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Chapter Three: Book Genre and Category Listings What is a book genre or category? Why are they important? Why are they so confusing? How does the genre or category of my book get determined? A book genre or category is simply a distinction of one group of books from another by characteristics in form, style, or content that the books in that grouping have in common. People tend to read either what they enjoy reading or what provides them with useful or interesting information. They may read broadly, but the more they read the more sharply defined become the distinctions between what they like to read and what they don’t like to read. To help readers zero in on what they are most interested in reading, libraries and bookstores group "like" books together on shelves and label these shelves so that readers can quickly isolate the types of books they like to read. To make it easier for libraries and bookstores to know where to shelve books, publishers make category distinctions in the books they advertise for sale. Thus arose the identification of books by genre (most often used with fiction) and category (most often used for nonfiction). So many books are being published and are being offered to readers in the world today that this categorization of books by topic and content has become an important tool for readers to enable them to pick what they want to read. If there was no distinction being made on the basis of book content, the only other organized way books could be shelved in a library, bookstore, or list of books on offer so that there would be any hope of finding the book you wanted would be by the author’s surname. And, indeed, wherever a large number of books are being offered, they are organized first by genre or category and then, within genre or category, alphabetically by the author’s surname. But if the books were organized only by the author’s surname, the reader would either have to know a good deal about specific books or come equipped with both picnic lunch and supper and the patience to search the shelves book by book to find something they would enjoy reading. What becomes very confusing about book genres and categories, however, is that there is no world or national organization that determines a clear-cut genre or category for each book written. The closest we come to that in the United States is the Library of Congress, which, in a broad-based way, assigns a combination of letters and numbers to each traditionally published book registered with the Library of Congress. This identifier determines where that book should be shelved in a library in relation to every other book so registered. However, the Library of Congress filing system is not mandated by any accepted law—it has no standing outside the United States, and even within the United States there are equally prevalent and competing library filing numbers (such as the Dewey Decimal System). In addition, many more books are published and on offer than are registered for Library of Congress categorization. Beyond this, books are the product of many, many fertile minds, and most books don’t fit in neat precise categories by form, style, or content—and new genres and categories are added as authors exercise their inventiveness. Added to this, different people perceive the categories they do fit into quite differently. You and I may enjoy the same book, but you may like it because you see Romance as its dominant genre, while I see it as an action thriller. And, since no one or no organization is acknowledged as "the" authority on definitions for book classification, people in the publishing industry can’t always agree on what the boundaries of a genre are or what the name for a specific genre is. Thus, not everyone agrees on what the age cutoffs are for the young adult genre or whether a hot new nonfiction category is called creative nonfiction or narrative nonfiction (if books of these types can be called nonfiction at all by traditional definitions). But readers, booksellers, publishers, and authors alike benefit from category descriptions for books, so it is important for authors to try to determine the best genre or category to use to identify the book they wish to have published. The author need not spend a long time arriving at a precise genre, however, as publishers have considerable experience in determining the best and most marketable category fit for the book and usually reserve genre designations to themselves—just as booksellers ultimately decide for themselves where to shelve the book. The following listing is meant to help authors understand some of the most prevalent genre and category (and subgenre and subcategory) distinctions and determine how they can describe their own book when they are offering it to a literary agent or publisher. Because the publishing industry is so dynamic and rules for defining genres and categories do not exist, this listing is not comprehensive or definitive, categories appear in more than one place, total agreement on parameters and definitions is not possible, and different names are occasionally