Attention authors! If you are stuck on choosing a genre for your book, this is your chance to discover what will work best for you. Of course, you weren’t thinking of randomly choosing among the most popular book genres. Well, we all truly wish it was that easy, but unfortunately, it isn’t.
But it’s time for you to breathe a sigh of relief because we’re here to help you decide your book’s genre, considering the most read genre of books.
What Are Book Genres?
Let’s begin by discussing what a genre is before we explore the best selling genre of books. A genre is a category that your book falls into, and this can be identified through its underlying theme and storyline.
Genres help readers narrow down what books they are most likely to enjoy. For instance, a reader who loves romance books won’t be interested in a book where the main character doesn’t fall in love with their dream partner.
Similarly, someone who picks up a crime book will be expecting to see the crime being solved rather than a plot twist that doesn’t do justice to what they’re expecting. It’s important to note that your book can have elements of multiple genres. For example, a romance novel can have elements of crime, mystery, or sci-fi. However, the main focus of the book will still be romance. And so, this applies to every genre.
Why Choosing a Book Genre Is Important?
Authors need to understand which category their book belongs to in order to make it easier for readers to find their work. However, some writers are unsure about the concept of book categories and types of book genres and may not believe that it matters.
These writers may think that their book is for everyone, but the truth is far from it. It is significant for writers to understand the purpose of book categories and genres and why it is essential to pay attention to this aspect of book writing and self publishing.
Defining your book’s genre prior to starting the writing process can be highly beneficial. Doing so can help you and many authors in the following ways:
- Develop a suitable world-building strategy.
- Select the right themes to write about.
- Create age-appropriate storylines and dialogues.
- Write character arcs that align with the genre.
- Design an engaging book cover that stands out.
- Optimize your Amazon Kindle direct book publishing listing with the appropriate keywords.
- Choose the most suitable categories for your book on Amazon.
- Market your book to the right audience.
The 'Right' Genre and Subgenre for Your Book
Picking the appropriate genre for your book can be a challenging task, but with a little guidance, it can be made easier. When selecting a genre, you are essentially choosing your target audience. Therefore, take a moment to consider who your target audience is, what they look like, and what they hope to gain from your book.
After figuring out your target audience, start writing your book. To get an idea of what readers want, it’s best to read the most popular books right now. All genres have top selling books right now (bestsellers), and those are the ones that have appealed to readers the most and sold plenty of copies.
Another helpful tip is to pen down books in a genre that appeals the most to you. This will ensure you write for a genre that interests you and you’re familiar with. In this case, writing in that genre would come more naturally to you.
As a reader, it’s impossible to like every book in a specific genre because it’s too broad. That’s why subgenres exist. They help readers find more specific book niches. Choosing a subgenre is as important as picking the top book genres because it helps you write in a precise direction that will appeal to specific readers.
There are multiple subgenres for each genre, so research is essential. You might already have a subgenre preference without realizing it. Analyze the books you commonly read to find a common theme. If it’s difficult to determine the subgenre, run a quick Google search. You should be able to find out the subgenre quickly.
For nonfiction books, the genres are more specific. You can write about a topic that you’re knowledgeable about or passionate about. If you have an idea that you’d like to let others know about, then writing a nonfiction book would be a great option.
Best Genre of Books – A Guide for Authors
As an author, when you’re figuring out which genre to pick, you’re likely to look up the top selling books right now and search for the most sold books in the world. However, all of that can get pretty confusing and just complicate things further.
At the end of the day, you need to understand which genre sparks creativity in you the most and appeals the most to you.
Romance
Romance books are probably number one when it comes to book sales. Readers can buy romance books at the checkout of local grocery stores, online, through self-publishing services, and in the monthly shipments that publishers send to their readers. Readers of this genre are generally devoted to their favorite authors. The most popular subgenres of romance are paranormal and historical romance.
Mystery
There is usually a sizable audience for well-known mystery books, particularly when they are in a series. Mysteries have an enthralling beginning, a gripping middle, and a gratifying climax that resolves all of the reader’s unanswered issues.
Cozy mysteries, procedural mysteries, scientific mysteries, true crime books, whodunits, and hardboiled detective fiction are some of the most popular subgenres of mysteries.
Fantasy and Science Fiction
Most fantasy books are set in a different era than our own. They frequently feature magical creatures, ranging from worldly wizards to homicidal zombies. A dystopian future or past is a common setting for science fiction. While some science fiction books take place in the past, the vast majority explore the consequences of technology and scientific progress in the future.
Some types of fantasy are high fantasy, dark fantasy, urban fantasy, steampunk, and sword and sorcery. At the same time, magical realism is one of several fiction genres that combines the exciting elements of fantasy with the rigorous methods used in literary fiction. An excellent illustration of this crossing is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Marquez.
