How to Pick the Right Genre for Your First Book (Even If You Like Everything)

So, you want to write a book? Well, you’re probably wondering what exactly your book should be: A fantasy? A romcom? A space-western with weird supernatural elements and maybe even dragons? What genre would that really be? What if you’re like me and you just love to read literally any genre you can get your hands on? Here’s some good news: it’s 100% normal to love a lot of genres. In fact, it’s a strength because you can even combine skills you have from across all those genres. But the thing is, how do you decide what genre you actually want to write? Throughout this post, I’ll be teaching you how to pick the right genre for your first book, even if you like everything. 

I’ve also got a free Genre Exploration Quiz that you can use and it includes questions to help you figure out which genre is right for you! Sign up below to get it for free today:

1. Start with the Story You’re Already Imagining

Let’s think about the story in a vacuum and in a world where there’s no genres. Think about this story that you’re currently obsessing writing. What does it include? Magical kingdoms? Forbidden romance? Enemies to lovers? Sci-Fi alien warfare? What are the scenes that you keep thinking about writing?

Let these sorts of things help guide you because chances are, the images you’re seeing in your head are going to lead you naturally into the genre and category that you want to write later. 

One thing you can try is to describe your book in one sentence and then think about where your book would go in a bookstore. What sort of books do you imagine being around it? What sort of books would your readers be picking up next to yours?

2. Ask: Who Are You Writing This For?

With each genre, there are specific reader expectations that help you to understand what sort of experience your readers are looking for. For instance, as a fan of grimdark fantasy books, I expect a lot of things like gritty war and action. However, I also love to read romance books here and there and expect to see things like enemies to lovers and happily ever afters in those books.

Understanding what your target market is looking for can help you out a lot and can really give you a chance to determine what it is that your story is going to look like. You don’t have to write 100% for the readers, but thinking about the ideal reader helps to shape the elements that go into your story. 

If you’re writing a romatnasy, you should check out my Ultimate Guide to Writing Romantasy, which takes you through over 160 pages of instructional material and workbook sections to help you craft a whole romantasy book from the ground up!

I also have an Ultimate Pro’s Guide to Writing Horror Stories if you’re more aligned with the spooky and scary side of books!

3. What Books Do You Love Reading Most?

A lot of people I know who like to write books also happen to be very avid readers and they usually have genres that they enjoy reading as well. Most of the time, the books that they read reflect the books that they enjoy writing as well. 

So, think about your top 5 favorite books and then think about the genres they are, the tropes they share, and the sorts of plots they have. Chances are, you’ll find something in common that spoke to you as a reader that might speak to you as a writer as well. 

I’ve got a lot of books that I’ve enjoyed reading over the years, from political thrillers to military sci-fi to grimdark fantasy to romance, and you can see a lot of my favorite elements from these stories reflected in my series, The Fallen Age Saga and other books that I write as well. 

4. Consider Your Strengths as a Writer

Some genres allow for certain writing skills to be highlighted more than others. By identifying what sort of techniques in writing you’re naturally good at, you might be able to make your earlier drafts smoother and more enjoyable. 

Think about your pacing and if you like to write deep and emotional scenes. Think about if you enjoy vivid descriptions and action. These sorts of little things might help tip you in one direction over the other. For instance, if you love to write fantasy worlds but you find that you always love to see the romances in fantasy, then maybe romantasy is a good fit for you. 

5. Blend Genres… But Know Your Primary One

Blending genres is a great way to help you overcome choice paralysis when it comes to which genre you want to write. You can include crossover genres, such as my series, The Fallen Age Saga, which takes from fantasy and sci-fi and political espionage thrillers. You can also try and do something like Fourth Wing, which is a romantasy book so a romance with fantasy. You can try writing something like The Cruel Prince, which has elements of urban fantasy with romance and political fantasy. 

Genre blending is perfectly fine, but you should always remember and keep in mind what your primary genre is going to be because that steers that vast majority of how you’ll write your story. You also want to ensure that you’re striking a balance in these sorts of scenarios. 

6. Don’t Pick a Genre Just Because It’s Popular

One of the biggest mistakes I see new writers make is picking a genre to write in simply because it’s just a popular genre right now. For example, romantasy has been a big hit in the last few years. Before that, there were YA dystopian novels. There’s always going to be the “next big thing” in the literary world, but trends move fast and chasing them might leave you stuck writing a book that you aren’t enjoying. 

It’s hard to write a book, so find a genre that you’re going to be passionate enough about to write hundreds of pages in and enjoy working with. If a genre is trending, don’t just write in it because it’s trending. You might end up hating the process. 

Conclusion

When you go to choose a genre, it’s not about confining yourself to just one idea. You can blend, change, subvert, and do pretty much whatever you want with your story. However, when choosing a genre, think about what you enjoy and what you see yourself sticking and committing to. 

If you want more help choosing a genre, be sure to sign up for my newsletter so you can get the free Genre Exploration Quiz! 

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