This is an agonising decision that many authors face. I certainly do, especially since I have LOTS of story ideas spanning different genres: thrillers, action thrillers, historical thrillers, tech thrillers, science fiction, contemporary comedy. Even horror. Some are short stories or novellas, others are longer works. But which should I write?
There seem to be two schools of thought here. Let’s examine them.
The first approach is to ‘write to market’. Commercial wisdom says authors should stick to one genre, build an audience around that, and then earn money – like Lee Child or James Patterson have done. The logic is clear: find a profitable niche, understand what sells, and keep delivering similar books to a dedicated audience. Publishers love this approach because it’s easier to market and sell books to an established readership.
The second approach is to write the books you want to read. Here, you see yourself as the first reader, writing stories that excite you personally. Then you seek out others who share your tastes. This sounds great in theory, but it comes with challenges. Like most readers, I enjoy different kinds of stories depending on my mood – just as I don’t watch only sitcoms or only romance movies. This variety in taste can lead to writing across genres, making it harder to build a consistent audience and generate reliable income.
‘Write to market’ certainly works for some authors. But for me? It feels formulaic and cold. I can’t imagine writing essentially the same story repeatedly, just varying the characters, setting, and plot slightly. That sounds like a nine-to-five corporate job – not the creative endeavor I want my writing to be. Plus. I already have a nine-to-five job, why would I want another one?
I fundamentally believe that to write a book others will enjoy, you need to pour your heart and soul into it. How can you do that if you’re not personally invested in the story? Readers can tell when an author is just going through the motions versus when they’re passionate about their work.
Looking at my published books – a contemporary action thriller in Spain, its 1985 prequel, a historical thriller spanning the twentieth century, a contemporary comedy set in LA and the UK, and now a tech thriller set in 2037 – have I made a mistake with all this ‘genre jumping’? Conventional wisdom would say yes.
But I’ve come to realise something important: when I look back on my writing career, I want to be proud of the books I’ve written. I want to know they were stories I truly wanted to tell, not just products I created for the market. If others enjoy them, that’s wonderful. If they pay the bills, even better. But that was never my primary goal.
Writing a book takes considerable sacrifice, time, emotional energy, and financial investment. For me, the only way to make that worthwhile is to write stories I’m passionate about, regardless of their genre. Commercial success would be nice, but artistic satisfaction and personal pride in my work matter more.
I hope you understand why I’ve chosen this path.
Damian Vargas's author blog 