Genre is a term given to categories of books. The word is derived from French, meaning “like” or “type.” It is a label that describes what the book is about and how it is constructed. A genre label not only helps in marketing the book, but it helps readers know what they are getting into with a book. 

There are fiction and nonfiction genres: Fiction is a made up story, while nonfiction is a “real life” book. A book can’t be fiction and nonfiction at the same time. A book that is a novel, but based on a true story, is still fiction. 

Some examples of nonfiction genres are biographies, memoirs, and history. (For more about the difference between an autobiography, biography, and memoir, read this blog post!)

Some examples of fiction genres are romance, mystery, science fiction, children’s fiction, and fantasy.

Books of a genre will share certain characteristics and conventions. For example: romance novels will feature characters falling in love, science fiction will push the limits of our current scientific knowledge. The familiar characteristics are what made up the genre.

Sometimes, for fiction books especially, the story may not fit neatly into a genre. “Literary fiction” is sometimes the genre given to novels that are character-centered or otherwise don’t fall into a genre. There can be multiple genres – a book can be a fantasy romance, for example. 

Nonfiction books that don’t fit into another nonfiction genre are often simply categorized as “nonfiction.” 

We have a wide variety of genre categories at the Dorrance Bookstore. These genres are not to suggest that all books within the genres are the same, but to merely sort similar books with each other. This makes it easy for readers browsing the store to find what they are looking for.

Having a genre also helps with promotion and marketing of a book. For example, a true crime book and a children’s fiction book need to be handled differently – they are very different, and meant for very different audiences!

Dorrance Bookstore online homepage.

As for promoting your book, a genre helps you find your audience. If you have a book that is about a topic related to business, a business magazine or podcast might be a suitable partner for an interview. 

At the end of the day, the genre of your book is not a determining factor of quality, but is a signal to your audience. Books may be of the same genre, but each one is unique – just like yours!

Have a book within you? Let us help!

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Hometown: Cedar City, Utah

Book: Put A Sock In It

Genre: Fiction, Education

1. Describe your book in 10 words or less.  A humorous historical book about teaching special education.
2. What made you want to write Put A Sock In It?  I did it for my family and friends who encouraged me to write it.
3. How long did it take you to write your book?  I worked on it for well over ten years.
4. How do you choose the names of your characters? I used real first names only.
5. What do you do when you have writer’s block? Sleep on it and ask others for help.
6. What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why? Chapter Two because it tells about the funny things that happened in the classroom.
7. If you were stuck on an island and had to have one person from each category with you, who would they be and why? 
   1. One character from your book:  Emery
   2. One fictional character:  Huck Finn
   3. One famous person: Paul Newman
8. Besides writing, what are your other interests? Hiking, camping, fishing, traveling
9. Do you keep a journal? Yes.
10. How did you celebrate the publishing of Put A Sock In It? We went out to dinner.
11. If your book was made into a movie, who would play the main characters? My son and daughter.
12. What did you enjoy most about working with Dorrance Publishing? They were very encouraging, patient, and professional.
    
13. Five favorite books of all time? DaVinci Code, Angels and Demons, Undaunted, Fire and the Covenant, The Work, and The Glory Series.
    
14. One sentence of advice for other writers? Never give up.

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1) Inheritance Cycle: Christopher Paolini

This young adult fantasy series began with 15 year old Christopher Paolini. He originally self-published his first book, Eragon, under his parent’s small publishing company and spent one year touring to promote the book. In came Carl Hiaasen, who discovered the book and had it republished by Alfred A. Knopf. Once re-published, the book sold over one million copies in the first five months and the series, now known as the Inheritance Cycle Series, has now sold over 33.5 million copies worldwide.

2) The Martian: Andy Weir 

After conducting research and becoming fully aware of the market, Andy Weir gave up on his dream of publishing his book traditionally. Rather than attempt to shop the book around to traditional publishers, he instead decided to post chapters of the novel on a blog page. Much to his surprise, the chapters gained a fanbase and people started asking him to publish it as an ebook. He did just that and the book almost immediately became a #1 Amazon bestseller.

That was when Weir caught the attention of traditional publishers and, all within one week, Weir signed dual multi-million dollar book and movie deals with Crown Publishing and Twentieth Century Fox. His book went on to sell over three million copies and the Oscar-nominated movie adaptation grossed $630 million worldwide.

3) Still Alice: Lisa Genova

Lisa Genova was attending grad school when her grandmother was diagnosed with advanced Alzheimer’s. This tragedy became the inspiration for the book Still Alice, which follows a Harvard professor who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. Genova made the decision to self-publish back in 2007, after she was rejected by every commercial publisher to which she pitched her manuscript.

