There’s something called micro-genres you might have heard about. It can help readers understand that even something like a cozy can have non-traditional-cozy elements.
An article from Book Riot breaks down how micro-genres do good work. [Book Riot is a 20-person operation with lots of contributed content. A Great Resource for anyone who loves books and creates them.] “Small-town secrets” is one example, and one terrific novel in that micro-genre is The Searcher by Tana French.
One reason it works is that getting noticed in something like “New Adult” is very hard. Worthy books get overlooked. Getting specific helps discovery.
There’s something called taxonomy for zoology and botany. The micro genre helps a reader or a ghoster see what kind of book is on offer. “No, that’s not a mourning dove. That’s a whippoorwill.” That kind of thing. If you’re a self-publisher, you’ll enjoy seeing the nuances in the micro-genre label.
One writer quoted in the Book Riot article says “As author-publishers, we have found that ultra-specific tags and categories can feel limiting, like putting creative work into ever-tinier boxes. But they can also feel generative and exciting, as they suggest new pathways for a book to travel along.”
“What our self-publishing adventure highlights is that micro-genres help books and readers find one another in a global, digital age. Micro-genres feed the algorithms that can push books towards niche bestseller charts or reading communities, and then springboard them into wider readerships.
Despite, or perhaps because of, the challenging instability and adaptability of ‘genre’, it is an ever-more powerful tool to help books circulate.”
This professor of publishing (yeah, there’s such a thing) has co-written a book about genres. You could think up a genre today. Make that invention a game with your friends.
