In the March/April 2025 issue of Writer’s Digest, there’s an interesting article titled The Unexpected Sells. The subtitle is Why Agents Want Genre-Defying Stories. It opens with, “In an industry built on tradition, the rise of genre-blending and trope-defying manuscripts is not just a trend but a potential goldmine for aspiring authors”.
There may be some truth to this statement. A year or so ago, I posted a piece on the Kill Zone called Slipstream — A unique, Hybrid Fiction Cross-Genre. It opened with “…I’m intentionally breaking all the rules.”
There was definitely some truth to that statement, but that’s okay as the film rights to my City Of Danger project are secured, and it’s moving toward production. Now it’s a matter of waiting till the delivery technology is in place. That might be two years away.
I moved from the true crime and crime fiction slots where I’d been working. Part of it was a urge to try something new, and part of it was a hunch not to play it safe and maybe, just maybe, reinvent the wheel. God knows I’d be a disaster in writing romance or erotica, but I went down a road filled with bumps of hardboiled & noir detective fiction, lumps of futuristic sci-fi, potholes of 1920s nostalgia, and a dangerous curve of time travelling thriller/suspense.
It was weird enough to catch, not the eye of a publishing agent, but the ear of a film producer. However, they have similar interests, and that’s finding new material they can sell – hopefully, safely. “Something different, but not to different,” are words I have heard. City Of Danger seems to have met the “different” test.
Writer’s Digest goes on to say, “Clearly defined genres have long dominated the publishing landscape, each catering to specific audiences. These days, a shift is underway. Readers now yearn for stories as intricate and multi-leveled as their lives—stories that refuse to be confined to a single category. This thirst for originality has paved the way for genre-defying narratives to shine.”
The WD article gives examples of recent successful stories that shun predictable formulas. These are authors and titles I’m not familiar with, but they’ve “balanced innovation and execution”. Helpfully, WD addresses the challenges of writing hybrid narratives and principles of positioning the work.
In closing, WD says, “It’s time to take the risks. The unexpected sells because it surprises, delights, and connects. So, dare to be different. Today’s market isn’t just ready for genre-defying stories—it’s hungry for them.”
Here are two shots of the article. You might be able to save them to a larger screen or you might want to buy the magazine if you already haven’t.
Kill Zoners — Thoughts?
Garry, I remember agents and editors saying “different but not too different” back in the 1980s. I suspect they said the same back in the ’60s, ’40s, ’20s.
At that time, Clan of the Cave Bear had recently been published and everyone was talking about prehistoric stories being a new trend/genre. Later, it was vampire fiction, celebrity confessional memoir, then chicklit, then zombies, then…you get the idea.
No one knows why a trend all of a sudden takes off–some weird alchemy in the zeitgeist, the ability to take the pulse of society, and figure out what people are hungry for.
I tend to hitch my wagon to dying trends just before they fade into obscurity. But writing is a business that goes in cycles. Stick around long enough and eventually maybe ya catch the leading edge.
Kudos to you for being forward thinking. Can’t wait to see City of Danger!
When I pitched “Deadly Secrets” to an editor at a conference, she came back and said the publisher rejected it because they couldn’t tell where it would fit. Police procedural? Cozy? I went ahead and published it myself, and there are now 8 novels and 3 novellas in the series. I’ve never been able to color within the lines.
WordPress has been at it again, Terry, and won’t let me reply to comments. Maybe this will go through this time.
WordPress is not letting me post replies to comments and I have no idea how to fix this.
I remember a time when wizards and billionaires were big, and now westerns are hot as a branding iron on the netstreams. The more things change, the more they stay the same, only in cycles. Enjoy your day, Debbie!
Congratulations, Garry. Wishing you much success.
Thanks, Elaine. Looks like WP has unmuzzled me.
Good stuff here, Garry.
I had an experience similar to Terry’s, with my novel No Tomorrows.
I pitched it to an agent, and 18 months later she told me she didn’t know where it would fit “on an Amazon shelf”. At the time, I really didn’t know what she meant. My editor clued me in. The story is set in present-day in a small rural town, but there are some “supernatural” elements to it. I guess the agent wasn’t expecting that and didn’t know what to do with it, nor if it would sell.
I happen to like the story, so I went ahead and published it . . . on an Amazon shelf. 🙂
Have a great day!
“The right fit.” I’ve heard that many times, but I’ve never heard anyone say what the right fit really is. Keep filling them AZ shelves, Deb!
Congratulations, Garry! Looking forward to seeing this project out in the world.
Like Terry and Deb, I’m not a color within the lines kind of writer. My Empowered series was marketed as “super-powered urban fantasy,” but that left out the thriller pacing. My Meg Booker Librarian mysteries is a cozy library series, but it’s set in the 1980s and the mysteries are more traditional in their intricacies.
Hi Dale! I’m with you about coloring outside the lines. I wish I was six again and could do it properly 🙂
What they say and what they mean isn’t the same. I was always ten years ahead of trends, and that did not bode well for my career. I was told by a romance editor that “vampires aren’t sexy.” I’m sure the TWILIGHT author and the hundreds that came after beg to differ. Paranormal suspense aka soft horror with a romance. Nope. The list goes on. Small press was my lifeline because it allowed me to break trends and find readers who really wanted different.
“What they say and what they mean…” Yes, and I’m not sure if “they” even know what they mean. Enjoy your day, Marilynn.
Congratulations on City of Danger, Garry! I’m looking forward to the movie.
I understand why we have genres. It’s natural for people to want to put things in categories. It gives readers an idea of content without having to invest in the book. But there’s a downside: enforcing genres limits creativity.
Accountants create categories. Authors create ideas.
Well said!
Categories. When I first started indie-pubbing on Amazon, the dashboard would only let you pick two categories. Now, I think it’s much more open. Slotting my stuff made me think about its placement and made me realize that it crosses over and isn’t a narrow write-to-the-market product. If that makes sense. Happy Thursday, Kay 🙂
Hey, Garry!
I’ve always mashed genres without tripping over the tropes readers expect to find in a thriller. Agents and editors always want “different but not too different.” The problem is, even they don’t know what that is until they read it.
Hey, Sue! Haven’t seen you around for awhile. Missed you. Time for a side chat, my BFF!
When an opportunity knocks, open the door.
Most of the time, it won’t be anything useful – but respond, and make it initiate a connection – by being ready with your material.
One day it WILL lead to something – and each opportunity makes you flex the mental machinery which polishes your prose.
Just did one this afternoon – may it be the beginning of something bright.
Nice comment, Alicia. As I get older, the more I believe that every one you turn down is one less you’ll get, but a lot of turn downs are for the greater good. Saying ‘no” is wise but so is staying open to a “yes”.
To my way of thinking, genres are just guidelines for types of stories. I can’t seem to keep to any specific genre, preferring, evening reading, mash-ups that make things “different” like ESP back in the early 1900s or having foretelling dreams back in the Roman era. My take is to have fun with it, make it believable and don’t worry about where it fits until your get feedback on if it works.
Congratulations on the film deal. Now I want to read the book.