After gaining readers and popularity around the world, Simon & Schuster picked up the book and republished it in 2009. Today, the book has even been adapted into an Oscar-winning film starring Julianne Moore.

4) Fifty Shades of Grey: E.L. James

Possibly the most well-known modern self-publishing success story is that of E.L. James and the Fifty Shades of Grey series. She first self-published the series back in 2011 and, though it had mixed critical reviews, it quickly became an international bestseller. Now, the series has sold over 100 million copies worldwide and it holds the record for fastest selling paperback.

5) My Blood Approves: Amanda Hocking

Amanda Hocking began as another Author who went through a long series of commercial publishing failure. By 2010, she had written a total of 17 novels, all of which had been rejected by commercial publishers. She decided to self-publish one of her books, My Blood Approves. She started to see success fairly quickly, so she published three more books in the series. She has now signed deals with traditional publishers in both the U.S. and U.K. and made millions selling her books.

6) The New World Series: Jennifer Wilson

You’ve probably seen these gorgeous covers at your local Barnes & Noble, but this series actually started off through self-publishing. Similarly to the previous authors, Wilson’s series gained recognition through self-publishing alone and was re-published in the fall of 2015 by Oftomes Publishing. Having found great success, Wilson is now eager to share her story and advice for people who hope to achieve success through self-publishing.

In an interview with Wild Mind Creative, she advised, “If you choose to self-publish, make it the best version of your book you possibly can. Put together a Beta Group to help with spelling, grammar and storyline. (Friends and family are great, plus they will usually do it for a pizza and wine night.) Hire an editor, cover designer and format the interior of your book. These little things will go a long way. Many of my initial fans read the books strictly based on the cover design, remember that first impression is SO important.”

There are several more examples, these are just the most widely-known. If this list should tell you anything, it’s this: just because your book is self-published, doesn’t mean it can’t be successful. It doesn’t always happen, there’s no denying that. But if your work has merit and you put in the marketing legwork, you, too, could see your book on the shelves. And maybe even on the big screen.

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Hometown: Born in New York City but raised in Long Island

Book: Suburban Gangsters

Genre: True Crime/Nonfiction

1. Describe your book in 10 words or less.  As real as it gets.
2. What made you want to write Suburban Gangsters? I knew I had a great story to tell and really wanted to warn people about the dangers of using drugs or being a criminal.
3. How long did it take you to write your book?  It took about four years because I did it in spurts.
4. How do you choose the names of your characters?  It’s tough to say. A few of the last names I used from some of my favorite shows and others I just came up with.
5. What do you do when you have writer’s block? I step away and try to clear my mind and come back fresh. Sometimes it took longer than others.
6. What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?   It’s hard to really say which was my favorite but probably part 1 of the book. Each part really had a unique feel to it because the story takes place over a 25 year period.
7. If you were stuck on an island and had to have one person from each category with you, who would they be and why? 
   1. One character from your book: Definitely Christine because we are still in touch to this day (and I’m sure you could figure out the reason why)
   2. One fictional character: Adrian Monk
   3. One famous person: Eddie Van Halen. This was an easy choice because I play guitar and look at Eddie Van Halen as God! 
8. Besides writing, what are your other interests? Guitar. I also have a huge fascination with the Vietnam War and I can’t read enough about the topic. I believe I have already read over 200 books about it. I have trained in the martial arts and weights most of my adult life, so that’s another biggie for me. And college football.
9. Do you keep a journal? No, I don’t. It’s one of my many regrets because I probably could have gotten into much better detail in my book. Most of the book was written from memory so I know I missed out on some things.
10. How did you celebrate the publishing of Suburban Gangsters? I haven’t actually yet, but I’ll be doing it soon. It’s slightly overdue.
11. If your book was made into a movie, who would play the main characters? That’s a tough call. I would love to see Mark Wahlberg play my part but I know there is a lot of great up and coming actors out there so I guess I’d keep an open mind until I could see everyone trying out.
12. What did you enjoy most about working with Dorrance Publishing? I really think it was the professionalism and efficiency throughout the entire process. The staff was very hospitable and was just spot on with it in each step. I can’t thank them enough for helping me with this project.
    
13. Five favorite books of all time? We Were Soldiers Once…and Young by General Hal Moore and Joseph Galloway, SOG The Story of America’s Secret Commandos in Vietnam by John Plaster, Acid Dreams by Martin A. Lee, Flashbacks by Dr. Timothy Leary,  and Drugstore Cowboy by James Fogle.
    
14. One sentence of advice for other writers?  Have patience and believe in yourself even if others doubt you!

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Why? Because we want to start the New Year off by giving you four quick tips that’ll improve your writing.

