The explosion of the self-publishing industry means that authors are no longer bound by industry rules and regulations. Even today, if you want a traditional publishing contract, you get the contract in one hand and the rules in the other. In fact, you get the rules before you see the contract. But no more. Because some authors have decided to strike out on there own, self-publishing is a thriving industry in its own right. Now authors can bring their books into the world on their terms. For the longest time, authors thought that the method to being successful was to follow everything that is happening in the traditional publishing world. While others proved that methodology wrong by branching out and exploring new options in marketing. However, when it comes to being a hybrid genre author there are others still sticking to the old ways. The below article is to help you understand more about what a Hybrid Genre author is and why I have taken up the mantle.
What is a Hybrid Genre Author?
A Hybrid Genre Author is an author who writes in more than one book genre. Genres may not be represented in the same book.
“Don’t classify me, read me. I’m a writer, not a genre.”
― Carlos Fuentes
This type of writing is not for everyone. It takes practice to hit the necessary tropes and understand the audience of every genre. Upon success, Hybrid Genre Authors never have to worry about growing bored with there craft or risking burn out. Its also not about choosing the genres that are most alike and writing in that lane. It’s writing what you want, whatever that might be.
Hybrid Authors work twice as hard in the marketing department to ensure that there is no reader confusion and that their book is getting into the right hands.
Example: I write Christian Romance, but lovers of vampires can also find an Urban Fantasy in my collection. Two different audiences.
How does one become a Hybrid Genre Author?
It helps to be a Hybrid Genre Reader. Take stock off the different genres in your own library. What do you personally enjoy reading? Your kindle should be a mixture of a number of things. YA, ROMANCE, EROTICA, URBAN FICTION, HORROR ETC.,
It also helps to be a Hybrid Genre Author. That means you would have published more than one novel in separate genres. It is important that your book covers match the genre in which you’re publishing the stories too. Decrease reader confusion by accurately depicting what the story is about with your book covers.
What genre you publish first will be indicative of your publishing goals, marketing plan, and reader trends. There are those like myself that publish based on a strict schedule. Others publish various genres dependent on which are series and which are standalones (Angel Lawson is an example of the latter.)
There are ways for every author to distinguish the different genre offerings from each other.
- Accurate Book Covers. Should be professionally designed and fit in perfectly with the other books in its category. While indicating its uniqueness for your story.
- Accurate Blurbs. If you’re writing an erotica, don’t make it sound like a cute romance worthy of Little House on the Prairie.
- Include Genre on Paperback Wrap. Unfortunately for some fans, you will just have to spell things out. Include the book genre on the back cover of your book somewhere inconspicuously.
- Include Genre on Copyright Page. Not everyone buys paperbacks. Include the genre of the book somewhere on the copyright page.
- Separate Logos for Each Genre. Places like Harlequin have different logos that go on every book for each subgenre of there romance novels. (optional)
Those are all the casual changes needed to indicate genre. Most independent authors also own there own publishing companies and/or websites. Use your platform to alert your readers to the genre-jumping.
- The tagline of your website should include the words Hybrid Genre Author.
- At least 1 blog post/article should explain why you want to be a Hybrid Genre Author.
- Mention you’re a Hybrid Genre Author on your Amazon profile page.
- Prepare 2-minute elevator speech on what a Hybrid Genre Author is for anyone who asks.
- Mention it in your author newsletter.
- Mention it in the About Page of your Social Media Accounts.
When authors are unsure of there writing prowess in another genre they typically publish under a pen name. This is the equivalent of dipping your toe into the water to see if it’s too hot. They may also use pen names as a way to differentiate the various genres they publish under.
Who Are Some Popular Hybrid Genre Authors?*
As mentioned above some authors use pen names, but whether you decide to or not depends on your publishing goals.
Some Authors as evidenced by J.K. Rowling get so famous for one book that its difficult to branch out of the norm. Hence for her, a pen name was necessary. Choosing to be a Hybrid Genre Author from the beginning is easier than adopting it later. The G.O.A.T. Joyce Oates proved this by making readers confused by publishing under a pen name when she had already published 40 different genre books all under one name.
