Advice from Readers Needed

[M.A.]

I would like some advice from mystery readers. My book is a murder mystery with a Native paranormal twist. BISAC has an "Occult and Paranormal" category but Kindle doesn't use BISAC categories, they have their own system and when you choose a BISAC category for your book Kindle places it in the nearest approximate category on their site, and unfortunately they don't have an Occult and Paranormal category.

My book is on Kindle under Mysteries and Thrillers > Mystery but I am allowed a second category. Kindle has a category called Religion and Spirituality > Fiction > Mystery, but putting it here automatically gets my book listed also in Religious Fiction > Mystery and this category (and category bedfellows) implies Christian beliefs, which I think might be turning away potential readers either because they don't share these beliefs or they are looking in the category precisely for a Christian book and are offended because the book isn't that.

The book also has a romantic-suspense element, but I fear putting it in this category might scare off men, who so far have really enjoyed the novel and given it good reviews. So either I have to leave it just in Mysteries and Thrillers and not give it a second category on Kindle, or I have to choose the lesser of two possible evils.

It would help me greatly if mystery readers could share their thoughts on how important these secondary categories are when you go looking for mystery books and whether seeing the book also listed in Religious Fiction or Romantic-Suspense would be a turn-off.

Thank you in advance for your kind assistance.

[♥Meagan♥]

I would not read it if it had Religious Fiction in it, and Romantic-Suspense might scare off male readers (or women who don't like that) but, I can't say, as I am neither of those.

I would say go with no second category.

[Cynthia]

I'd sure avoid the religious or romance subcategories. I know Amazon doesn't move quickly on these things (or listen to it's customers) but I would still write to them and try to get a subcat of Paranormal. This is such a popular category right now it only makes sense.

[M.A.]

Cynthia:
That's my problem: there is no subcat of Paranormal. Hence my frustration. I can only tag it as such but not categorize it.

[Cynthia]

MA I understand that which is why I suggested you write to Amazon and try and get them to add the paranormal category. Maybe they listen to their authors more than they do their customers.

[AB]

I'd stay away from either secondary category as well.

[M.A.]

I have sent them an email asking that the category of Religious Fiction be removed from Baby Jane, and asked why they don't have the category of Paranormal. It seems bizarre that they wouldn't.

[Cynthia]

Good luck MA.

[Patricia]

I would just leave off both of them. Definitely don't tag it as Religious, that turns off a lot of people.

[Helen]

Stick with the mystery thriller in my opinion.