provided for essentially the same category definitions. And often what specific books offer can be more clearly understood by cobbling together more than one genre in describing them, such as "young adult mystery" (although if you have to cobble together too many genres to describe a book, it usually will not be considered to be a book with sufficient focus to be marketable). In addition to this, fairly recently there have been moves to establish a third root category of books—faction, or books that are so hard to define as either fiction or nonfiction that they deserve a category all their own. Still, most genres currently in circulation can be found here. The listings provided below were put together by combining the listings agents and publishers themselves identified in the latest annual publishing guides such as the Writer’s Market guide, Jeff Herman’s Insider’s Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents, and The Literary Marketplace. To further aid authors in determining the most marketable genre or category to use, the genres marked by an asterisk (*) on this list identify the major categories by which the standard Barnes and Noble bookstore shelves its books. And every author who wants to sell his/her books needs to have some sense of where a reader/buyer would go to find the book. Fiction Genres Action/Adventure (The characters can always expect the worst; the characters can, and usually do, have multiple life-threatening problems thrown at them; the plot is characterized by fast action, weaponry, and violence) military paramilitary law enforcement romantic martial arts Americana (A subcategorized genre concerning American culture, history, or folklore.) Anthology (Collection of stories, poems, essays, plays, and/or selections from larger works.) Avant-Garde (Stories exploring new or experimental concepts in form, style, or content) Breakout Mainstream (Best-selling novels that don’t fit into a specific genre or category but that appeal to a broad general audience) Chick Lit (Women’s stories about the search for Mr. Right, such as Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jone’s Diary) Children’s Fiction (Synonymous with "Juvenile." Books targeted at children of various reading and maturity levels) Younger Readers (under 12) Young Adults (Books for readers generally in the 12–17 age/maturity bracket; plots often are focused on contemporary teen concerns, such S. E. Hunter’s The Outsiders) Christian Fiction (Fiction that can be in many different genres, such as Christian suspense, or Christian Romance. Generally, the characters show the Christian way by example, but are not preachy. It is considered to be wholesome literature) Comic Books (Cartoon-style stories told with graphics) Commercial Fiction (Written to appeal to as broad a reader base as possible) Confession (Fictional works generally associated with the Romance genre) Crime (Fiction on the planning, execution, solving, and aftermath of a crime.) Detective (Stories that include a crime, a search for clues, and a resolution) Amateur Hard-boiled Soft-boiled Procedural Cozies Easy Readers (Books permitting only vocabulary easily read by beginning readers) El-Hi (Books for elementary/high school readers) Ethnic African American Asian and Indian Latin American Espionage (Mystery books containing plots emphasizing international spying.) Experimental (These works are often derived from alternative perspectives and encompass various themes such as religion; medicine; science, as it relates to religion; the occult; and various philosophies. It is also categorized as New Age.) Fairy Tale (Children’s folktales with augmented literary elements.) *Fantasy (Stories taking place in an invented or unrealistic world; stories featuring magic, wizardry, swords, and sorcery, often with supernatural feats. Can be based in mythical or folk lore, or completely invented by the author) Feminist (Literature featuring strong, empowered primary female characters) *Gay/Lesbian (These can be in nearly any genre or category that depict gay or lesbian thinking within the plots. There are some publishers that deal specifically with this category.) Gothic (The Gothic category is found in both the Romance and the fantasy genres. The Romance versions are usually epic tales that take place during the era of castles, knights, and kings. In fantasy, also known as Sword & Sorcery, Arthurian legend, or fairy tales, there are elements of magic, wizards, magical creatures, and talismans.) Graphic Novels (Novelizations of comic book-style stories, including extensive graphics) Hi-Lo (Children’s reading books. High interest, low reading level.) Historical (Stories taking place in a specific period of history. Some characters may be based on real people from history, but the main characters usually are fictional) Horror (Stories that contain and relate the actions of a monster, whether supernatural or human) Demonic Possession, Witches, and Warlocks Comic Horror Ghosts and Haunted Houses Golems, Mummies, and Reanimated Stalkers Mythological Monsters Maniac and Sociopath Psychological Horror Rampant Animals Small Town