After all, one of the biggest pieces of the book-writing puzzle is cultivating your writing skills.

So, without further ado, let’s jump right in.

Four Quick Tips to Improve Your Writing

1. Remove the fluff – Fillers just add noise to the message that you’re trying to articulate. Rather than writing wordy sentences, do your best to pare them down. Here are a couple examples to show you what we’re talking about:
   1. It’s fun to ride a bike. – Riding a bike is fun.
   2. There are a lot of people who sing. – Many people sing.
2. Switch it up – Vary the lengths of your sentences when writing. Short sentences help with the flow of your story while long sentences can help you define and explain ideas that keep the plot moving forward.
3. Don’t go comma crazy – It’s no secret when we say that there are a lot of rules associated with comma usage. However, when writing, you don’t want to abuse this form of punctuation. Here are some comma quick tips:
   1. Use a comma after an introductory clause, phrase, or words that come before the main clause. (Ex: While I was sleeping, the dog barked at the door.)
   2. Use commas to separate items in a series. (Ex: I packed a bathing suit, sunblock, and sunglasses.)
4. Revise – We’ve mentioned this tip countless times before but we still feel that it’s important to share again. When revising your writing, make sure to read your work out loud. Sometimes, our eyes skip mistakes and grammar issues, but, when we read something out loud, we’re more apt to hear the errors.

Whether it’s a journal entry, quick email, or a chapter of your book, you always want to put your best foot forward. Keep these tips in the back of your mind the next time you sit down to write to help refine and sharpen your writing skills.

Copyright Dorrance Publishing, 2018

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First of all, we’d like to thank you for taking the time to read this blog. By doing so, you’re spending a few moments each week focused on cultivating your craft and achieving your publishing goals.

Secondly, as we finish one chapter and begin the next, we wanted to channel this gratitude in a way that we hope proves to be a source of motivation for you in 2018.

Here are three ways to find motivation to power you into the New Year:

1. Gratitude is a constant source of motivation, and when you tap into this wellspring of inspiration, you’ll be surprised at the energy you feel. Take time each day to think about everything that you’re grateful for and use it to your advantage.
2. Find your inspiration. As a writer, what better place to find motivation than in the written word? Make it a point each day, to find quotes that stir emotion and motivate you to take action. You’ll be surprised at how powerful this exercise can be.
3. Define your why. We all have our reasons as to why we do things. When you identify your source of motivation, you can build from this momentum. So whether you write because you can or you write to leave a legacy for future generations, take the time to reflect on your why.

As another 365-page chapter is about to begin, we want to know: How are you going to maximize this time to get you one step closer to your goals?

Copyright Dorrance Publishing, 2017

The post The End of One Chapter and the Start of the Next appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Equip them with writing materials.

Do you remember when it was back-to-school time and the excitement you’d feel picking out brand-new school supplies? Channel those same feelings in order to get your kids excited about writing: Take them on a shopping trip and give them the opportunity to pick out their own writing utensils, paper and whatever else they’ll need. When it comes time to write, they’ll feel a sense of pride and excitement about putting them to good use.

Lead by example.

As parents, we are our children’s role models. We’re the people that they look up to, and the example they’re trying to emulate. That being said, if you want your child to experience the joy of writing, the best way is for you to lead by example and inspire your children to join you in writing. Not only is this a great way to get your kids involved, but it’s also a bonding experience that you can share with your little ones. Take it an extra step and brainstorm writing prompts that you can both use. Once you’re done, share and compare your stories!

Give them something to write about.

We all suffer from writer’s block every now and again. What better way to get the creative juices flowing than to point your kids in the write direction? Encourage your children to write about topics that interest them. Whether they want to write about a story they’ve created in their imagination or about their favorite sport or hobby, give them the creative license to write about whatever interests them. This will motivate them to put pen to paper and craft a story that they’ll be proud to share.

Be their biggest fan.

While your child is writing, it’s important to be as helpful and encouraging as possible. Work with them to uncover ideas and, when asked, help them with proper grammar and punctuation. Most importantly, continually give them words of encouragement to keep writing!

These were just four tips to help encourage your child to start writing. How do you encourage the kids in your life to write?

Copyright Dorrance Publishing, 2017

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It sounds like a fine, inspiration club to join, doesn’t it? All fantasies aside, in today’s blog we want to bring to light the importance of actually surrounding yourself with and engaging with people who are either working to publish a book or who have already published one.

In all aspects of life, friends help us to better ourselves and are there when we need an ear, and vice versa. Our friends keep us grounded, and they keep us wanting to reach our goals. This same reason is why finding friends who are also writers and published authors is a great way to stay on track and reach your writing goals.

