A Foot in Two Worlds: Writing in Two Different Genres

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with guest Dana Mentink.

Full disclosure. I've got a problem. I'm a 'have your cake and eat every darn slice too" kinda person. It's both a blessing and a curse, to be honest. Take my career path, for instance. I'm an elementary school teacher currently teaching third grade here in Northern, California. (I just want to jump on in right now and tell you that yes, we teach math facts, yes, we salute the flag daily and practice cursive and no, we have not thrown out all good sense in the face of common core.) Whew! Glad to get that off my chest. 

But back to the subject of teaching...it's my first love and I've been doing it since before I turned twenty-one. Fast forward a couple of decades to include one hubby, and two children and this writing thing comes along. Whammo! I fall in love again. The trouble is, I've never been able to give up anything. In school terms, I'm great at addition, but not so good at the subtraction thing. Now I'm a part-time teacher (two days a week) and a part-time writer (six days a week) which doesn't add up, even with Common Core math!

I was thrilled to start my career as a professional writer in the genre of cozy Christian fiction with Barbour Publishers and that morphed into suspense writing for Love Inspired Suspense. I adore that type of edge of your seat, twist ending, danger around every turn type of writing. However, here comes full disclosure number two: I am a cornball at heart. I have an irrepressible sense of humor and I adore making people laugh. It thrills me like nothing else. As you can imagine, this does not translate well to suspense writing. 

Fortunately, I had the amazing opportunity to write a lighthearted dog themed series for Harvest House. I. Loved. It. Tippy the senior citizen dog? Sweetness, a one hundred pound mutt? Jellybean, a naughty terrier owned by an equally naughty cinema star? Heaven!

It's all well and good to paddle around in two genres, but the smart thing to do, as anyone in the industry will tell you, is to PICK A GENRE and STICK TO IT ALREADY! It's the way to grow a platform, to develop a proper business plan, to make a career out of this ultra-competitive writing gig. Best-selling authors do not muck around in multiple genres generally speaking.The trouble is, of course, the problem I disclosed earlier. I cannot give up on something I love, I want both the cake and the pleasure of eating it. Oh, the angst!

So where does that leave me? Teaching part time? Check! (Though teaching two days a week means twice that amount when you consider lesson planning, correcting, attending conferences trainings and study team meetings.) Writing my thirty-something suspense novel for Love Inspired Suspense? Check! (I just started a four book cowboy series for LIS, so giddyap!) Wrapping up a three book series of lighthearted books for Harvest House? Check! (And enjoying writing an ebook that will launch as a freebie to promote the series.) People ask me all the time how I can manage all of these things. Sometimes, I can't, but with the support of friends and family, I pray that I can give my best to my students, my suspense readers and those folks who enjoy a lighthearted book.

If I was a smart kind of writer, I would specialize, brand myself, put out only the books that readers expect of me. If I was that savvy kind of teacher, I'd give up the unreliable world of writing where publishers go in and out of the fiction business at a moment's notice. I guess I'm neither smart nor savvy because I just cannot allow myself to let go of one or the other. It's a constant tension, born of my own choosing. 

Someday in the not so distant future, I may have to make a choice to let go of one of these areas I love so dearly, but I leave those hard decisions for another moment. Today, I clack away on my keyboard at that hilarious chapter in Paws for Love, and that death-defying hospital shooting scene in Dangerous Testimony. Tomorrow, I will put on my teaching duds and go off to third-grade land, trying to instill a love of writing in my eight-year-old students. I'm having my cake and eating it too, for today anyway.

Did you ever have trouble letting go of something? Maybe a job or a location that you loved? A relationship? Did you have regrets about it afterward or was it an amazing, freeing experience? I would be honored to hear your thoughts. 

Thank you for spending time with me today.

 One commenter today will have their cake and eat it too! Leave a comment and you can win both,  Dangerous Testimony and Sit, Stay, Love (first in the Harvest House dog series). Print copies to US winners and Kindle copies if our winner is international. Winner announced in the Weekend edition.

