If you want to write a solid book that has a good chance of selling either to agents or as a self-published author, you need to have a firm understanding of the various genres and then decide where your book 'sits' on the bookstore's shelf. If your book is a mix-up of five different genres and sub-genres, like a romance, sci-fi, paranormal, steam-punk, horror and adventure, no agent is going to touch it with a barge-pole. If you self-publish it will be a nightmare to try to get your book slotted into the right category on Amazon's listing, costing you valuable sales . Books need to be easily categorized to sell, how else can an agent pitch it to a publisher if they can't precisely say what the genre is? What you can have is a main genre, with a solid sub-genre. For example, The Lost Valor of Love is Historical Fantasy.
Not sure if your genre works? There is a super easy way to test it: check out the official list of BISAC genre codes, and if you can't find your genre/sub-genre mix, you need to have a rethink. Better to know this before you bash out and edit 100k words, right? If you click on the words 'External Link' just above the comment section (only viewable on desktop version) you will get sent straight to the BISAC code list and you can test your genre there. If you ever get published, you will need this code so your book can be categorized by libraries and booksellers. (It is usually printed somewhere near the bar code).
Ok, let's get to the nitty gritty. First off there are three main categories of fiction. These helpful infographics below by Carly Watters of P.S. Literary Agency help clarify things much better than any written explanation would.
It should be noted that Literary Fiction is a dead market to publishers, I know of authors who have been published by big houses who have literary manuscripts languishing with their agents. Publishers don't want them. So, if you want to write literary fiction, be warned, you will likely never get anyone to publish you, or even snag an agent -- at least not until the pendulum swings the other way and literary becomes fashionable again. If ever.
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So that leaves the two main categories of fiction that are being published. Upmarket and Commercial. As an example, The Lost Valor of Love would be considered Commercial Fiction. It's the least glamorous category in terms of artfulness, but it is the one that solidly sells books and attracts readers. If you want to get an agent/be published or are thinking of self-publishing your first novel, Commercial Fiction is the most likely category for success. You can compare the differences below.
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Example authors of Upmarket Fiction are Audrey Niffenegger, Paula Hawkins, Jojo Moyes
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Example authors of Commercial Fiction are Danielle Steele, Nicholas Sparks, Tom Clancy
The Main Genres of Fiction & Industry Accepted Word Counts (WC):
Apart from Fanfiction, which cannot be sold since it violates copyright, the main genres that are being published/sought after are listed below. I have bolded the most popular genres with agents/publishers for 2017.
Chick Lit - fiction which has light-hearted, amusing tales of dating woes, career foibles, and personal antics as they relate to the problems of average female 20- & 30-somethings: finding the right career, the right man, and the right attitude. WC 80,000 - 100,000
Crime/Detective - fiction about a crime, how the criminal gets caught, and the repercussions of the crime. WC 80,000 - 90,000
Fan fiction - fiction written by a fan of, and featuring characters from, a particular TV series, movie, or book. WC irrelevant.
Fantasy - fiction with strange or otherworldly settings or characters; fiction which invites suspension of reality. WC 90,000 - 100,000
Historical fiction - story with fictional characters and events in a historical setting WC 100,000 - 120,000
Horror - fiction in which events evoke a feeling of dread and sometimes fear in both the characters and the reader. WC 80,000 - 100,000
LGBT - refers to the incorporation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender themes into fiction. Such elements may include an LGBT character as the protagonist or a major character, or explorations of or that deviate from the cisgender theme. WC 80,000 - 100,000
Magical Realism - story where magical or unreal elements play a natural part in an otherwise realistic environment. WC 90,000 - 100,000
Middle Grade - fiction for ages 8-12, no profanity, no violence, no sexuality, the most might be a crush and/or first kiss. Focus on family, friends and the protagonist's immediate world. WC 25,000 - 40,000
Mystery - this is fiction dealing with the solution of a crime or the unraveling of secrets. WC 70,000 - 90,000
New Adult - a developing genre of fiction with protagonists in the 18–30 age bracket. WC 60,000 - 85,000
Paranormal - althoughcommonly entwined with other genres, standalone fiction in this genreis best when it is concise. Literary agents and publishers will allow flexibility when the story merits it, but for debut manuscripts it is best to refrain from anything above the industry standard. WC 75,000 - 95,000
Romance - fiction where the relationship is the central arc of the story, and there is a happy ending. WC 70,000 - 100,000
Science fiction - story based on the impact of actual, imagined, or potential science, usually set in the future or on other planets WC 90,000 - 125,000
Short story - fiction of such brevity that it supports no subplots. WC 1,000 - 8,000
Suspense/thriller - fiction about harm about to befall a person or group and the attempts made to evade the harm WC 70,000 - 90,000
Western - set in the American Old West frontier and typically set in the late eighteenth to late nineteenth century WC 45,000 - 75,000
Women's fiction - a fiction that portrays the female journey, relatable to readers and gives insight into one's own life. WC 80,000 - 100,000
Young Adult - fiction published for readers in their youth. Ranges from ages 12–18, while authors and readers of "young teen novels" often define it as written for those aged 15 to the early 20s. WC 50,000 - 80,000
