Do You Know Where Your Novel Fits?

The pandemic of recent years has wrecked havoc on the veterinary industry. In plain terms, there are less of us providing care, more pets than ever and the results is most veterinary practices can’t keep up. This is where capacity and prioritizing come in.

You can only do so much.

To keep my writing near to the top of the list, I have had to set goals and be uncompromisable when it comes to finding and protecting my writing time.

To further this goal, I signed up for a writing intensive with Chicken House Press, for 12 heavenly hours of uninterrupted time to write and reflect. Forefront on my writing time agenda was to address recent comments from an editor on the first 50 pages of the novel I am about to query.

A major theme of the editor’s comments revolved around knowing the identity of my writing project so I can more precisely craft and polish the opening to suit that genre. Where does this novel fit on the shelf? How do we position it?

In my ‘fake query’ letter to the editor, I stated my novel was Commercial Women’s Fiction… which focused her reading, critiquing, and therefore her comments to the features of Commercial Fiction.

Funnily enough, this has forced me to recognize that I didn’t understand the sub-genres of my genre very well and I therefore classified my work incorrectly.

To help highlight this further, I have added a link to a very helpful infographic from PS Literary agent, Carly Watters.

https://agentcarlywatters.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/infographic-for-carly-01.png?w=1200

In Women’s Fiction – undeniably where my fiction lies – the story is about and predominantly marketed towards women, their struggles and their emotional journey, leading to personal growth.

But within Women’s Fiction, there are subgenres.

So, am I Literary, Upmarket or Commercial Fiction?

Please note the following is a summary and fully credited to the above reference and Carly Watters.

When I boldly declared my pages were Commercial Women’s Fiction, this required the editor to focus on the main concepts of Commercial Fiction. Therefore, she was looking for and was disappointed not to find the following.

              COMMERCIAL FICTION

• • a mostly plot driven story
  • fast paced writing (i.e., Thriller)
  • a concise hook like ‘solving a murder’ (i.e., Crime Fiction)
  • a predictable, satisfying solution – (i.e., girl marries boy – Romance)
  • wrapping up all threads concisely

It ends up, after agonizing over her comments, I’ve been forced to go back to the drawing board and break down my novel’s features. Am I Commercial Fiction? Do I need a major story do over to better fit this genre, or was I wrong with my genre label?

I suspect this is a classic inexperienced writer (or as I call myself – early educated writer) mistake.

I’ve also had others suggest my writing would fit into Literary. However, if we investigate the features of this sub-genre, I am further convinced my writing isn’t a good fit for Literary Women’s Fiction either.

              LITERARY FICTION

• • a methodical pace, focused on the sentence structure and beauty more than the plot
  • open endings
  • award winning crafted language
  • aimed at originality of thought where making art is the goal

I’m confident now, with Carly’s infographic help, continued research/reading and further reflection, that my novel doesn’t fit into either Commercial or Literary Fiction. So, perhaps my novel should share the shelf with Upmarket Fiction titles, having the following features.

               UPMARKET FICTION

• • universal themes, based on real life
  • accessible, quality writing that tackles commercial themes
  • character driven
  • blending the features of commercial and literary

This definition feels more like home. My novel has a forward moving plot, and yet it is not plot driven like classic Commercial Fiction. My novel is based on universal themes (women in STEM careers, chauvinism, professional ethics) and is character driven, sharing how a heroine overcomes the devastating, confidence shattering experience of a professional mistake that unfortunately harms an animal and how she overcomes this blow to regain her professional and personal confidence.

My writing is accessible and yet at times, specific and scientific by sharing veterinary medical facts and scenarios, bringing the reader through the back doors and right into the surgery room of a veterinary hospital. The writing is at times poetic and yet, always gritty and connected to real life situations. Finally, there is a commercial appeal for animal lovers with stories that share how animals enrich our lives and the extraordinary efforts we take to ensure their health and happiness. Finally, in the conclusion of the story, the heroine doesn’t take the predictably path.

It appears my novel fits Upmarket Fiction!

I’m going to absorb and make the editors suggested changes to improve my pages, without changing who I am and what my writing is about. I have every confidence I can improve my opening pages with her comments; increasing tension, conflict, and stakes, while generating questions for the reader to keep them turning pages.

I arrived at my writing retreat late, as per my usual, and found myself outside, waiting to be allowed entry. I smiled into the sun, gathering vitamin D, and took a sip of coffee, a little vitamin caffeine, and they opened the door.    

I was prepared to own my place in Upmarket Women’s Fiction.