What's a Book Category

This is from my January 2022 newsletter!

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A newsletter reader asked that I do this post on some publishing industry terms that may be obscure to outsiders. What follows is strictly my personal take on what these terms mean. Email me if there's a term you'd like a definition for not mentioned here.

Commercial: Sells a lot of copies; doesn't offend mainstream tastes; easy to read and fast-paced; will fit in with the current cultural moment/what's hot.

Upmarket: Appeals to readers with refined tastes and high incomes; might be slightly off the beaten path/edgy in terms of content; has potential for wide audience; blends sophisticated writing with strong plotting.

Literary: Author often has an MFA; prose is more important plot; not usually expected to sell a lot; is expected to win awards, grants, and fellowships; prestigious.

Book Club Fiction: Commercial; quite of the moment in terms social issues; often teaches a lesson, whether it's about a place or some societal element.

Women's Fiction: Novels centered on domesticity, domestic drama, relationships and, last but not least, women. More plotting and faster paced than literary, but slower, less structured than genre romance.