Following is a look at similar genres and how they differ as defined by literary agents. This is reprinted from Writers in the Storm, a great resource site – http://writersinthestormblog.com
Concerning the definitions of high fantasy vs. urban fantasy:
“In high fantasy, an entire world is created; it doesn’t take place in what we recognize as the world as we currently know it. It usually has magic or magical creatures of some sort, though there are some exceptions. Urban fantasy also takes place in what is recognizably our world and has vampires, werewolves, zombies, ghosts, etc. The stories involve characters that are human, or were once human, but have evolved into something else.”
—Tamar Rydzinski (Laura Dail Literary Agency)
On the confusion between urban fantasy and paranormal romance:
“Urban fantasy versus paranormal romance is always a fine line. I think urban fantasy lingers a tad longer on the wider plot, and paranormal romance lingers a tad longer on the chemistry between the two main characters.”
—Robin Rue (Writers House)
“There is a lot of overlap in these two genres, but at its core, paranormal romance cannot exist without a romance. Urban fantasy can.”
—Sarah LaPolla (Bradford Literary Agency)
On mystery vs. thriller:
“The way I see it, a pure mystery is where the crime has already happened and the protagonist must solve it. In a thriller, the protagonist is often waiting for the crime to occur or working to prevent it. Mysteries can be more introspective, with a focus on the protagonist’s mental powers of deduction, where thrillers are known for more action and physicality. In mysteries, a key element of the plot is hidden from the reader, such as (most traditionally) who the villain is. In a thriller, you often know who the villain is fairly early on, and the plot is centered around a game of cat and mouse.”
—Cameron McClure (Donald Maass Literary Agency)
On an agent’s willingness to work with a book that straddles two, three, or even four genres:
“If you are unable to tell me what it is you’re writing (and do not say you ‘really can’t’ because ‘it has never been done before,’ because every time an author says that, a kitten explodes), then how am I going to frame it and sell it? There are of course subgenres within genres, but an author straddling too many genres is akin to Shark-Octopus-Bear lurching out of the ocean, growling and biting and thrashing its eight arms hither and thither. And no one wants to approach that—not an agent, not a publisher, and not Greenpeace.”
—Barbara Poelle (Irene Goodman Literary Agency)
On what constitutes crime fiction:
“I would say that crime fiction is less about the whodunit than about the protagonist’s dilemma in a criminal milieu. The protagonist may not have all the information—so there is a mystery in that he is trying to find something out—but the story is really about how he solves his problems, which are often as much about his lifestyle as about the particular crime that spurs the plot. For instance, in Ray Banks’s brilliant Saturday’s Child, Cal Innes is forced by a local mob boss to find a former employee and the money he stole, but in many ways the story is about Cal trying to find a place for himself and form an adult life within a socioeconomic stratum that offers very few options.”
—Stacia Decker (Donald Maass Literary Agency)
On the categories of children’s fiction:
“In a nutshell: Early Readers = Frog and Toad, and Elephant and Piggie. Chapter books = Judy Moody, and Ivy and Bean. Think of the stages of development in this order: picture books lead to early readers, which lead to chapter books, which lead to middle grade, which lead to young adult.”
—Jen Rofe (Andrea Brown Literary Agency)
“Early readers are for young kids just beginning to learn to read and are more heavily illustrated. Their language is restricted to basic words and concepts that help kids ages 4-6 learn to read. An example would be The Berenstain Bears. Chapter books are for intermediate readers ages 7-10. Chapter books are for kids that are not quite ready for Harry Potter, but The Very Hungry Caterpillar isn’t going to hold their attention either. Chapter books have illustrations but are primarily about the prose, and they have a bit more narrative complexity. Early readers can be indistinguishable from picture books and often have color illustrations on every page, whereas chapter books usually (though there are plenty of exceptions) have only black and white line illustrations sporadically interspersed. Early readers aren’t usually more than 1,000 words, whereas chapter books are usually over 10,000 words. Both types of books are targeted at the school and library markets, so there are a lot of considerations when it comes to the vocabulary you should use. I would recommend doing a lot of research before attempting to write either sort of book.”