Anne Rice and Iain Banks (not mentioned below, but also an HGA) use pen names as well, but rather than makeup strange names. Rice uses her maiden name and Banks uses his middle initial. The latter option is one that I’m still considering for myself.
Dean Koontz classifies himself as a cross-genre writer. Meaning he’s an author who writes more than one genre in the same book. This man has over 5 pen names. I personally do not have the marketing patience for all that upkeep.
Nevertheless, the purpose of listing these HGA names below is not to debate the success of there genre-hopping book. Or how they handle the author name complication, but to list out how many different categories there are for a Hybrid Genre Author to choose from. Also, pay attention to how many are writing books on the opposite end of the book category spectrum. As well as pay close attention to how many book genres there juggling.
J.K. Rowling – Children’s Literature and more adult faire**.
Stephen King – Horror, Gothic Fantasy and Mystery/Crime novels
Anne Rice – Paranormal Romance, Historical Fiction, BDSM Fantasy Novels and Religious Fiction
Neil Gaiman – Dark Fantasy, Comic Books, Graphic Novels, Children’s Books, and Poetry
Philip Roth – Literary Fiction, Alternate History Science Fiction
Jacqueline Woodson – Children and Adult Books
Emma Donoghue – Children’s Books, Historical Fiction, and Gothic novels
Isabel Allende – Fantasy, Mystery, Nonfiction, and a Memoir
Jennifer Egan – Literary Fiction and Historical Fiction
Lisa See – Literary Fiction and Mystery
Margaret Atwood – Dystopian, Children’s books, Literary Fiction, and works of Historical Fiction
Joyce Carol Oates*** – Nonfiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Memoir and Children’s Literature
Roald Dahl – Children’s Books, Screenplay, and Crime Stories
Dan Simmons – Horror, Science Fiction, and Crime
Georgette Heyer – Mysteries, Romance, and Historical Fiction
M.T. Anderson – Science Fiction, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Horror and Children’s Books
Peter Carey – Romance, Historicals, Westerns, Contemporary Fiction
Why Am I A Hybrid Genre Author?
I’m a hybrid reader. My introduction to writing was through fanfiction and writing storylines for drastically different shows. It became obvious that I needed to try publishing original stories professionally.
Once I decided to take the plunge, my ideas took off. I had storylines for everything from paranormal romance to contemporary. As I learned more and more about the publishing industry it became clear that the experts were saying you needed to choose only one. For me, I liken it to being in eighth grade with a love of reading. Only to realize that the only thing they’re going to give you to read is boring textbooks. It sucks the life out of your passion. So without question, I decided to do it differently.
In short being a Hybrid Genre Author is the only thing allowing me to live my dreams. Anything else would be a watered down substitute.
TRS BOOKS is the umbrella under which all of my books will thrive. It allows me to sell my titles on one site without the added work of separating my creations by pen name and/or genre. Readers are also conditioned to expect different types of novels from me.
“There is only one genre in fiction, the genre is called book.”
― Matt Haig, The Humans
Conclusion
Being a Hybrid Genre Author allows a writer to publish different novels across a variety of genres. The only way to experience the best of what being an author means. The creative freedom is liberating. But I have to admit marketing these books offer there own unique challenges. Being a Hybrid Genre Author means learning different tropes and audiences that match each genre. But being a Hybrid Genre Author means becoming a one-stop shop for any taste that a reader might have.
“I write across several genres. I’m a slut for words. I can’t keep it in my literary pants.”
― Fierce Dolan
Footnotes:
*If you would like to read some of the different offerings by the popular Authors mentioned above. Read the Article, 13 Bestselling Authors Who Write in More Than One Genre, which goes into more depth than I do.
**You can check out J.K. Rowlings other books under the pen name, Robert Galbraith. For the author’s sake, read it with an open mind and not expecting Harry Potter esque writing.
*** J.C.O. is the goat and there is nothing she can’t write. She even does some cross-genre authoring.
I am putting together an RPG story. Actually, I have a martial arts-horror-comedy (I know that is not a genre I have been playing with in my head for some time). I think no matter what folks are venturing in, the realism is still important to the credibility of the story. It’s something I try to balance out in non-serious fiction.