DFP Articles: What Genre Is It?

WHAT GENRE IS IT?

How many times have you read a book and questioned the genre under which it was sold? How many authors have sent submission queries only to be told their stories did not fit the publisher's fiction catalog? My guess is "a lot" and "too many times."

The main question is how publishers determine what genre a manuscript really is. Unfortunately, that answer varies by publisher and is subject to change over time. Since DFP Books only considers various mixtures of true science fiction and fantasy (romantic and not), here are some basic guidelines for determining those particular genres.

SCIENCE FICTION (SF):
The basic Science Fiction story takes place either in a futuristic society and/or on other worlds (populated by humans or aliens). High technology is not always key to a Science Fiction story, but it really should contain at least one of the following elements: technology either greater than present or lost and being regained, space travel, other worlds, other dimensions, time travel through technological means, intelligent species from other worlds or times or dimensions. There can be many more options, of course, but those are the key elements. A good example of pure science fiction is a story where all plot solutions have a scientific explanation.

FANTASY:
The basic Fantasy story can take place any where in any time, but the key elements will be centered usually upon some mix of magical or mystical means, rather than elements of science. A Fantasy novel can take place in the present, but if it does then it usually has a tie to another time or another dimension. It can include any mix of mythological creatures (such as vampires, dragons, faeries, elves, etc.), but the plot solutions should hinge on non-scientific methods, i.e. magical or paranormal abilities.

BLENDING SF AND FANTASY:
Many stories do blend Science Fiction and Fantasy to a point where a story really is SF/Fantasy. An example of this is "The Dragonriders of Pern" series by Ann McCaffrey, where people from Earth lose all technology after colonizing a far planet and then find their destinies linked to the mystical qualities of the indigenous dragons.

WHAT IS SFR?
SFR stands for "Science Fiction Romance." Basically, these are standard romances with a strong infusion of science fiction and/or fantasy. In fact, most true SFR's are less romance than other romance genres, but they do contain the standard happily ever after (HEA) ending. SFR includes Fantasy Romance, Futuristic Romance (i.e. SF), and Paranormal Romance. Depending on the plot, most Time Travel Romances can be classified as either Fantasy Romance or Futuristic Romance. Publishers who "peel out" Time Travel Romances as their own sub-genre usually do so because they have a whole catalog of them to market together.

ON THE FRINGES...
There are some sub-genres that tickle the fringes of SF/Fantasy and SFR. The three that get confused most often with SF/Fantasy and SFR are Horror, Magic Realism, and Military Fiction. Basic Horror novels contain high suspense infused with graphic violence. The setting (i.e. the when and the where) have no bearing on what makes a Horror novel. It's the graphic content that pushes a story out of basic Science Fiction and/or Fantasy and into the Horror genre. A Magic Realism novel centers on magical practices occurring in or alongside modern-day society. Whereas Magic Realism stories can contain fantasy elements, the setting and writing style are usually what differentiate these types of stories from general Fantasy. A good example of a sub-genre on the fringe of Science Fiction would be Military Fiction, which usually occurs in a present-day or very near future setting on Earth with a plot that revolves around high-tech military conflict. It really all comes down to the setting, i.e. the when and the where.

STYLE MATTERS...
The "style" in which a novel is written often speaks as much to its genre designation as to its plot or setting. As a general rule, genre fiction novels are written in simple past tense using either "third person limited" (i.e. one viewpoint character per scene) or first person. Floating viewpoint (also known as ping-ponging and head-hopping) is not recommended for SF/Fantasy or any of the SFR sub-genres. A novel which changes viewpoint style (i.e. alternates between first and third person) and/or verb tense (i.e. alternates between present and past tense) generally falls in the "Mainstream" category regardless of content or setting.

KNOW WHAT YOU WRITE...
The last thing any publisher wants to do is put restrictions on imagination. With so many genres and sub-genre combinations from which to choose, authors should not feel constrained by genre definitions or style guides. If you are unsure about your novel's classification, then the best remedy is to read current books in that genre to see if the settings and elements match. If they do not, then it is possible the work has not been properly classified. Nothing gets a manuscript rejected faster than submitting it in the wrong genre, so know what you are writing before querying potential publishers. Good luck!

["What Genre Is It?" by Terri Branson (Š2010) published online: 04/06/2010]
URL: http://www.dragonflypubs.com/info/whatgenreisit.html