My writing could fit into many categories (or none depending ... ). I am always reluctant when someone asks "What kind of book are you writing?"
Is it a memoir? Poetic prose? Lyric essay? Prosems (as my friend calls them)?
How important is it to label yourself?
How do you choose that label?
If your writing is somewhere in the middle, how have you made your choices?
I'm in a similar boat, Trayle. My story involves travel and art history.
I hesitate to list it as a travel book because that seems so limited. It is a story that happens while two people are traveling and there ARE traveling tidbits, but that's not the main thrust of the story.
There isn't an art history genre as far as I know and that carries such serious connotations, I wouldn't want to label it that way either. It's really a "coming of middle-age" tale that uses the wisdom and foibles of the old masters to help the protagonist evolve.
I would also like a comprehensive and current list of genres. I think that would help.
Thanks for the insight!
That was kinda what I thought.
You must define yourself to market yourself to the correct audience. You can be brilliant, but if someone hates what you do because you're in the wrong section, then well, that's your problem not theirs.
Is there a comprehensive list of genres that "real people in the business" use? I mean, they seem to keep evolving...on the internet people just make things up. If I'm going to define myself, I'd like to do it within a professional scaffold. If that makes any sense... :)