Horror Splatter Punk Techno Horror and Medical Horror Telekinesis and Mind Control Vampires and Werewolves Humor (Stories filled with funny and amusing situations or characters) Inspirational (This is an eclectic category covering various subjects that inspire readers to improve their lot in life. Some of these fit into the genres of Christian literature and New Age as well. They can be books on dealing better with problems in everyday living. Some focus on religions or philosophies of living, while others offer instruction or viewpoints from environmental issues to finding peace. They are inspirational because they inspire people to act or change.) Juvenile (Synonymous with "Children’s Fiction." Books targeted at children of various reading and maturity levels) Literary (While these works can fit into any genre, this is not the usual case. Ordinarily, literary works delve into the human condition in some way, are character driven, emphasize elegant language, and are not as fast paced as the books of many other genres are.) Mainstream/Contemporary (Nongenre fiction, excluding literary or avant-garde fiction, which appeals to a general reading audience) Multicultural (Multicultural works are prevalent in the New Age category, but can be found in a few other categories as well. They define and sometimes compare the aspects of various cultures and their impact on the world and everyday living within those culture.) Multimedia (Works that encompass more than one marketing choice: books, videos, games, or movies.) *Mystery (Stories that involve a crime or a dilemma, a search, and a resolution) *Mythology/Folklore (Some historical novels and many fantasy works revolve around the mythology and folklore of the Middle Ages—the Vikings, Greeks, and Celtic lore with themes about the gods and heathen practices of Stonehenge and the Druids, among others) Some historical novels and many fantasy works revolve around the mythology and folklore of the Middle Ages—the Vikings, Greeks, and Celtic lore with themes about the gods and heathen practices of Stonehenge and the Druids, among others)   Occult (This category focuses on spirituality dealing with such things as Tarot books and decks, palm reading, handwriting analysis, pagan rituals, and numerology) Picture Books (Illustrated books emphasizing the visual and limiting the text for preschool children) Plays (Scripts for stage, film, or radio productions) *Poetry (Works in verse) Poetry in Translation (Works in verse translated to English from other languages) Realistic Fiction (Stories that did not actually happen, but could have happened) Regional (Self-explanatory, this category localizes a particular work as appealing to a specific region. For example, a book of short stories exploring the life and customs of those in the Appalachian mountains would be most marketable in that region of the country.) Religious Historical *Religious Fiction (books like Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent) *Romance (Usually highly formalistic modern or period love stories, always with a happy ending. Now in vogue are heroines who are portrayed in positions of authority and even as the protectors of the male protagonist) Alternative Reality Contemporary Erotic Ethnic/Multicultural Gay/Lesbian Gothic Historical Inspirational Regency Romantic Saga *Science Fiction (Literature that has a strong technological/scientific base and is futuristic) Spiritual (New Age, etc.) (New Age, etc.) (Fiction presented from an alternative or multicultural perspective) Sports (Books that involve the main character in an athletic event or participation) Suspense (Literature that uses suspense to keep the reader engaged. Includes such major genres as mystery, crime, detective, espionage, thriller, action/adventure) Thriller Geopolitical crisis Legal Medical Spy/espionage Techno thriller Translation (Works, usually literary, that have been translated from another language.) Western (Adventure story set in the American ranch lifestyle West; includes good guys and villains and can include a minor plot of romance) Women’s Fiction (Works about woman for woman; written and read primarily by women, focusing on the concerns and joys found in women’s lives) Young Adult (YA) (YA books appeal to readers between the age of 12 and 17. While most fiction works deal with contemporary issues faced by modern teens, they can also be novels of other genres, such as historical, fantasy, adventure, and others.) Nonfiction Categories (Most nonfiction categories are self-explanatory) *Accounting/Economics Agricultural/Horticulture Alternative Lifestyle Americana (A subcategorized genre concerning American culture, history, or folklore.) Animals/*Pets Anthropology/Archaeology *Antiques/Collectibles *Art/Architecture *Art Technique *Graphics and Design *Astrology/Psychic/*New Age (Literature presented from an alternative or multicultural perspective; includes topics of health, medicine, philosophy, religion, the occult) Autobiography (History of life written by the same person who lived the life) Automotive Bibliographies (List of books, articles, and other sources on a chosen