of of my crime novels about a serial killer. And if I could work it out, I'd put pictures of my ten books (the other one is a collection of shorts) underneath in a nice row, but alas it appears to be beyond me so I'll just put a link there instead!

Tim

_--- edited... no self-promotion outside the Book Bazaar forum. please read our Forum Decorum thread._


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## joanhallhovey (Nov 7, 2010)

I have no problem with it at all, either as an author or reader.  For example, one of my favorite book by John Grisham is A Painted House.  Robert Parker wrote a wonderful love story.  (Can't recall the name of it though.)  A writer must be permitted to write what he or she feels passionate about.  I remember reading on amazon.com that some of his fans wanted to boycott his books because he wasn't coming out as quickly as they liked with a Frankenstein book.  Sheesh...


Joan


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## 41352 (Apr 4, 2011)

I write speculative fiction - to me that includes fantasy/paranormal, and science fiction - sometimes with a dash of romance. I know many authors who do that (Ursula Le Guin jumps to mind). I personally don't see a problem there.


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