The following blog post has been excerpted from the FriesenPress writing guide, How to Write a Book Worth Publishing. Scroll to the end for your free download!

Every author’s process will differ. Some will intuitively know where their book fits in the marketplace, while others will take time to experiment by blending different genres to come up with a novel and winning combination.

There are three important reasons writers must know exactly what type of book they’re writing: 

1. It focuses your effort. Choosing a genre, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, a thriller or a memoir, will create important guardrails for driving along the twisted road that is completing a manuscript. All writers, especially those navigating this road for the first time, benefit by identifying and working within the creative boundaries of a genre type.
   

2. If you know your genre, you now have a specific kind of reader to write for. This is crucial to succeeding as a writer. (I’ll be exploring this in more detail in the fourth unit of this section.)
   

3. Finally, your book will sell more copies if it is easy to search under the correct genre category. Bookstores, whether they are online or in the mall, organize their products by genre. Customers often search for their next book by looking within their favourite category. 

The process of determining your genre begins with a fairly simple either/or choice. Are you writing a story that’s true, or one that you’re inventing? If your opus is about real people, events that really happened, or opinions you have about a certain subject, it’s a work of nonfiction. If you are creating a story from your imagination it will result in fiction. There is no negotiation, no middle ground for this choice. Your book is either fiction or nonfiction.

But right away, things get interesting. For example, you might take your inspiration from real life events and use something that really happened as the general basis for a fictional narrative you are creating. In this case you are still writing fiction and you need to follow the proven path that produces great novels.

Identifying your genre can sometimes be a no-brainer. Let’s say that you’ve always wanted to write a book about the American Civil War. That’s going to be in the genre of historical nonfiction, which means you’re going to describe in detail the actual historical occurrences in a nonfiction book and you’re sticking to the facts.

But what if there’s more to the story than just the facts? Maybe you have an opinion about some aspect of the Civil War, a theory that hasn’t been explored. You’ve now drilled down into a subgenre within the category by adding your personal commentary. This is not a bad thing— in fact, it increases your focus and makes your reader even more identifiable. Publishers love books that are written for a very specific and targeted audience.

Blending genres or borrowing techniques from one to use in another can create compelling books that have an immediate impact. Diana Gabaldon has combined historical fiction, romance, and even a bit of science fiction into her runaway-bestseller Outlander series. Nonfiction books with a message can deliver their prescription in the form of a whodunnit or detective story that leads their reader on a tantalizing search rather than just spilling the beans into their laps. Good writing is good writing regardless of the genre. Don’t be afraid to borrow from a completely different style and adapt it to your genre if it helps your book to stand out.

If your goal is to write fiction and you’re unsure what genre suits you best then consider the opportunities for tension. Fictional stories must have problems, conflicts that need to be resolved, dilemmas that challenge the moral code of the hero or heroine. Nothing gets readers turning pages like tension. So, think about the possibilities for your storyline if one genre offers richer and more plentiful avenues to address antagonism. This process might tip the balance and help you focus on an adventure story instead of a romantic one. Or a horror tale over a true crime narrative.

A nonfiction author who wants to tell their own story must decide between a memoir and an autobiography. The former focuses on a certain period of your life where the latter tells your Drilling down into a subgenre increases your focus and makes your ideal reader even more identifiable. Don’t be afraid to borrow from a completely different style and adapt it to your genre if it helps your book to stand out. 8 entire life story. If you’re facing this dilemma, stop and think about who the book is being written for. If it’s for your friends and family, consider that your book will almost certainly outlive you. Choosing the right genre ensures that future generations will know exactly what you want them to know about your life.

Memoirs can sometimes morph into self-help books when the author feels like their own life story has a lesson or message that could benefit their readers. This hybrid type of nonfiction needs to serve two masters in the writing process. The author should practice the good habits and accepted styles of both genres.

One final thought: humour yourself and consider going beyond the obvious. Let’s say you want to write about how to be a better parent. The obvious choice here is that you author a self-help book. But—here’s where we go beyond—what if you wrote a children’s book that was actually aimed at teaching parents about what kids really need? Or it could be a cautionary fairy tale, as in “Once upon a time there was a mother with a difficult child.” The best genre for you is the one that allows you to share your message in the way your target readers will find the most entertaining and engaging.

While identifying your genre is of paramount importance, the good news is nothing must be carved in stone during the writing process. You can begin writing your book in one genre and change your mind and rewrite it in another. Do what feels right and know that sometimes you won’t really know what style of book suits your story or message the best until you start writing.

Don’t be afraid to take the plunge and begin your book. Think of your first few pages or chapters as a test drive within a particular genre. You can switch styles and then switch back if you want. Eventually, you will need to settle on your genre and stick to it. But there’s no harm in simply putting words down on paper to see if the story itself tells you what the genre must be.

Steve Donahue is a professional speaker, book coach, and the author of two bestselling nonfiction books. His works have sold over 100,000 copies and have been translated into Korean, Turkish, Russian and Greek. Steve helps new and experienced authors turn their book ideas into well-crafted publications that delight readers and inspire change. To learn more, visit his website at MyBookCoach.ca.