I am keeping this one short today because I have a full day of mindless meetings but I have to get this off my chest.
This last weekend, I answered a ton of submissions and there were many who just hit a nerve with me. In an attempt to "not categorize themselves" they made up their own genres.
Oh, that's right! The created their own genre names. I guess they figured that if the publishers could do it, then an unpublished author could do it as well. OK, maybe they can, but it isn't going to really get you any brownie points with those editors and agents.
I am going to return to the same thing I say over and over again about knowing the genre of your story. Booksellers, whether brick and mortar or online need to know what shelf you book belongs on. Agents need to know which publisher and which editor we need to send your book to. When you make up a genre in an attempt to prove that your story some how "crosses genres" (when in reality is really a hot mess) gives us no direction.
So telling me your story is a Dystopian Narrative Non-Fiction Memoir Collection of Romantasy Essays.... I think you get the idea.
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