After struggling for years, maybe decades, you The Writer gets published. Celebrations! Parties! Champagne! Now you can legitimately call yourself an author. The book is a modest success and if you’re lucky, there’s a two or three book contract and eventually a world of your own making grows in print.
Like most of us have experienced, it probably won’t be that hoped-for blockbuster, because as I read last weekend, there are a million traditionally printed books released each year, and if we add in self-publishing, it jumps to four million titles clamoring for attention. That equates to about eleven thousand books hitting the figurative shelves each day. To put it simply, all this makes it hard to get noticed.
But you’re published and the fruits of your imagination are out there for everyone to read and enjoy. If you produce two novels in the same genre, you’ve most likely established a “brand.” You now write thrillers, mysteries, cozies, science fiction, fantasy, and any number of other genres.
Let’s say you write thrillers. The cover bears your name, and you’ve figured out how all this works. Unlike that first one that you toiled and sweated over, the second manuscript comes a little easier, mostly because you have a contract specifying a delivery time and by golly you’re gonna make it.
The next book comes out, and a year later, another. Though you still haven’t made the bestseller list, the checks keep coming in and the reviews are great. You’re on a roll.
The phone rings. “Uh, Author? We’re negotiating the contract for a new book.”
“While you do that, I’m going to write something different. I have an idea for a romantic thriller.”
“That isn’t what you write.”
There. You’re pigeonholed to only do what you’ve done in the past, but is that a bad thing? Most authors have stories that swirl like the little birds around a cartoon character’s head. You’ve been reading thrillers and after finishing the last one you told yourself, “I can do better.”
You’ve always wanted to be published, and so should you just settle in and stay in that lane?
My answer is no, if you want to experiment with ideas outside of what you’re doing. After writing mysteries for several years, you want to do something different and that’s perfectly understandable. You and your readers love those characters and the fictional world you created, but if you read everything from thrillers, to westerns, to nonfiction, you might feel a calling to trying something different.
Is it a career killer to switch genres?
Ask A.A. Milne. He wrote murder mysteries, after he tried his hand in writing humor and plays before Winnie the Pooh was born.
Cormac McCarthy wrote literary fiction for years before releasing his outstanding western titled, Blood Meridian. He also penned a number of contemporary westerns and eventually moved on to the apocalyptic novel, The Road before writing historical fiction.
With more than 225 romance novels in her backlist, Nora Roberts decided she wanted to write futuristic police procedurals. You might know her as J.D. Robb.
And did you know that fun movie that came out in the 1968 with Dick Van Dyke as the lead character was written by the creator of James Bond? Ian Fleming wrote Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 1962.
Dean Koontz began his writing career by producing lean mystery novels, many under pen names early in his career such as Brian Coffey (Blood Risk in 1973), before moving to horror, (Intensity), and now a flood of suspense thrillers. But within these current pages, he also adds elements of horror, fantasy and science fiction. He’s blending genres.
Larry McMurtry wrote western novels such as the nontraditional western Horseman, Pass By (1961), to Moving On (still another contemporary western about marriage and adult relationships), and literary fiction utilizing dark comedy and romance (The Evening Star). He concentrated on these genres for years before writing the Pulitzer Prize-winning western novel, Lonesome Dove. In his later years, McMurtry switched from one genre to another, even producing nonfiction books on the old west.
You roll your eyes at these examples. “Yeah, but these folks are famous!”
They are now, but they all started out with that first novel, then the second, until they gained enough experience and confidence to branch out, despite possible warnings from friends, publishers, and agents.
In my opinion, and with the examples above as evidence, you don’t have to “stick with what brung you,” to borrow and old southern saying.
It’s your work, your brand, and your name, and you should follow your instincts. For some authors, producing only one novel a year is almost overwhelming but satisfying and that’s enough. For others who like to play with their imaginary friends, two, and maybe three books a year is a real possibility, and that gives you the opportunity to experiment and branch out.
No matter how you do it, under your own name, or with a pseudonym, do your own thing.
When I finish the literary trilogy I’m writing – Pride’s Children – a mainstream love story, I’m going back to writing mysteries.