Memoir, Biography, and Autobiography
Nonfiction books tell a person’s life story. The authors of autobiographies and memoirs are writing about themselves. However, biographies are written by other people to avoid the person being featured writing it themselves. Usually, all facts in these books have to be backed by reliable and authentic sources.
Historical fiction is different from biographies since it takes place during documented historical periods. On the other hand, biographies feature non-fictional stories that are based on reality.
Young Adult
Teenage readers are the target demographic of young adult fiction, which reimagines famous adult literary works for their demographic. The finest works of young adult fiction (YA) cover a broad spectrum of genres, from science fiction and fantasy to romance and crime books, and they all have compelling plots and compelling characters. Teenage themes, such as rebellion and coming of age, are frequently added to pre-existing literary devices.
The young adult (YA) market has seen great success with books like J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series and Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games.
Children's Fiction
Children’s literature is designed for a younger audience compared to young adult books. It starts with picture books for kids who are not yet able to read, followed by early-reader short stories and middle-grade books. Comic books and graphic books are more appropriate for adults, while picture books are better suited for younger readers.
Self-Help, Inspirational, and Religious Books
These kinds of nonfiction books have a huge global readership. A lot of self-help books are about getting rich and being successful in business. There are a lot of self-help books that include religious doctrine under the religious category. They provide spiritual advice on how to deal with everyday issues.
The best part about choosing a book to write in any of these genres and choosing Amazon book publishing is that you can always hire Maven Ghostwriters, a ghostwriting agency, to do all the hard work.
Essential Tips to Determine the Perfect Writing Genre for You
If you are new to writing or if you want a better understanding of book genres, these book writing tips will help you find the genre that suits you:
Bookshelf Assessment
If you’re wondering what genre of book you like, take a look at your bookshelf and see which genres you naturally gravitate towards. You can easily identify the genre of a book by checking the copyright page or the back cover near the barcode.
Experienced authors often suggest aspiring writers read extensively in the genre they want to write in. For example, if you enjoy reading historical romance books, you may want to give it a try.
Plot Planning
When trying to determine the genre of a book, one should consider the plot. As an example, take J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. The plot of this book revolves around taking a magic ring into a fantastical land filled with imaginary characters. Despite its setting, it is not a work of historical fiction. Rather, it is an early example of science fiction and fantasy.
Analyze The Setting
How does your setting relate to specific literary genres? In The Crucible, written by Waldo Rodriguez, the protagonist faces the ultimate destiny of the planet. Rodriguez’s preferred genre of science fiction is hinted at in the setting.
Consider the Target Audience
Ask yourself these questions to help you determine what kind of books to write:
- Who do you enjoy interacting with the most?
- Which websites do you tend to spend the most time on?
- Do you follow nonfiction writers and chat with readers who enjoy motivational nonfiction?
- Is your audience mainly younger people interested in dystopian books?
- If you could inspire and entertain anyone, who would it be?
Use Writing Prompts
To kick off the writing process, writers often use writing prompts. If you want to start writing, sometimes all you need is a sentence or two. Select three or four writing prompts if you are unsure of the kind of book you would most want to write.
Pick a new genre every time. Eliminate the genres that do not suit your writing style and focus on the one that does.
Examine Your World-Building
Some writers excel at inventing new worlds from scratch. For them, choosing a favorite book genre to write in is straightforward, be it adventure, science fiction, high fantasy, dystopia, low fantasy, and so on.
If you prefer world-building, you might want to consider a genre that you can research rather than invent.
Level of Research
If you’re looking to write fiction, we recommend avoiding getting bogged down by research and trying your hand at fantasy writing. Fantasy writing allows for the creation of unique worlds and characters that don’t necessarily require extensive research. This can be a great way to spark your creativity and produce a compelling story without being hindered by the need for factual accuracy.
Consider Your Brand
In today’s world, having an online presence is essential for promoting a book. Therefore, before deciding on a genre, it is advisable to review your current web presence. If you often share business-related insights on your website and social media, writing in a nonfiction subgenre might be a good choice. On the other hand, if you frequently express admiration for science-fiction authors, then it might be worth considering writing in that genre.
Are you a new author looking for:
- Book Writing Services
- Amazon Self Publishing Services
- Book Cover Design Services
- Book Marketing Services
If yes, then this is your chance to connect with our experts. Let’s help you write, publish, and sell your book like hotcakes!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a book genre, and why is it important?
Genres refer to categories of artistic, literary, or musical compositions that share a common style, form, or subject matter. They provide writers with a set of general organizational patterns that can assist them in structuring their work. For readers, genres help make sense of the information by organizing it into easily understandable categories.
What is the easiest book genre?
Autobiographical fiction is often considered the easiest form of writing, as it involves putting your own life experiences into a well-structured story.
Which are the top five literary genres?
Popular types of fiction include historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy, mystery/thriller, and romance.
