Stupid Question # ...I've Lost Count

[queenoftheskies]

I have another stupid question for those more experienced in marketing novels than myself because I have a completed novel that I'm going to fatten up (believe it or not, it's NOT one of my trillion word novels) and query.

Do you feel that agents pigeon-hole writers with the first genre that they submit?

Let me explain why I ask.

You folks know I used to query screenplays. In screenwriting-land, if you write a great comedy, for example, and then write a great horror, it's hard to get folks to take it seriously because they know you as a great comedy writer already.

I wondered if the same was true in the publishing world.

Yes, I know that one can use pen names to write different genres. (In my case, it's different types of sub-genres. All spec fic.)

Are agents generally supportive of that? Or do they generally encourage you to stick with the first genre you submit?

Or is this another stupid question?

Comments

[jmeadows.livejournal.com]

I think it depends on the agent and what they like/represent. :)

[mmarques.livejournal.com]

I don't know, but this might be a good question to ask in literaryagents.

[ter369.livejournal.com]

Do you feel that agents pigeon-hole writers with the first genre that they submit?

Pretty much, yes. Or they encourage a writer to use different variations of their name for different genres. I went with my agent because he reps spec fic and non-fiction, and I write urban fantasy and travel narrative.

Check out Shiela Viehl's blog, Paperback Writer (http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/).

She writes in at least five genres, uses different names in each (including write-for-hire), and her agent is with Writers House. The other example to consider is Nora Roberts and her J.D. Hall identity for futuristic mystery. But then, Lois McMaster Bujold uses one name for scifi and fantasy.

I think it just depends on if agents can see a way to sell multiple genres. I don't worry about it. I just get on with the writing.

[spaceoperadiva.livejournal.com]

Barbara Hambly writes or has written mysteries, historical fiction and fantasy all as Barbara Hambly. I think in some ways it's led to some bizarre shelving of her books in the bookstore. If you're a fantasy enthusiast and you find one of her 19th century historical fictions shelved in the fantasy section, you might buy it just because you love Hambly, but what if you're a historical mystery fiction buff looking for a new book or author? They're not going shopping in the fantasy section. I'm pretty much for using pen names for different genres just to avoid that sort of thing.

[magicnoire.livejournal.com]

It depends on the agent you query.

However based on my observation, it becomes more of an issue once you (or your agent) sells the novel to a publishing house. But it's your editor and publisher that will want more of the same, especially if the novel sells well to the general reading public. There's a distinction there.

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

not a stupid question at all ~ and yes, it's true. stephen king's second novel (after Carrie) was not a horror-novel. the publisher didn't want it, so he wrote Salem's Lot) and he was basically stuck with the genre ever since. good thing he likes the genre and has gotten rich off of it, so he's not complained about it too much.

publishers are mostly looking for consistent sales that they can market to a consistent audience. selling an author's romance story when they're known for their sci-fi can be a difficult thing. the book invariably gets bad press from the fans, etc. for not being what they expect.

the safest bet is to publish your first novel not within a genre ~ that gives you wiggle room. if you're just a literary fiction writer, you can get away with all manner of genre-hopping much much easier.

if i ever both to publish, i'll prolly get slotted into hist-fict. that's okay, i like it there and it gives me enough wiggle room to play around with the supernatural, which is the only other strict genre i enjoy.

: D