They’re a lot easier.
I never realized what I was getting myself into, and now I’m committed to finishing the third volume, if the good Lord gives me time, energy, and an occasionally functioning brain – but it has been an eye-opener as to how many things I needed to learn. Including haiku.
I had a nice little mystery series going – and I still think longingly of its detective and how she works. Didn’t find a publisher back in the 20th century, but I think I know how to fix it now AND how to self-publish if I choose – it simply has to be easier than writing something GWTW-long. Don’t misunderstand me – I love PC and will always be happy I tackled the idea when it jumped into my lap – but It has required the commitment of every speck of anything I had left, and I don’t think I can do that again.
It’s part of our writing journey, to find what does and doesn’t work for us. I really need to get back to the Parker clan, but I’m I. The middle of three other series and need to find the time, and they’re rhythm.
Keep it up!
I’ve taken a modest side road with my stand alone international mystery romances. But, to be honest, these are set where I’ve taken trips and want to be able to write off the costs. They’re not that much different from my other series. Being an indie author, I don’t have to convince anyone that it’s okay to slip out of the box.
You’re right. You have the option to slide from one to the other. If it works for you, go get it!
It’s a little dicier to experiment if you’re part of the Trad Triad: you, publisher, agent. The latter two want you to stick to the knitting, as it were.
An indie has many places to post new work, which doesn’t have to be novel length. Short stories and novellas have come back.
You’re absolutely right about the trip, but it’s worked pretty well for me.
I’ve also written short stories and novellas. One novella is scheduled to publish in series starting in July by Saddlebag Dispatches. It’s an odd western handled Twilight Zone style. At the end of the run, they’ve agreed to release it as a novella. Hey, serialized books worked for Stephen King in The Green Mile.
Life’s too short to NOT write what interests you, no matter how many genres you want to try. We have to live in so many boxes in life in general. There’s no reason to put ourselves in a box concerning what we write.
For me it’s historical fiction and mystery (though if you’d asked me 5 years ago I never would have thought I’d try mystery), with some non-fiction planned if I ever have the time.
While I don’t consider sci-fi my bag, I wouldn’t mind writing a novel based on the original Star Trek series if I ever came up with a concept that hasn’t already been done.
Story ideas come to us all the time, and we should reach out and grab them ala that brass ring on the merry go round. I caught it once as a kid, and it works for adults, too.
As Jim says, indie pubbing gives the freedom to try different genres. Plus no long wait as the trad process grinds through. Good to stretch our creative muscles and learn different skills.
I’ve been comfortable in the contemporary suspense/thriller genre for eight books (although WIP #9 is making me crazy at the moment). If I branch out, it will likely be into historical mystery. In fact, an idea for a short story set in a 1920s Montana brothel just started nibbling at me.
Do the 1920’s idea! Love those period books set here in what was still the old west. I set The Texas Job in a 1930s East Texas oil boom town and readers loved it for the history and action.
There was some discussion about that period when it was suggested that I set it during WW II, but the Depression called to me and I’m glad I listened to my gut.
Dl
Wonder where that came from.
🤡🤡🤡
I’ve been blessed to have a traditional publisher willing to go out on the limb with me. After writing 25-plus Amish romances and a dozen novellas, I signed a contract for romantic suspense–the genre I always wanted to write. They didn’t sell as well, given that I didn’t have the established audience I had w/romances. After 5 my publisher stepped back. But my editor went to bat for me, saying she always believed I should be writing women’s fiction (or family drama, depending on what name you want to tack on it). She went to bat for me and my first women’s fiction novel The Year of Goodbyes and Hellos debuted not long before my 66th birthday. This is where I want to be. I’m still waiting to see if they’ll give me another contract. It all depends on sales. Regardless, I’m writing another one, because The Year was the book of my heart and at my age and w/my health issues, I’m running out of time to tell the stories clamoring in my brain to be told. I’m thankful not all traditional publishers insist authors stay in their lanes!
