Reading Outside Your Genre
Last week, we talked about reading comparable titles – what that means and why.
But something that doesn’t get talked about much, but is arguably almost as vital, is reading outside your genre.
I know what you’re thinking – Susan, you just went on a rant last week about how important it is to read in my genre, read comps, and learn from them. And now you’re telling me to do the opposite?
Yes, yes, I am. Book research, market research, like everything in writing and publishing, is about balance.
It is key to know what is going on in your genre. No question.
But if you stop there, you’re going to have tunnel vision—only seeing what is right in front of you. And that can hurt your career almost as much as not knowing your comparable titles.
So let’s talk about how reading a wide variety can make you an even better genre author (whatever genre that may be). To watch the full video, check it out here.
If you are anything like me, once you find a genre or sub-genre that you like, you probably read it until you feel like you’ve read everything you can get your hands on.
And this is a great place to be for writing in that genre.
But what about reading outside of that? If you are a romance reader, when was the last time you picked up a psychological thriller with no guarantee of a happily ever after? For you fantasy readers out there, when was the last time you picked up something that had to do with aliens and space ships?
Might cross over a bit more, but you get my point.
When was the last time you pushed yourself to read something different?
With the limited free time you authors have, I’ll bet it is probably longer ago than you’d care to admit.
So today, let’s talk about all the reasons you should be making more time to read outside your genre:
Inspiration: Not for the story — stories probably aren’t the same in such different genres, but for the craft—pacing, plot structure, foreshadowing, and worldbuilding. Genre expectations are important, but again you’ll have tunnel vision. Find a new way to spin the hook, against the norm of the comps you’ve been reading. Not completely breaking the rules but bending!
Different writing styles. Great to read other commercial, humor, in comps, but what about other styles? Shift your style to make it even more unique.
Crossover potential for your market— who are readers that you could appeal to that wouldn’t necessarily pick up your book normally? if you don’t normally read thrillers — why? What about that doesn’t appeal to you? Is it the same for other readers in your genre? What does that tell you about what you should or shouldn’t include in your books? Or maybe you find something you did like, didn’t expect, that you could learn from and use that would appeal.
Creative recharge – when you read comps, your brain is always going. Pushing yourself outside your genre can give you an opportunity to just take in creativity. You don’t have to necessarily be thinking about your story all the time, how it differs/compares. Just enjoy reading. Let your creativity recharge so you can continue to bring that passion and joy to your writing without getting burnt out.
Like I said, reading outside your genre isn’t something typically talked about with authors, and I think that is a mistake. Pushing your boundaries, learning new things from books outside your norm, can help you grow exponentially as a writer and could even lead to a point where you are able to be proactive in your own market instead of merely reacting to new popular trends or tropes.
Hopefully this has been helpful!
Until next week, keep writing!