Marc, I know. Blurring can be good. There are defined genres, sub-genres, and new ones rising! Maybe I will write a story that contains ALL genres, LOL!

Basically you have to pick a category to pitch the silly thing - then the agent will tell you what it is. A friend recently submitted a YA fantasy with paranormal content and a teen protagonist and was told it would be better marketed as adult literary - say what? Ha ha ha ha.

D.B. wrote: "Marc, I know. Blurring can be good. There are defined genres, sub-genres, and new ones rising! Maybe I will write a story that contains ALL genres, LOL!"

My latest novel is a futuristic (Lunar colonies) paranormal (werewolves) mystery with romantic elements. I'm trying.

Oh my goodness, LOL. Well, we can just write and then try to decide what we have created!

Maxwell wrote: "I am a published "Fantasy" author. The "industry" defines the difference this way...

Science Fiction is something that can, theoretically, happen. Time Travel, Hyper Drives, Warp Travel, Laser G..."

Maxwell wrote: "I am a published "Fantasy" author. The "industry" defines the difference this way...

Science Fiction is something that can, theoretically, happen. Time Travel, Hyper Drives, Warp Travel, Laser G..."

Hi What's fantasy and what's SF is is always a matter of opinion for myself I think that where the author has gone for technical solutions (however unlikely) for example Anne McCaffery's ship series it's SF, but her dragon series is fantasy. The dragon series is fantasy on two seperate accounts, mind reading and mythical creatures. As for SM Sterling, his work seems to be me to be a sub-genre of Alternate History.
I also like old style SF of the space wars variety,the SF time traveling detectives (Andre Norton) and the goblins and leprachauns (Charles De Lint).The only type I don't like is paranormal romantic novels, mind you I don't like Mills and Boon either. Anyway who cares what they call it so long as the story is credible in terms of the book, it moves at a fast pace and it reaches a satisfying conclusion

I agree,if the story rocks - who cares what you call it? Especially if it makes it to the front of the bookstore where you can see it when you first walk in.

Actually I love sites like this one because I learn about books that I wouldn't find by walking in a bookstore and looking at the front table. a NYT bestseller isn't necessarily worth the coin.

Don't get me started on the demise of availability. . . I remember when our local library had a copy of nearly everything. I spent months walking through the old mansion with three levels happily perusing flyleafs. . .and they were alphabetical so if I had not yet discovered an older book by my favorite new author - it was sitting there right next to the new one. Unlike some bookstores where they might have a copy of a book but it is hiding on an endcap or misplaced by a shopper in an entirely different section of the store, etc. That's one problem with genre-defined spaces. A book might not be a "genre" you usually read, but the premise is so intriguing you pick it up anyway. Life is too short for bad fiction either way. : ). I am thankful we have online resources to open our eyes to new adventures.

Diana wrote: "Actually I love sites like this one because I learn about books that I wouldn't find by walking in a bookstore and looking at the front table. a NYT bestseller isn't necessarily worth the coin. "

Unfortunately, publishers pay for the placement, the books don't make it to the table by the entrance by merit.