You know, there are a few of us making a full time living at this game, but a LOT of us are having fun and doing what calls us. The money might not be great at first, but it takes a while to build a following if we switch genres. That’s okay. Write it, and if it’s written well, they will come.
The beauty of a good agent is that they do go to bat for us. Nothing is guaranteed in this business, but good works get noticed…eventually.
There was a fairly short novel that came out decades ago called Nothing Lasts Forever. I found the premise fascinating at had it on my home shelf when someone else felt the same as me. They tweaked the storyline and released the movie, Die Hard. The book finally got noticed.
Writers are free to write whatever they want, of course. But the market is fickle and impatient. There’s infinite room for artistic freedom in the indie world, especially for writers for whom writing income is more for recreational purposes than true bill paying. If readers follow from genre to genre, they follow. If they don’t, they don’t. No big deal.
In the traditional world, though–irrespective of level of sales or “success” (whatever that means)–the writer signs on to be part of a machine that produces consumer products (books). While the writer produces the words, the rest of the machine works on the design, marketing, sales and distribution side of things. Sometimes the products succeed, sometimes they don’t, but it ain’t for lack of trying.
I happen to prefer Crest toothpaste, the version that’s infused with Scope mouthwash. I buy it at Costco, so my demand for a new brick of the stuff occurs maybe once per year. Now that I live in the middle of nowhere, Crest toothpaste is a reason to drive an hour to spend $250 on that and a carload of other junk we didn’t know we needed until we got there. If, when I arrive, Crest is out of stock (hasn’t happened yet), I guess I’ll be forced to buy a year’s worth of Colgate and maybe learn that I like that better. To bad Crest marketing team.
My publishing team and I have spent over 15 years building my brand as the author of the Jonathan Grave thrillers. True fans know when the year is about up, and they expect a new book. I have every right to tell them that my muse took me elsewhere. And they have every right to redirect their beach reading to a different thriller writer.
Beware the law of unintended consequences.
You’re exactly right, my good friend. Unintended consequences are always a hazard, and I might just get snakebite. My readers are always at my forefront, because I continue to hear they’re waiting on the next Red River, or the next Tucker Snow. It’s a juggling challenge.
I have a wandering eye when it comes to genres. While I’m working on one, I’m already thinking about the other. A wanderer, I guess. I’d have probably would have been an explorer in another life.
Thanks for the caution, and y’all heed this expert in the field.
When, John? I’m in JG withdrawals over here in WA!
Haha! 🤡🤡🤡
Rita Mae Brown writes cute animals solving mysteries cozies. She also writes lesbian erotica under the same name. When I recommend her mysteries, I always make sure to let the reader know. I don’t want to be responsible for any heart attacks.
I wrote everything from science fiction to fantasy to paranormal romance to romantic suspense. I would not recommend any author choose this path. It’s hard enough to build a career and an audience in one genre or subgenre. A majority of your fans will not follow you, your backlist won’t sell, and you will spend all your promotion time rebuilding your audience.
Words of experience. It’s all choices. Tiurn left, or right. Personally, I’ve always enjoyed reading authors different styles.
Thanks for weighing in!
Great post, Rev. Well I know the lure of a new genre. I started out writing SF and fantasy and wrote that for many years, writing the five book Empowered series, and two stand-alones. The Empowered still brings in a little money every month.
Come 2020 and retirement from the library and I decided it was finally time to answer the call Mystery fiction had been making to me for years. Now, I’m finishing final edits on the second novel after publishing the first last year, along with a prequel novella.
I used to think it would be easy to jump genres. It wasn’t, not for me, even with my passion for cozy mystery. It took time—the first book took two and a half years to produce. The second, due out in June, ten months. If I can write two novels a year, awesome. But as much as part of me wants to get back to writing SF/F, Mystery is my field now. Perhaps down the line I will.
But even as an indie, John and Marilynn’s comments resonate.
That’s the beauty of this blog. There’s a world of knowledge within this stable of writers.
It also seems like moving from one subgenre to another within the same genre—say cozy to historical mystery, or thriller to noir mystery, is an easier sell than moving from one genre to another, like I did going from urban fantasy to cozy mystery.