Talk to me about genre

[Marti Talbott]

My latest book is with the proofreader as we speak, but I'm not sure what genre it will fit in. The Kings of the Seven Bells is about a place that does not exist. Does that make it fantasy? It has a love story, a mystery, no sex, no profanity, and only off scene violence.

What genre and key words would you use as a writer or look under as a reader?

[notthatamanda]

Is it a whole world that doesn't exist or is it Unnamed Town, USA?  Are there magical elements that don't happen in real life?

Fantasy categories for ebooks:

Fantasy
Action & Adventure
Alternative History
Anthologies & Short Stories
Arthurian
Christian Fantasy
Classics
Coming of Age
Dark Fantasy
Dragons & Mythical Creatures
Epic
Fairy Tales
Gaslamp
Historical
Humorous
LGBT
Metaphysical & Visionary
Military
Myths & Legends
New Adult & College
Paranormal & Urban
Romantic
Superhero
Sword & Sorcery
TV, Movie, Video Game Adaptations

[Marti Talbott]

"Is it a whole world that doesn't exist or is it Unnamed Town, USA?  Are there magical elements that don't happen in real life?"

It's a country, I guess. Not magic like witches, etc., but some happenings that are unexplained until the end.

Thanks for the fantasy list. Very useful.

[notthatamanda]

You can find these lists by keeping the search bar empty in Amazon and searching on the kindle store.  Then keep the search bar blank and click on ebooks.  I think Science fiction and fantasy is separate from Fiction and literature.  You can keep clicking down the menu to see all the options.  These are also the browse categories so when you decide where you want your book you can use those paths to tell Amazon exactly what you want.  You have to tell them the full path
kindle store>ebooks>science fiction & fantasy>fantasy> sub genre

As far as it being a mythical country, but no magic, sorry, I don't know.  My gut wouldn't put it in fantasy, but I don't read that genre.  Hopefully some fantasy writers will chime in.

[123mlh]

"Is it a whole world that doesn't exist or is it Unnamed Town, USA?  Are there magical elements that don't happen in real life?"

It's a country, I guess. Not magic like witches, etc., but some happenings that are unexplained until the end.

Thanks for the fantasy list. Very useful.

It could probably go either way depending on how strong the elements are. There are definitely authors who fall under literary who write with fantastical elements. Gabriel Garcia Marquez and his magical realism for example. Or The Time Travelers Wife which is shelved as fiction not fantasy. Same with The Handmaid's Tale. So it being about a fictitious place isn't what will decide where it goes. It's more about the theme and focus of the book.

Who are the authors you think of when you think of people who write something similar?

[Marti Talbott]

"Is it a whole world that doesn't exist or is it Unnamed Town, USA?  Are there magical elements that don't happen in real life?"

It's a country, I guess. Not magic like witches, etc., but some happenings that are unexplained until the end.

Thanks for the fantasy list. Very useful.

It could probably go either way depending on how strong the elements are. There are definitely authors who fall under literary who write with fantastical elements. Gabriel Garcia Marquez and his magical realism for example. Or The Time Travelers Wife which is shelved as fiction not fantasy. Same with The Handmaid's Tale. So it being about a fictitious place isn't what will decide where it goes. It's more about the theme and focus of the book.

Who are the authors you think of when you think of people who write something similar?

This is my first time at what I thought was fantasy, but then wasn't sure, so I don't know any authors in that genre. I'll take a look at the ones you suggest. Thanks.

[lori_puma]

Hi Marti,

You got good advice for the fantasy elements of your story. But I wanted to ask you about the other elements of your story. Particularly the love story, the mystery, and the fact that you're writing a story without sex, only off-page violence, and no profanity.

Do either of these statements sound like it fits your book?

• The overall story is about two people who overcome challenges to find happiness and commit to a loving relationship by the end.
• The overall story is about the protagonist discovering who committed a crime and bringing the perpetrator to justice.

If the first one of those rings true, and your story ends happily, then you could also categorize your book in "Clean & Wholesome romance" and use the keywords "sweet romance" in your title or book description. Sweet romance is a story where the romantic relationship is central, but there is no sex and no profanity.

If the second rings true, then you could also categorize your book as a cozy mystery. Cozy mysteries are stories where the violence takes place off the page and the emphasis is on figuring out the puzzle of the crime rather than realistically showing the darker side of life. They're also usually solved by an amateur sleuth. Also, since you're not using profanity, you would mention that you're writing a "clean mystery".

If neither of those rings true, then you're in a different genre.

Hope that helps!

