How to choose the right genre for your first book.

Claudia
Jul 22
7 min read

Choosing the right genre for your first book isn't just about following your heart; it's about understanding yourself as a writer, recognising your strengths, and connecting with your reader.

I'll walk you through some steps you can take to find your perfect genre: from creative strategies for genre selection to researching market trends.

Why does genre matter?

When you sell your book as a certain genre, your readers will expect a reading experience that matches that genre. For example, romance readers expect a 'happily ever after' ending, while mystery fans count on an ending in which the mystery has been solved.

Understanding genre conventions gives you a framework to build upon, allowing you to focus on character development, world-building, and plot twists. Choosing a genre doesn't mean you can't be creative – it's just a guide.

Genre and marketing

In today's book market, genre clarity is essential for connecting with the right reader. When you know your genre, you can:

Target your marketing efforts to readers who already enjoy similar books
Avoid negative feedback (this may happen because readers expect a different reading experience when they buy your book)
Design a cover (that follows genre conventions) that signals to potential readers what kind of story they're getting
Write a book blurb that highlights the elements your audience values most
Position yourself successfully on retail platforms, like Amazon, where genre categories significantly impact discoverability

How to discover YOUR genre

Finding your ideal genre isn't about following trends or chasing what's hot; it's about finding the intersection between what you love, what you're good at, and what readers want.

Step 1: Write what you love

The first thing to ask yourself is: What do I love to read?

When I think about my reading habits, there are a few genres I return to again and again. I read books from a wide range of genres (I have read a lot of fantasy, classic literature, contemporary literature, and also some science fiction), but as I grew up on Fantasy, I feel I should stick to this genre when writing because I know its conventions best.

If you're passionate about a particular genre, you probably:

Already understand its conventions (pacing and structure) and reader expectations
Enjoy the writing process more, which means you're more likely to finish writing your book
Be enthusiastic about your marketing

However, if you enjoy reading across multiple genres, you may need to dig deeper to find your genre.

Step 2: Assess your writing strengths

You may excel at dialogue, while others excel at world-building or creating amazing plots. Understanding what you're good at – what comes naturally to you – can help you choose a genre that showcases what you do best.

To identify your strengths, ask yourself:

What elements of writing come naturally to me?
What do beta readers (or writing group members) applaud in my work?
Which aspects of storytelling do I enjoy most?

Different genres = different skills

If you're great at creating tension and suspense, thriller or horror might be a good fit. But if complex characters are your jam, literary fiction may be the genre for you.

Don't force yourself into a genre you'll struggle with. Utilising your strengths makes the writing process easier and more enjoyable, and results in a better story.

Step 3: Consider your target audience

Understanding who you're writing for is crucial to genre selection. Think about the kind of person who would be most interested in your story and what they're looking for in a book.

Consider:

What age group you are writing for (middle grade, young adult, adult?)
What themes or topics you want to explore
What kind of emotional experience you want for your readers

For example, if you're writing a clean manuscript in which teenagers navigate growing up, how they fit in, and where they belong, middle-grade or young-adult fiction might be your genre. But if you want to explore ethical dilemmas, like The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin, general fiction or science fiction could be the right choice.

Remember that your target audience can never be everyone – no matter how much you want the whole world to love what you have written. Take Orbital by Samantha Harvey; it won the 2024 Booker Prize and is classified as modern & contemporary fiction. Orbital may be an amazing read for those who enjoy reading contemporary fiction, but those who love reading fantasy may find it rubbish. So, the more you can picture your ideal reader, the easier it will be to choose a genre that speaks to them.

Step 4: Research market trends

You shouldn't choose a genre solely based on what's trending on TikTok. But understanding the market can help you make your decision (if this is something you want to consider when choosing a genre).

When I was researching genre market trends for my blog (Is there a book genre that sells better than others?), I found that Romance was the best-selling genre. 'If you write in a different genre, one that is not as popular, fret not. That 1.22% [Horror book sales] is the equivalent of £86,172,800 in UK book revenue alone (2022 figures). If your book is on worldwide distribution, imagine the possibilities!'

Market trends should be just one factor in your decision-making process. By the time you write, revise, and publish your book, whatever is trending today may be dismissed two years from now. Do you remember how Twilight made vampire novels popular? All of a sudden, vampires and werewolves were everywhere! That boost lasted a few years before other genres took over. Then, a few years ago, Fifty Shades of Grey made SMUT popular, paving the way for Rebecca Yarros's The Empyrean series: her sales exploded.

So, if you're seriously considering the current market, I recommend focusing on genres with established readerships rather than the latest craze.

Research methods for genre selection

Read a lot of books from the genres you're interested in

The most important research you can do is to read A LOT of books from the genres you're considering, because it will help you:

Understand the genre conventions and reader expectations
Understand what makes a book stand out
Determine if you'll enjoy writing in these genres

You may want to read some bestsellers, award winners, books by debut authors, and books by indie authors who have managed to conquer the market to get a good idea of what works well.

Check bestseller lists and sales data

The best sources for book sales are services like BookScan and Bookstat; unfortunately, these are paid-for services that aren't accessible to the general public. You can get a general idea of what's happening in the industry by following the publishing news and weekly bestsellers lists on The Bookseller and checking Gitnux (market data).

You can also check the New York Times bestseller list and see which Amazon categories are trending.

Talk with readers

If you really want to find out what works well, I suggest reading/listening to readers when they discuss what they love and dislike in the genres you're considering. You can do this by checking:

Goodreads genre groups
BookTok, Bookstagram, and Facebook groups (the genres you're considering)
Book clubs that focus on particular genres
Book reviews (honest reviews will focus on what worked and didn't work for the reader)

List of popular book genres and subgenres

Making your genre decision

No matter how much research you do, you may still be unsure which genre you want to write in. So, you may want to try some writing exercises to see if you can find the perfect match.

Write sample chapters in different genres

Some people find it useful to write the first few paragraphs or the first chapter of their book in different genres because it tells them which genre feels natural to them and makes them excited to write.

When you try this experiment, you may find out that the genre you were planning on writing in feels unnatural to you and that writing in a genre you didn't consider previously is the way to go.

Create character sketches

Like writing a test first chapter, you can also create a test protagonist. You can alter their characteristics and goals for each genre you're considering. This allows you to see which character (AKA genre) is the most exciting to write.

Imagine your author brand

Have you ever thought of what your author branding would look like once you're finished writing and you're ready to hit the publish button and connect with your readers?

If you haven't yet, it may be a good idea to answer these questions:

Would I be proud to be known for this type of book?
Can I see myself writing multiple books in this genre?
Does this genre align with my long-term writing goals?

Your first book establishes your author brand, and while you can write in different genres, it's your first published book that readers associate with your name, AKA your author brand.

Take J. K. Rowling, for example. She became famous for writing Wizard Fantasy and started writing Crime Fiction as Robert Galbraith when she was done writing the Harry Potter series. She chose to write under a pen name because the name J. K. Rowling IS Harry Potter (author branding).

What not to do

Don't write for money

Most successful authors are typically those who love what they write, not those who chase market trends.

Don't write for everyone

You can never please every reader, so focus on the quality of your story instead.

Conclusion

I fully believe that when you produce good-quality work, something you're passionate about, everything else will fall into place. The final decision about which genre to write in should be a mix of your creative strengths and your goals.

The most important thing is to start writing.

I provide beta reading, copyediting, proofreading, and formatting services to help authors of all levels perfect their work. Whether you’re seeking early feedback or professional editing, I'm here to assist you at every stage of your writing journey.