You’ve written your novel, you’re ready to self-publish it. In the self-publishing platform, you select the genre for your novel.

If you independently publish with Amazon, their platform, CreateSpace asks you to select your category. Your content/subject matter is supposed to determine your genre/category. Whether you write Romance, Mystery, Suspense, etc., there is a genre within the list of categories to fit your novel. Sometimes, this can seem to be a little bit “off.” For instance, my novels are supernatural fiction, but the category for that is “Horror/supernatural.” For those of you who have read my books, Horror doesn’t really fit, I know. 🙂

With all of the best planning in the world, sometimes an author can miss the category that best fits their books. (Can you tell I am sharing one of my failings with you?)

When I wrote “Blessings,” I knew that I didn’t want to write something that the second most voracious reader in the house wouldn’t be allowed to read. Since that’s my thirteen year old daughter, I avoided any racy scenes. Since she’s read “The Hunger Games,” I know I have a fair amount of latitude when it comes to scary stuff.

So, she was one of the Beta Readers.

It didn’t occur to me that I had written a young adult novel.

Until just after my book signing. When, all of a sudden, a small cluster of teenagers bought my books. And then their friends started buying them. And so on and so forth.

Solution: back to the category selection I go. Young adult, here we come.

Genre – be thorough, but be prepared to adapt. Sometimes, the best laid plans might overlook the audience who loves every last word you write.

Happy writing, and blessings to you all…