Florence Witkop
I hate
genres. I hate the smallness of them, the way they narrow and limit what I've
written. I don't like to think of genres when I write stories and I don't like
the way someone else stuffs those stories into boxes they weren't meant to fit
into. To be honest, I prefer that my work not be stuffed into any box at all,
large, small or in-between and maybe that's really why I hate genres. Simply
because they exist.
But they do exist
for a couple of reasons that are so important that they have turned me into a
devoted fan, kicking, screaming and complaining all the while.
The first
reason has to do with readers. Faced with an overwhelming number of books to
peruse in order to find the perfect one, they narrow their choices by considering
only those books most likely to fit their requirements. In other words, they
browse books according to genre. Feel romantic? Don't look for a horror story.
Skip right to the romance section. And so on.
The second
reason has to do with publishers. Genres are, to put it bluntly, the most
effective tool in any publisher's toolbox and I'm all for any gizmo, gadget or
tool that will help them sell my books efficiently, fast, and in great
quantities so we can both get rich. Including categorizing books by genre
because the better a story fits into an already-existing genre, the easier it
is for publishers to get it out and readers to find it, a lesson I learned the
hard way when I started self-pubbing.
As a
beginning writer, I sent manuscripts to confession magazines. I read their
guidelines and as long as I followed them, my stories sold … and sold … and
sold. Dozens. Hundreds. Many hundreds.
Then I
switched to the electronic market and self-pubbed my books. No guidelines
necessary. Yeah!!! I wrote whatever I chose and enjoyed it thoroughly. What I
wrote was good stuff and my few readers gushed with praise.
Few because
though the writing was easy, the marketing wasn't! One reviewer commented that
my work crosses many genres and does so beautifully. But in an over-crowded
market it's difficult to call attention to a story that can't be categorized
and, therefore, must compete with all the other books out there instead of just
ones that are similar.
Now when I
put a story together, I think ahead. I consider what genre this story most
closely resembles and as I write I keep the guide-lines of that particular
genre in mind. This one thing makes marketing the completed book much, much easier
while also making it easier for readers to find my latest masterpiece. I like
it when people actually read my work. It's why I became a writer.
About the Author
Veteran romance writer Florence
Witkop was born in the city and has lived in the suburbs, the country
and the
wilderness where she still lives and writes contemporary, sci/fi and
fantasy fiction, with a clean romance always included. At various times
she's been a confession
writer, a copywriter, a ghost writer and an editor. She writes short
stories novellas and novels.
Get her books:
Novel links:
Spirit Legend
Wanted Sharpshooter
When Dreams Do Come True
Short story links:
The Eye of The Universe (sci-fi romance)
Why Birds Fly (children's 'creation' legend)
Down From the Mountain (dystopian)
