I got a Tweet that led me to a blog posting by Martha Carr where she wrote,
“…[T]here’s still one powerful rule that remains, and it can mean the difference between making a comfortable living as an author or just barely getting by despite the great reviews. Think of it as our industry’s Golden Rule and big fat secret.
“Trying to get published, even getting published in more than one genre will greatly reduce your effectiveness at marketing and shrink your overall sales.”
Interesting notion, but I’m not sure I agree at face value. For example, what if the author recognizes a particular genre as being “transitional”? I’ve written a memoir. At best I *might* write a followup memoir, but then that’s as far as my interest in the genre goes. I may use the memoir as a well for a series of YA or, perhaps, my SF books. Or maybe I’ll draw on the memoir for an upcoming YA SF “prequel”. (shhh…)
Using an analogy, Coke is a soft drink. More specifically, it’s a cola. A&W is also a soft drink, but it’s not a cola. Yet they are both Coca Cola products, as is Sprite which is a completely different genre. So maybe the assertion applies on a different level, like writing novels versus songs or comic books versus infomercials.
Or maybe there’s a key word missing – simultaneously. Part of becoming a successful author is building a brand. Say Stephen King and people think, “horror”. That’s branding. If Stephen King had also put out romance novels, well, you see how that might cause confusion. In the analogy, Coke and Sprite are two genres under the same brand – the Coca Cola Company. You’re not going to see Sprite Cola or Coke Lemon Lime. Get it?
I found out how powerful branding can be years ago at London’s Heathrow Airport. I was waiting for my flight to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia and decided to buy a book to read on the plane. I spotted Halloween III: Season of the Witch. Having been exposed to Halloween 1 and 2 movies, I thought “cool!”. Imagine my surprise when the book had nothing to do with Michael Myers.
It all comes down to what you want to be known for. Tell someone you’re an author and they’ll reply, “Really? What do you write?” Better to not say, “Oh, a little of this, a little of that.” If you want to write in more than one genre, consider using a pseudonym. Hey, if it’s good enough for Stephen King, it’s good enough for anyone.