—Evan Gregory (Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency)
“A middle grade book is generally intended for eight- to twelve-year-olds, and the protagonist should be in that age range as well. YA is geared toward ages 13 and up, although sometimes a YA book is classified as younger or older YA. Obviously subject matter must be appropriate for the intended age group, but equally as important is the voice. Too often the voice strikes me as too old or too young for the character’s age. If the protagonist is an eleven-year-old boy, then the reader must feel like an eleven-year-old boy is speaking to them. An authentic voice makes the reader want to accompany that boy on his journey, whatever it may be.”
—Ann Behar (Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency)
On classifying erotica, romance, erotic romance, and women’s fiction:
“The book crosses the line into erotica when the sexual journey is more important than the romantic journey. And that’s not a bad thing, just a different market.”
—Michelle Johnson (Inklings Literary Agency)
“To me, erotic romance is primarily between a couple (or sometimes a threesome) that will have a happily ever after. At its heart, it’s the story of people finding their soul mates and exploring the connection via sex. Straight-up erotica doesn’t have to end in a committed coupling. The focus (to me, and I’m sure others’ [tastes] will vary) is more on the voyage of self-discovery … a character or characters learning what it is that makes him or her happy and comfortable and finding the courage to accept whatever might be revealed.”
—Lucienne Diver (The Knight Agency)
“A contemporary romance’s plot revolves around the love/romantic element, whereas women’s fiction tends to revolve around women’s issues and the growth and empowerment of the female protagonist. Women’s fiction can have romance, but it’s not the driving force of the plot.”
—Kathleen Ortiz (New Leaf Literary and Media)
“Women’s fiction novels are not simply stories with female characters, but stories that tell us the female journey. Women’s fiction is a way for women to learn and grow, and to relate to others what it is to be a woman.”
—Scott Eagan (Greyhaus Literary Agency)
On writing an LGBTQ novel/memoir:
“It drives me crazy that I get so many queer memoirs and coming-of-age novels where the author assumes that it’s enough to just be gay, and nothing much else is going on in their stories other than this identity crisis. I don’t mean to trivialize that experience, but at the same time, many coming out stories don’t make for a riveting read or can sustain the scope of a novel on their own. This only works if you’re writing at the level of someone like David Sedaris or Alison Smith.”
—Cameron McClure (Donald Maass Literary Agency)
“If the protagonist’s sexuality isn’t an issue in the story line—if the protagonist just happens to be gay—I don’t think that book would be pigeonholed [as LGBTQ fiction]. But if the book is about the protagonist’s gay lifestyle, then it would be categorized as such.”
—Jennifer De Chiara (Jennifer De Chiara Literary)
LOOKING FOR AN AGENT?
Three New Agents Seeking New Clients
Click on any name below to see the full mini-profile with submission instructions.
1. Kurestin Armada of P.S. Literary
She is seeking: “Upmarket and Commercial Fiction, Magic Realism, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Alternative History, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ (any genre), select Young Adult and Middle Grade, Graphic Novels, Mystery (including mystery with elements of SF/F), and Romance. In nonfiction, she is looking for Design, Cooking, Pop Psychology, Humour, Narrative, Photography, and Pop Science.”
2. Jesse Finkelstein of Transatlantic Literary
She is seeking: Upmarket, accessible nonfiction that challenges current conceptions, whether through a “big ideas” book or narrative. “I am drawn to entrepreneurs and people who are innovators in their fields and writing about current affairs, business, culture, politics, technology, religion, and the environment,” she says. “I am most interested in authors who have an existing platform.”
3. Maria Vicente of P.S. Literary Agency
She is seeking: nonfiction projects in the pop culture, geek culture, pop psychology, design, and lifestyle categories; young adult (any genre), middle grade (any genre), and illustrated picture books; literary and commercial fiction (including fiction with a touch of genre).