Thursday, October 9, 2014

To Genre Hop or Not to Genre Hop by Terri Weldon

Terri Weldon
Today’s post has more questions than answers. I’m hoping you guys can help me out and provide the answers.

Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy, Speculative Fiction, and Historical Romance. At one time or another I’ve been tempted to write stories in each of these genres. Practical? Hardly. Trust me when I say I’d do a horrible job writing Historical Romance and I’m too big a chicken to delve into the world of Speculative Fiction. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve read both and found them delightful, but as an author, they just aren’t for me.

Besides writing ability, because someone out there reading this may be able to write any genre, is there a good reason to avoid genre hopping? We hear so much these days about branding and building a platform. Does switching back and forth between genres make it harder to build a platform or to brand you as a writer?

When I think of some of my favorite authors, Ted Dekker, Elizabeth Camden, Debbie Macomber, Linda Goodnight, and Brandilyn Collins, I tend to put each of them in a distinct genre. But then there’s Colleen Coble and Rene Gutteridge. Both of these talented ladies write in multiple genres. I may not always know what kind of book they’re going to write, but I know if the book has their name on it, I’ll like it.

What about you? Do you prefer knowing exactly what kind of story you’ll be getting when you purchase a book by an author or do you buy a book just because it has an author’s name on it?

Some authors use pseudonyms, so their readers can differentiate by the name on the cover what kind of book they’ll be reading. If you’re a writer, would you be willing to use a pseudonym or have you ever used a pen name? If you’re a reader, do you like it when authors use pseudonyms?

As a relatively new author with only one published title under her belt, I’d love to hear your opinion on genre hopping. So, leave a comment and we can spend the day discussing the subject.

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Purchase Link
Misty Winslow is determined to find her prince, and she meets the man of her dreams through an Internet dating service. Or is he, because the new dentist in town also sets her heart aflutter.

It's love at first sight for Tyler Davenport, but before he can finish his first root canal, Misty is involved in an exclusive online romance with Wes99—Tyler’s online persona. How can he tell her he’s the man she’s been waiting to meet, and how rational is it for him to be jealous of Wes99! Soon Tyler's pulling out all the stops to woo Misty.

As Christmas approaches, Wes99 and Tyler both ask her to meet them under the mistletoe. Which man will she choose? 

Terri is a lead analyst by day and an author by night. She enjoys gardening, reading, and playing in the hand bell choir. One of her favorite pastimes is volunteering as the librarian at her church. It allows her to shop for books and spend someone else’s money! Plus, she has the great joy of introducing people to Christian fiction. She lives with her family in Oklahoma. Terri has three dogs – a lovable mutt and two adorable Westies. 

Terri is a member of ACFW and OCFW, a local chapter of ACFW. Her dream of becoming a published novelist came true in November 2013 when Mistletoe Magic, released from White Rose Publishing. To learn more about Terri visit her website at www.TerriWeldon.com.