Estimated reading time: 3 – 4 minutes
On my home page I state how:
“I don’t write mainstream. I won’t put my tales in tidy categories.”
It’s defiant and in your face, isn’t it? Well, that’s all well and good when the work is on my site. However, the trouble comes when I’m submitting it for sale to distributors like Amazon and Smashwords.
Starting at the screen, head cocked and brows working on a permanent wrinkle, I wonder if my defiance is unnecessary and rather counterproductive. After all, it would be so much easier if I found a category and stuck with it.
I don’t know what my work is but I can tell you what it purely isn’t. It purely isn’t:
- Romance (There are romantic aspects but surely asphyxiation isn’t looked at kindly by the romance community. Neither are the words “cock” and “pussy.” Incidentally, those are two of my favorite words.)
- Chick lit (Okay, I admit I’m only going on surface level here. My assumption is the modern-day career gal is NOT interested in running around the woods with inhuman beings for fun. I don’t even think they like the woods…)
- Urban fantasy (Maybe? I’m not sure. I admit I haven’t revisited the definition in a while. Last I saw fairies were pretty dominant in this genre. More like, “If you don’t have wings and an aversion to iron, bitches, then get off my turf.”)
- Paranormal romance (Once I would’ve empathically said, “Yes, it is!” but now it seems as if paranormal romance is the same as romance but with fangs. Tattooed heroines do not change this. I don’t care how many looking-over-the-shoulder, back-to-the-audience, tramp-stamp, leather-pants-wearing covers are produced to convince me otherwise.)
- Erotica (If there’s any category I want to belong to, it’s this one. Erotica, erotica, erotica! However, I don’t write enough sex scenes to really justify being placed in this trunk of naughty goodness. In fact, there’s hardly any sex going on at all in my books. Unless you count the mind-fucks. If you include those, well, I’m all out sexual escapades style!)
I’ve said what it purely isn’t. So what would I say it is? All the above minus the chick-lit but add in fairy tales and mythology with a wee bit of horror—all darkened of course. Oh! Don’t the forget the overdosing angst.
So how do you categorize work that doesn’t fall into any one genre? Can you even do it? I struggle with it and I’m so one who likes to defy categorizing. So what gives? I definitely don’t want to inadvertently sell my work to a reader who wants to be entertained by sweet, light-hearted romance and ends up sitting there in room, morose and depressed because she read “Love Unfortunate” or “Devil’s Descent I: purgatory” or “Vicious Bliss: fallen.”
(And that’s only if she made it through to the end. For all I know, said reader would snarl, “The hell? Who’d ever want to read this depressing shit?” only after making it through a few pages.)
I’m not in this for the short-term. I’m in it for the long-haul. Therefore, I want my work to find the right audience. In order to help the right audience find me, I must categorize it correctly.
Hence, the vicious circle continues.
Any ideas? Suggestions?
I’ve missed Julian & Lily as well. I’m...
One comment
I would definitely class you as writing dark literary erotica (more literary than mine). I think in recent years the genre has turned into this thing where “the more graphic it is, the more erotic it is.” But that’s kind of not accurate.
Erotica is fiction that turns you on. If readers are aroused by it, it fits the category.
Lately I have a hair-trigger switch, so I may or may not be the most reliable person to judge this, but going off that definition, I definitely consider you writing erotic fiction.
You know, maybe it’s the optimist in me, but I don’t find your work depressing.
It’s dark. But it’s honest. And it’s so lush, you forget it’s dark. Or I do.