[Marti Talbott]

Hi Marti,

You got good advice for the fantasy elements of your story. But I wanted to ask you about the other elements of your story. Particularly the love story, the mystery, and the fact that you're writing a story without sex, only off-page violence, and no profanity.

Do either of these statements sound like it fits your book?

• The overall story is about two people who overcome challenges to find happiness and commit to a loving relationship by the end.
• The overall story is about the protagonist discovering who committed a crime and bringing the perpetrator to justice.

If the first one of those rings true, and your story ends happily, then you could also categorize your book in "Clean & Wholesome romance" and use the keywords "sweet romance" in your title or book description. Sweet romance is a story where the romantic relationship is central, but there is no sex and no profanity.

If the second rings true, then you could also categorize your book as a cozy mystery. Cozy mysteries are stories where the violence takes place off the page and the emphasis is on figuring out the puzzle of the crime rather than realistically showing the darker side of life. They're also usually solved by an amateur sleuth. Also, since you're not using profanity, you would mention that you're writing a "clean mystery".

If neither of those rings true, then you're in a different genre.

Hope that helps!

Thanks for the advice. It doesn't fit in either. That's the problem. Two men from different "clans" compete to find the seven bells. The winner becomes king. One of them falls in love with the other one's sister, but the brother objects, naturally. So the challenge is increased in that way. The romance is important, but it's more of a side issue. The main issue is overcoming unfounded racism since both sides are exactly the same, except for different marks on their foreheads and their individual traditions.

In the past "clean and wholesome" came up as spirituality, which to most people means religious. Maybe they have fixed that.

[JRTomlin]

There is such a thing as 'low magic fantasy' even though it is not a separate category on Amazon. It sounds to me like this is what your novel probably is. However, I must admit I am a bit stumped at an appropriate subcategory. If all action is off scene, I don't think action and adventure would work well. The problem with putting it in 'fiction' where some novels like 'Handmaids Tale' are is that those are tough categories for indies to gain visibility and sales. Of course you can choose two categories, so fiction probably should be one of your two.

I would suggest taking a loot at the list of fantasy categories and pick out the one that seems like the closest fit. Possibly Epic which is a pretty broad church.

[Paranormal Kitty]

I just have to say it's nice we can discuss genre on this forum without getting chewed out. Whenever I brought it up at the other place, certain posters would jump on me and treat me like I was stupid for asking.

[alhawke]

I'd vote for epic fantasy. My only hesitation is I usually think of more magic than you're describing. Perhaps low fantasy or intrusion fantasy (as suggested above)

I would run some searches on the Zon to see what books are similar to yours. It's tuff for us to tell your genre without a blurb or sample.

Be careful with genres because the serious readers out there have expectations with genres. For instance, in romance, romance readers generally expect a happy ending focused on two lovers. You can have clean romance without sex scenes, as long as your story revolves around characters in love.

It sounds like you're working backwards. Well, that's what I tend to do. I love that, because it's artistic, but it can also be harder to match with other books now that you're done with yours.

Hope my advice helps and all this isn't stuff you already know. Good luck.

[Marti Talbott]

I'd vote for epic fantasy. My only hesitation is I usually think of more magic than you're describing. Perhaps low fantasy or intrusion fantasy (as suggested above)

I would run some searches on the Zon to see what books are similar to yours. It's tuff for us to tell your genre without a blurb or sample.

Be careful with genres because the serious readers out there have expectations with genres. For instance, in romance, romance readers generally expect a happy ending focused on two lovers. You can have clean romance without sex scenes, as long as your story revolves around characters in love.

It sounds like you're working backwards. Well, that's what I tend to do. I love that, because it's artistic, but it can also be harder to match with other books now that you're done with yours.

Hope my advice helps and all this isn't stuff you already know. Good luck.

Thanks for the advice. Right genre or wrong, this book is already published. It's doing okay, not great, but okay. I'm always on the search to make things better. https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Seven-Bells-Marti-Talbott-ebook/dp/B07YK4M219/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+kings+of+the+seven+bells&qid=1572564493&s=digital-text&sr=1-1 

Duh, I should have posted the blurb before now.

There was a time when the Carbollo and the Mobbox children played together in the grasslands, tossing stones, foot racing, and solving riddles – all designed to prepare them for the days of the seven bells. Yet,when the Carbollo grew suspicious of the Mobbox, the adults no longer allowed it.  Had it not been so, Raxton Carbollo and Nerratel Mobbox might have become fast friends. Instead, they were destined to become determined rivals.