The Importance of Genre

I have been considering my genre, which is important to agents and publishers so they know how to position and target the book. When I wrote the book I didn’t think much about the genre I was writing in. I simply wrote. But now that I am looking at my publishing options, it is important.

I recently had a conversation with an agent about the books I am writing, and she thought I wrote magical realism. I have been claiming to write women’s fiction or literary fiction.

Women’s fiction are books that are geared towards women. They have female protagonists and deal with women stories that show growth and change. They typically end with a message of hope. Lonely Dove is certainly in this category, although Babuji is not. There is a strong female role that supports the protagonist, but the protagonist is male.

Literary fiction is considered more serious fiction, and it blankets many types of books. The second book I am working on, Babuji, could be considered literary fiction.

Magical realism is a genre in which the world is depicted realistically but there are elements of the supernatural. Goodreads defines the genre as one “in which magical elements blend to create a realistic atmosphere that accesses a deeper understanding of reality. The story explains these magical elements as normal occurrences, presented in a straightforward…