So how do you find these like-minded individuals – where’s the clubhouse? Here are three tips to light the way.

Enroll in a writing class

If you’re struggling to find fellow writers to connect with, consider enrolling in a writing class. A writing class will help you meet other writers who are working to refine their craft as well. Although we like to provide you with various writing prompts to encourage you to work on your skills and tap into different sections of your imagination, a writing class will provide invaluable lessons and the ability to connect with others who share a passion for writing.

Stay positive

Perhaps the biggest piece to the writing puzzle is eliminating negativity in your life and replacing it with positivity. When looking for people to share your writing passion, you want to be selective. Eliminate people from your personal circle who will put you down and negatively criticize your work. The worst thing that you can do for yourself and for your dreams is to allow someone else to dictate your journey. You are in charge and you can choose who you surround yourself with. Choose people who will lift you up and encourage, not discourage, you.
Create a writers’ group

Let’s say that you already have assembled a group of writers who are interested in meeting and talking about their work and other various aspects of the writing journey – great! The foundation of a writers’ group has been laid. From here you can create a meeting schedule for all of you to get together and interact. Starting or joining a writers’ group is a great way to gain encouragement, share your passions, and give and receive constructive criticism from your colleagues. A writers’ group will help you grow as a writer because you will be surrounded by others who are working to achieve their own similar goals. While it would be great to have as many people as possible join the group, it’s a good idea to keep the numbers small so that you can have meaningful discussions that are specific to each person.

Copyright Dorrance Publishing, 2017

The post Why You Need a Writing Friend, and How to Find One appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Here are three productivity tips that can help you squeeze every ounce of efficiency out of your time.

Rise and shine.

You may not want to hear this, but when you’re chasing your dreams, sometimes you have to make some sacrifices for them to come to fruition. Consider waking up early to get in some early-morning writing. Before the craziness of your day begins, relish in the solitude that you have to really focus. Find a spot in your house or at a local coffee shop where you feel most productive and write away. Not only will you be chipping away at your goal, you’ll also be starting your day on a positive, productive note.

Focus.

Before you even get started, make it a point to block out as many distractions as you possibly can. If you find that you revert to your phone after five minutes of work, turn it off and put it away. If you can’t seem to string 10 minutes together without someone walking in and asking something of you, find a place where you can work in solitude, or make it a point to let people know that you aren’t to be bothered for a certain period of time. Sometimes you can’t avoid distractions, but if you are in control of what takes your attention off of your work, do your best to manage interruptions in a productive way.

Get a game plan.

Your time is precious, so make sure to approach your window of opportunity with a game plan to maximize your minutes. Each time you sit down to write, you’ll want to have a laser focus on what matters most in that moment. When you keep things focused, you keep moving forward. When you approach your writing with a scattered brain, you tend to not give the attention certain parts of your book require. So pick something to focus on and keep your attention only on that one thing during your designated writing time. Continue this ritual day-in-and-day-out and you’ll start to see your to-do list dwindle.

Keep these three productivity tips in mind to maximize the window of time that you have to focus on your writing.

Copyright Dorrance Publishing, 2017

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We all know that there’s a chance we’ll get stuck at the crossroads commonly known as writer’s block and have to find a way to navigate around it. One way of doing so is by free writing, which allows you to explore your creativity and hone your craft by writing about something other than your book.

In this blog, we’re giving you three ideas to jump start your imagination. Once you’ve read over the exercises, sit down and work on each individually. Or, if you want to get a little daring, connect all three prompts and see where it takes you.

Create a book title

Don’t be shy! Write down whatever comes to your mind. This isn’t the time to find the perfect title for your current work in progress – let your creativity flow! Try to create of a book title that’s outside of your genre. Push yourself to think outside-of-the-box and write about something you might not otherwise.

Create a character

It’s time to build a character. For this writing prompt, you’ll want to create a character outline. Start from the name and work from there. What role would this character play in a new story? Would they be a main character, or someone who will throw a wrench into things? What do they look like? Does he or she have a defining feature that would be an important piece in the story? Where did they come from? What event in their past helped shape them into who they are today?  Start asking yourself these questions and you’ll see that your imagination will hop in the driver’s seat and help you fill in the blanks.

Create a scene

Take the character that you created in the previous prompt and build some context for a new plot. Think about the setting – will your character be in a city, a countryside or a suburban neighborhood? What’s happening in the scene that you’re creating? Talk about the surroundings and paint a picture of what’s unfolding. What is your character doing? How are they feeling?

The only way to become a better writer is to keep writing, so take this challenge and have fun using your imagination to create something new!

Copyright Dorrance Publishing, 2017

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