Book genre is something that is essential to writers. You must understand how to classify your writing for many reasons.

1. How can you pitch it to an editor or agent if you don’t know what it is?

2. Distributors, booksellers (including Amazon), and publishers operate using a BISAC system. This is an international coding system that lets everyone know where to shelf your book and how to keyword tag it. If it’s shelved or tagged incorrectly then your target audience probably won’t find it.

3. Don’t you want to know what kind of writer you are???

If after seeing this list you’re still not sure as to your category, be sure to take a little time and do some research. It is okay if your writing is cross-genre, meaning that you are covering more than one genre, but just be sure what those genres are.

*Note: This list and discussion is about fiction only. A separate discussion will be posted at a later date regarding non-fiction genre.

Fiction Genre List

• General
• Action & Adventure
• Adventure see Action & Adventure
• African American / General
• African American / Christian
• African American / Contemporary Women
• African American / Erotica
• African American / Historical
• African American / Mystery & Detective
• African American / Urban
• Alternative History
• Amish & Mennonite
• Anthologies (multiple authors)
• Asian American
• Biographical
• Black Humor
• Christian / General
• Christian / Classic & Allegory
• Christian / Collections & Anthologies
• Christian / Fantasy
• Christian / Futuristic
• Christian / Historical
• Christian / Romance
• Christian / Suspense
• Christian / Western
• Classics
• Coming of Age
• Contemporary Women
• Crime
• Cultural Heritage
• Dystopian
• Erotica
• Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology
• Family Life
• Family Saga see Sagas
• Fantasy / General
• Fantasy / Collections & Anthologies
• Fantasy / Contemporary
• Fantasy / Dark Fantasy
• Fantasy / Epic
• Fantasy / Historical
• Fantasy / Paranormal
• Fantasy / Urban
• Folklore see Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology
• Gay
• Ghost
• Gothic
• Graphic Novels see headings under COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS
• Hispanic & Latino
• Historical
• Holidays
• Horror
• Humorous
• Jewish
• Legal
• Lesbian
• Literary
• Magical Realism
• Mashups
• Media Tie-In
• Medical
• Metaphysical see Visionary & Metaphysical
• Mystery & Detective / General
• Mystery & Detective / Collections & Anthologies
• Mystery & Detective / Cozy
• Mystery & Detective / Hard-Boiled
• Mystery & Detective / Historical
• Mystery & Detective / International Mystery & Crime
• Mystery & Detective / Police Procedural
• Mystery & Detective / Private Investigators
• Mystery & Detective / Traditional British
• Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths
• Mythology see Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology
• Native American & Aboriginal
• Noir
• Occult & Supernatural
• Political
• Psychological
• Religious
• Romance / General
• Romance / African American
• Romance / Collections & Anthologies
• Romance / Contemporary
• Romance / Erotica
• Romance / Fantasy
• Romance / Gay
• Romance / Historical / General
• Romance / Historical / Ancient World
• Romance / Historical / Medieval
• Romance / Historical / Regency
• Romance / Historical / Scottish
• Romance / Historical / th Century
• Romance / Historical / Victorian
• Romance / Historical / Viking
• Romance / Lesbian
• Romance / Military
• Romance / Multicultural & Interracial
• Romance / New Adult
• Romance / Paranormal
• Romance / Romantic Comedy
• Romance / Science Fiction
• Romance / Suspense
• Romance / Time Travel
• Romance / Western
• Sagas
• Satire
• Science General
• Science Action & Adventure
• Science Alien Contact
• Science Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic
• Science Alternative History see Alternative History
• Science Collections & Anthologies
• Science Cyberpunk
• Science Genetic Engineering
• Science Hard Science Fiction
• Science Military
• Science Space Opera
• Science Steampunk
• Science Time Travel
• Sea Stories
• Short Stories (multiple authors) see Anthologies (multiple authors)
• Short Stories (single author)
• Sports
• Superheroes
• Television Tie-in see Media Tie-In
• Thrillers / General
• Thrillers / Crime
• Thrillers / Espionage
• Thrillers / Historical
• Thrillers / Legal
• Thrillers / Medical
• Thrillers / Military
• Thrillers / Political
• Thrillers / Supernatural
• Thrillers / Suspense
• Thrillers / Technological
• Urban
• Visionary & Metaphysical
• War & Military
• Westerns