If you have written a science fiction romantic thriller, you may have written a hot mess. Publishing falls into different types of books. Ask yourself which area in the bookstore your book will be shelved. If you don’t know, the publisher won’t know either. That’s how it works. You have to know. Study that area, read a lot of books in that area, and know exactly what you’re going for. This can be less true if you write something literary, but even that has to have some kind of draw. There is such a thing as a literary thriller, a literary science fiction novel, and a literary romance (calling all Brontes). But when you mash them all together, it can become a problem. If they don’t know what to call it, they don’t know how to publish it. Why can’t it just be a good novel? Well, it can, if you are really good. But short of that, you’re a lot better off if you know what to call it. Or maybe you wrote something brilliant that crosses boundaries, challenges the old school, and breaks new ground. That’s great and maybe you’ll start a new trend. But in general, know where your book fits into the market. Imagine that you are the publisher. How are you going to publish this book? Is it just “fiction”? Then it might get lost, unless it is brilliant. Brilliance occurs and we all welcome it. There is always a place for excellent writing, clever plots, relatable characters, and vibrant settings. But go easy on yourself.
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