 

Dangerous Testimony

LAST WITNESS STANDING 

Four weeks before she's set to testify at a gang murder trial, someone is determined to make sure that Candace Gallagher Andrews never takes the stand. When nowhere is safe for the private investigator or her little girl, Candace turns to the only person she can trust—longtime friend and former navy SEAL Marco Quidel. For Marco, protecting Candace is not just another duty. As the trial date nears and the killer stalks ever closer, Marco knows fear for the first time—the fear of losing Candace and her daughter. But while Marco begins seeing Candace as more than just a friend, her late husband's memory is never far from her mind. So he must keep Candace alive—and not get emotionally involved—long enough to put away a killer.

Paws for Love.
The newest release in the Love Unleased series!

The Only Thing Sweet About Jellybean Is His Name

Jellybean the terrier is about to unleash some serious mayhem on the unsuspecting town of Albatross. It's actors, animals, and antics galore when Jellybean gives his own heartwarming performance.

Check out this Youtube video for more on the Love Unleashed series!

Dana Mentink is a two-time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award, and a Holt Medallion winner. She is the author of over thirty titles in the suspense and lighthearted romance genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Harlequin Heartwarming and Harvest House. Besides writing, she busies herself teaching third grade. Mostly, she loves to be home with Papa Bear, Yogi, Boo Boo, a nutty terrier, a chubby box turtle and a feisty parakeet.

 

Day 13. Write and win prizes! Why not?

One Author. Two Genres.

with guest blogger Liz Johnson.

Do you ever feel like you have two different personalities? Or better yet, like you’re actually two different people?

I don’t generally feel that way. I’m just me. Living in Nashville. Working as a marketing manager during the day. Writing late into the night. But lately a few people (even some I’ve known online for years) have thought I’m two completely different individuals. 

Navy Seal Security

You see, for the last seven years I’ve been writing for Love Inspired Suspense. I’ve published eight books with LIS so far, including my latest, Navy SEAL Security. I love writing these fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat romances filled with danger, romance, and a heap of inspiration.

But then a few years ago I had a story idea that was decidedly not for LIS. It stemmed from a trip to Prince Edward Island (home of Anne of Green Gables) and the idea of a bed-and-breakfast in a small town on the north shore and two wounded hearts seeking peace and finding healing. That story developed into The Red Door Inn, my first contemporary romance, which released a couple months ago from Revell. It’s still Christian fiction. It’s still romance. But it’s not a suspense.

If you’re keeping count, that’s two genres. And I write both of them. But it can be a bit confusing to those not actually living my life.

Maybe it’s because I have a fairly common, rather generic name. Liz Johnson could be—and is—a number of people. (For the record I am not also a professional bowler nor do I write books on gardening.) But for whatever reason, I’ve had at least three people think that the Liz Johnson who writes for LIS is a different Liz than the author of The Red Door Inn. (One of those was Tina Radcliffe, who prompted the very idea for this blog post. Thanks for inviting me to share, Tina!)

I say all of that to introduce you to the topic of the day—writing in multiple genres.

It’s become pretty commonplace for authors to venture into multiple genres, especially with the ease of self-publishing.

But the multiple genre idea isn’t a new one. Authors like Nora Roberts have been doing it for 20 years—her first futuristic police procedural as J. D. Robb released in 1995. You might recognize some other authors and their pseudonyms for new genres. J. K. Rowling writing suspense as Robert Galbraith. Katie Ganshert writing YA as K. E. Ganshert. Siri Mitchell writing general market historicals as Iris Anthony.

But what about the authors who use the same name to write in multiple genres? In my experience there isn’t a perfect formula for maintaining recognition and building readership. But I have learned a few things as I continue writing romantic suspense and contemporary romance for the inspirational market.

First, some road bumps authors might hit—whether they keep their name or not.