topic) *Biography (History of life written by some one other than the person who lived the life) Celebrity Booklets *Business/Economics *Business Motivation *Business Profiles *Business Reference *Careers *Child Guidance/Parenting *Civil War (U.S.) Coffee Table Book (Usually large-sized, heavy on graphics, and dealing with a highly visual subject) College Textbooks Communications Community/Public Affairs *Computers/Electronic *Certification *General Computing *Java *Microsoft Office *Networking *Network Systems *Visual Basic *Visual Learning *Web Design *Web Programming *Windows Consumer Affairs Contemporary Culture *Cooking/Foods/Nutrition/*Diet Counseling/Career Guidance *Crafts Creative Nonfiction (Factual prose that is also literary, with engaging narrative, such as Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. Essentially the same as narrative nonfiction, although some say creative nonfiction is written in a fictive voice or structure, while narrative fiction is based on real information but is presented in a breezier writing style than mainline nonfiction usually is.) *Crosswords *Cultural Studies *Current Affairs *Educational Environment (Green) Studies Entertainment/*Games *Entrepreneurship *Essays Ethnic *African American Asian and Indian Latin American *Exercise and Fitness *Family and Children *Fashion/Beauty Feminism *Film/Cinema/TV/Radio *Gardening *Gay/Lesbian General Nonfiction Gift Books (Specialty books that often are miniature or brief books or have special bindings, are graphic intensive, or have unusual characteristics appropriate to personal gift giving) Government/Politics *Graphics/Design *Health/Medicine *Addiction/Recovery *Alternative Medical *Diseases *Women’s Health Hi-Lo (Children’s reading books; high interest, low reading level) *History *European History *Military History *U.S. History Hobby *Home Reference House/Home How-To Humanities *Humor (Nonfiction books filled with funny and amusing situations or characters) Illustrated Book Inspirational *Investing Journalistic Investigation *Juvenile Books Labor *Language/Literature *Law Literary Criticism *Literary Theory *Management Theory/Practice Marine Subjects Memoirs (Not as inclusive as autobiography; focuses on specific aspect of the author’s life and/or experiences. The focus can be someone the author knew or knows rather than the author exclusively) *Military History/War Money/Finance Multicultural Multimedia *Music/Dance *Rock & Roll Narrative Nonfiction (Factual prose that is presented as fiction would be, in a story line and through an engaging narrative. Essentially the same as creative nonfiction, although some say creative nonfiction is written in a fictive voice or structure, while narrative fiction is based on real information but is presented in a breezier writing style than mainline nonfiction usually is.) *Native American *Nature/Environment *Personal Finances *Philosophy *Photography *Picture Books Popular Culture (Descriptions of entertainment-type lifestyles, usually by an insider to the events covered) *Pregnancy and Childbirth *Psychology *Psychotherapy *Real Estate Recreation *Reference *Regional (Self-explanatory, this category localizes a particular work as appealing to a specific region. For example, a book on local Rocky Mountain personalities or on the effect of winter snow fall on water tables in the Rocky Mountains wouldn’t be expected to resonate with someone living in outside that region.) Self-explanatory, this category localizes a particular work as appealing to a specific region. For example, a book on local Rocky Mountain personalities or on the effect of winter snow fall on water tables in the Rocky Mountains wouldn’t be expected to resonate with someone living in outside that region.)   *Relationships *Religion *Christian Inspiration *Christianity *Eastern Religion *Judaic Scholarly *Science/*Technology *Astronomy *Chemistry and Biology *Mathematics *Physics *Self-Help *Sexuality Show Business *Social Sciences *Sociology Software *Spirituality *Sports *Study Aids *Teaching Aids Technical *Teens Textbooks *Theatre Arts Translation Transportation *Travel *True Crime (True story on the planning, execution, solving, and aftermath of a crime) *Weddings/Etiquette *Women’s Issues/Studies World Affairs *Writing/Publishing *Young Adult (YA) (Books for readers generally in the 12-17 age/maturity bracket; plots often are focused on contemporary teen concerns) Resources and Links Print A comprehensive discussion of the primary fiction genre can be found in an article by Jamie M. Forbes entitled "Fiction Dictionary" in the thirteenth edition of Jeff Herman’s Writer’s Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents. Internet Links A pretty comprehensive listing of genres and can be found on the Internet at http://dannyreviews.com/subjects.html. The Booklist Center provides extensive lists of book titles by genre at http://home.comcast.net/~dwtaylor1/. A short list of fiction genres (but with extensive definitions) is provided by the Candace Furhman Literary Agency at http://www.manuslit.com/flash/index.html under the "Info for Writers" section.