The choice of genre is a pretty straightforward process for some writers. They love writing one kind of things, and that's what they focus on. For the rest of us, this can be a difficult decision to make.

Why Choose?

The easiest choice to make is not to choose at all. By choosing to stay open to you are free to pursue any idea that grabs you.

So why choose if by choosing you limit your options? It all comes down to marketability.

Most authors suggest to first try letting your writing shape your target readers instead of choosing a genre right off the bat and see what happens.

The vital thing to think about here is: What is your book's theme?

Deciphering between genres can be tricky at times, but thinking about these points will help you narrow down your book's genre:

• The Wattpad genre descriptions are up for interpretation.

• What do you want your readers to expect when they stumble upon your book?

• What is the main theme/plot of your book?

• What is the underlying theme/subplot of your book?

• What is the main struggle your protagonist is dealing with?

• What is the main desire/goal of your protagonist?

These questions should be able to help you decipher between genres.

So, How Do You Choose?

The most obvious way to pick a genre is to write what you like to read. If you mostly read romance, then write romance. Most of us read in several genres, and that can make it tricky though. Do you choose the one that seems the most marketable? The one you think is the most fun? Flip a coin?

This is ultimately a personal choice, but there are a few techniques that can help you choose:

• Make a pros and cons list: The classic decision-making tool. Write down the good and bad reasons to write in each genre and see how it shakes out.

• Go with your gut: After thinking about your options for a while, sit quietly for awhile and listen to your intuition. Forget about marketing, or what your friends will think, what does your heart tell you to write?

• Pick the most marketable genre: This is tricky since it's almost impossible to guess where the market is going. That said, you may be choosing between writing in a super-niche, micro-market, and something more mainstream. If you truly feel that they are equally-weighted in every other way, then maybe go with the one you think you can sell.

As you examine potential genres pay attention to the ones that attract you but scare you at the same time. If you're excited to write in a certain area but afraid that you won't be able to do it, then seriously consider choosing that genre. Often what you fear to do is what you need most to grow as an artist.

Picking The Right Genre

Write To Done writer, Cathy Yardley, suggest the following four steps to picking the right genre.

1. Get to know genre options:

A quick look at Amazon's Books page, or a stroll through any bookstore, will show you the main classifications for fiction. The Amazon bestseller page for books splits its lists by genre.

Look at the top five bestsellers in each genre. Read each book description. What does each genre emphasize?

For example, James Patterson's NYPD Red 2 is on the list for "Mystery, Suspense & Thriller." The description features crime scenes, brutal slaughter, and shocking murders.

Now glance through the Romance list. Nora Roberts' The Collector also involves solving a murder. But it describes "the woman with no permanent ties finds herself almost wishing for one" and "Ash longs to paint her as intensely as he hungers to touch her." The focus is obviously the passion between the protagonists rather than the resolution of the case.

Once you've looked through a few book descriptions, you'll understand which elements are most important to each genre's readers.

2. Identify genre options:

Look closely at your novel.

Does it have a love story? A crime?

Are there elements of magic or the supernatural?

Is it set in the past, present, or future?

What age are the protagonists?

What drives the plot?

You're looking for elements that could help narrow the focus.

What do you feel is most important about the book?

Which elements do you enjoy the most? What are you the proudest of?

You don't need to make a decision about genre yet. You're just looking for the story pieces that will help you decide. You want to know what you're working with.

Once you've got a list of your story elements, you're ready to move to the next step.

3. Identify your "most likely" reader:

What sort of reader would love your novel, and why?

Keep in mind: the question is not which readers might enjoy your novel. Anyone could buy the book by chance, and be surprised at how much they enjoyed something outside their norm.

But your odds of finding that person are slim. That's not marketing–it's luck.

Instead, you're targeting the fan who will go absolutely nuts for exactly what you've written.

Who is the screaming super-fan for this book?

Try to imagine a specific person.

Pretend you're reading a review by your super-fan. What does it say?

Beyond the generic "this book is awesome," what does the super-fan specifically adore about your novel?

Its twisty plot, like a Dan Brown suspense?

Or maybe the intricate and thorough world building, like Hugh Howey's Wool series?

The world-stage fantasy politics, similar to George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones titles?

Or maybe the toe-curling love scenes, like E.L. James' 50 Shades of Grey?

What does your super-fan complain about?

Keep genre conventions in mind.

If the couple in your love story die at the end, romance fans will be up in arms, because they expect a "happily ever after" (or at least "happily for now") resolution.

Disappointing a reader means poor sales and bad reviews.

Make sure your super-fan will be happy with the entire story, not just some aspects of it.

4. Use comparative titles to nail your sub-genre

Each genre carries books by writers who offer different "flavors"–different sub-genres.

Take mysteries. Dan Green writes police procedurals in his Max Segal series. These are very different from the cozy amateur sleuth of Jessica Beck's Donut Mysteries, or the sexy, silly fun of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series.

In the young adult genre, there's a wide disparity between dystopian love stories like The Hunger Games and Divergent, the frothy Braced to Bite, and the angsty Twilight.

Once you know your "most likely" buyer, imagine you're looking at an online bookstore sales page for your novel.

Underneath the "purchase" button you'll find recommendations for other novels, with the phrase "People who bought this also bought..."

Think of three novels your super-fan might enjoy that are similar to yours in style and content. See where these are categorized on Amazon or in your local bookstore.

This is how you will identify the genre that best suits your novel.

However you plan to publish, learning to pick the right genre for your novel is crucial.

It will teach you how to match the best elements of your writing with the audience that will most appreciate them.

The better you get at identifying your strengths and your reader, the more accurately you'll pick your novel's genre. And the more sales you'll make.

Try it and see.

The Bottom Line

As critical a decision as this is, it's important not to let it paralyze you. The worst thing you can do is use your indecision about the genre as an excuse not to write. If you really need to write something off-genre, then go ahead. Just make the choice as soon as you can, and keep the words flowing in the meantime.

Please remember to vote if you learned something new!