1. Losing or confusing their audience. Authors spend years growing their readership, building relationships with the readers who love their work. But one book out of the norm could mean an author’s readers don’t want—or don’t know—to follow. For example, an author might write in a genre that her readers don’t want to read. Or it could just be confusion. I spent years connecting with book reviewers, but when The Red Door Inn released, one of my faithful LIS reviewers emailed me. Her note began, “I don’t know if you’re the same Liz Johnson who wrote The Red Door Inn . . .” We had a good chuckle out of that one, but I clearly hadn’t made the connection for her. No one likes being confused, and readers want to be faithful to authors they love.

2. Convoluting their brand. I’ve heard a lot of definitions for an author’s personal brand, but the one I like best is: what readers expect from your stories. An author’s brand is her signature. The way she uses humor or infuses faith into the storyline. But if an author who is known for light-hearted small-town cozy mysteries decides to suddenly take up heavy-handed dystopian novels and then sensual romances, readers won’t know what to expect when they see the author’s name.

3. Disappointing readers. The result of an overly convoluted brand is disappointed readers. Imagine a scenario where an author is known for writing sweet, inspirational romance novels set on a ranch in Idaho. Her readers know what to expect. And then the author decides to simultaneously write highly sensual romances set at the same Idaho ranch. Readers are expecting safe and sweet and get steamy and sultry. And for some readers that could be enough to turn them off from this author forever.

These are, perhaps, the most common hiccups an author could experience. But they don’t have to be your fate. Obviously I’m still learning (after all, I’m still confused for being two different authors), but I have picked up a few tips along the way.

1. Keep your marketing clear and tight. Your website, social media, and press releases should be straightforward in order to avoid confusion. If you have a books page on your website, make sure that you have subpages that clearly identify your genres. I love how Katie Ganshert does this on her website—identifying her inspirational and YA titles on separate pages.

2. Be upfront with your readers about what to expect. Jillian Hart does a great job at this. She writes in at least three different genres—inspirational romance, sweet romance, and sensual romances. Her marketing copy often identifies the type of book her readers can expect, so there’s no surprise. When she posts on social media about a sale on one of her books, she identifies what genre it falls into.

3. Be strategic about what you write. Again Jillian Hart is an excellent example. While her readers know she offers a variety of stories across the heat index, they always know they’ll get a strong romance filled with hope. She’s not asking readers to follow her from falling in love under Montana skies to true crime stories in Columbia. Asking readers to stay with her from one romance genre to another isn’t a stretch, and many will.

Lots of authors have success writing in multiple genres, so if it’s something that you’re considering, I encourage you to explore it. But do so thoughtfully. Consider your brand, marketing, and communication strategy. There’s no guarantee that you can avoid all confusion, but with some planning, you can keep the reader relationships you’ve invested in and continue to grow your audience.

So what’s your opinion on writing in different genres? Do you write in more than one genre? How do you juggle it? As a reader, are there authors you like to read who cross genres? Why or why not?

Liz Johnson: By day Liz Johnson works as a marketing manager, and she makes time to write late at night. Liz is the author of nine novels—including her first contemporary romance, The Red Door Inn (Prince Edward Island Dreams, book 1)—and a New York Times bestselling novella. She makes her home in Nashville, where she enjoys exploring local music, theater, and making frequent trips to Arizona to dote on her nieces and nephews. She writes stories of true love filled with heart, humor, and happily ever afters. Connect with her at www.LizJohnsonBooks.com or www.Facebook.com/LizJohnsonBooks.

 

 

 The Red Door Inn

 Marie Carrington is broke, desperate, and hoping to find sanctuary on Prince Edward Island while decorating a renovated bed-and-breakfast. Seth Sloane moved three thousand miles to help restore his uncle's Victorian B and B--and to forget about the fiancée who broke his heart. He wasn't expecting to have to babysit a woman with a taste for expensive antiques and a bewildering habit of jumping every time he brushes past her.

The only thing Marie and Seth agree on is that getting the Red Door Inn ready to open in just two months will take everything they've got—and they have to find a way to work together. In the process, they may find something infinitely sweeter than they ever imagined on this island of dreams.




Leave a comment today for an opportunity to win a copy of The Red Door Inn. Winner will be announced in the Weekend Edition!