Genres and subgenres have existed in the publishing world for a long time. But the microgenre is a significant new trend within novel publishing, especially as more readers and authors become reliant on the digital landscape for community and/or success. Let us look at what microgenres are, how they have become popular, and some of their benefits and drawbacks.
A microgenre is a type of genre that adds a trope and specific requirements to a sub-genre in order to create an extremely specific type of genre. For example, an author could write a paranormal romance with the chosen one trope where the main werewolf characters must be adults over the age of twenty-five, or an epic fantasy with the fated mates trope where the virginal heroine must struggle against her destiny. Ultimately, the number of microgenres is limited only by an author’s imagination.
According to the book The Microgenre: A Quick Look at Small Culture, the microgenre (as a specific term and general concept) has been used by writers discussing critical works from the 1980s and 1990s; the term and concept likely have their origins in the 1970s, as the book’s authors note that a 1975 French article on historical fiction namechecks “microgenre” and “macrogenre.” The 1975 article’s author defined microgenres as “a narrowly defined group of texts connected in time and space.” However, they have become more prevalent today, in traditional publishing, fan fiction, and even television streaming algorithms. Current microgenre trends are within the genres of crime, fantasy and romance, such as “portals to mystical realms” or “hockey romance” (the latter of which has become not only very successful, but also controversial due to overzealous fans swooning over real hockey players and teams). However, it is highly likely that microgenres will appear in more fictional genres (as well as nonfiction) if the trend maintains its popularity.
What are some of the benefits that have made microgenres so popular, and have made microgenre authors so successful? A microgenre can allow authors to discover niche readers who become highly engaged with their books, because they are so happy that someone is catering to their specific needs. Consequently, they are likely to become loyal, repeat readers. Microgenres (in combination with elements such as tags and categories) also feed algorithms that can connect authors to niche reading communities online. On a publisher or self-publisher website, readers should also be able to filter and cross-search titles in order to discover a microgenre. After this initial exposure, the books can then find wider readership, possibly landing on bestseller charts. From a broader perspective, lesser-known, long-existing novels that have historically received little attention can become important due to the existence of a particular microgenre. The authors of the Microgenre book point to the 18th-century French libertine genre as a notable example (featuring works by authors such as Marquis de Sade). And from a sales perspective, microgenres are part of the “long tail” of book retail sales, because they contribute small quantities of sales of a variety of books.
However, fans of a specific genre or subgenre may be put off by elements contained in the microgenre and will refuse to purchase an author’s book just because those elements are present (for an example of this, see the current controversy over the “accidental pregnancy” trend in romance). Conversely, if a book within a microgenre deviates even slightly from the genre’s established rules, readers may become disappointed by the book and ultimately may not purchase any future titles from the author of that book. And readers might become especially angry if you set up the story as a microgenre but suddenly add a twist. For example, you can write a story about enemies to lovers where the evil military general turned out to be a secret ally all along, but this risks alienating readers who wanted a true enemies to lovers component. The trick is finding the balance between offering something new and delivering what the reader wants. So, due to high specificity, a microgenre limits what an author can accomplish in their story, and authors who cannot strike this balance may wish to consider just writing books within a more traditional genre or subgenre. And as with any genre, a book in a microgenre runs the risk of becoming perceived as formulaic and thus no longer an exciting reading prospect.
But with the proper strategy and some luck, you can write a new, successful microgenre novel that will gain you fame, fortune, and a loyal readership. A key strategy to consider is researching trends to see where the market is oversaturated, then produce a new idea in a subgenre that is less saturated with microgenre titles. If you are successful enough, you may even become a leading voice is a particular microgenre! Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you along your writing journey.
By Matt Wade
Matt is an Editorial Assistant at Technica Editorial
