Edit with me! How to query genre-bending books 🤸‍♂️

Where I give you a framework to pitch your genre-defying book

Knowing your book’s genre is so important when it comes time to query. Not only will your genre determine which agents you send your query to, but it can also shape the way you pitch your book to make it as enticing as possible to those agents.

But determining your book’s genre isn’t always simple or straightforward — especially if it doesn’t fit neatly into an established genre or category.

As a developmental book editor, I’m seeing this predicament more and more from my editing clients. Sometimes, a novel transcends the industry’s currently available genre labels, which makes for some incredibly creative and innovative storytelling, but also leads to some challenges when it’s time to convince agents and publishers those books belong on store shelves.

So, what’s an author to do if their book bends or blends elements from different genres?  

Draft first, define later

First, I want you to let go of your genre concerns until after you have a completed manuscript. I know, I know — I just told you how important genre is when you’re querying, and now I’m telling you not to think about it until after the book is written. But when you’re in the thick of the drafting process, my best advice is to let the story come out as naturally as possible.

So many authors get caught up worrying about how they’ll categorize their book during the drafting stage, but I’ve found that focusing too heavily on genre early on can box you in, potentially leading to a story that feels constrained or forced.

So, don’t let the concept of genre cloud your judgment or limit your creativity. Focus on drafting your novel first, allowing it to develop into whatever it naturally wants to be, and worry about the genre label later.

Yes, this might mean that your novel ends up straying from established genre conventions or blending elements from multiple genres, but that’s okay. In fact, genre-bending is more common than ever before in today’s publishing landscape, so your book might not be as “out there” as you think.

Take, for instance, the rise of “romantasy.” This relatively recently formed genre, which blends romance and fantasy, has exploded in popularity in the past few years. In fact, it made it into my list of the top five trending book genres that agents are hungry for in 2024 — proving that agents and readers are increasingly drawn to stories that don’t fit neatly into a single category.

But as exciting as this is, genre-bending still presents some practical challenges when you’re getting ready to pitch your novel to agents. Here’s what to do about it: