Upon completion of a book, an author has quite a few decisions to make. The first decision is easy; whether or not to publish and if the publication should be traditional or a self-publication. When an author chooses to publish and how they want to accomplish this, then there are a few other important factors to consider. The second decision to make; who is the target audience? This is a very important decision that will make a lot of difference as to whether or not a book is marketable to the intended audience.

Once those two choices are made, there is a very important choice to make that will definitely affect the choice of the reader or any reviewer. The third decision: Genre Selection. Choosing the correct genre may seem a simple and straightforward task, however, each genre has a subset of categories within each main category. Choose wisely, this selection really does matter. Choosing should begin with a simple set of questions the author can ask themselves:

1. Is the book fiction or non-fiction?

2. Is there strong language or violence?

3. Is it set in modern times, futuristic or a more historical theme?

4. What age groups will your book be available to?

5. Is this a book that could fit into a wide variety of genres?

6. Is your selection limited?

These questions are simple to answer and will help any author aim their book at the correct audience. All of these questions can be a little bit difficult to figure out at first. Answer what is the easiest first; fiction or non-fiction. Non-fiction is anything written that is about a time, place, person(s) and events that are true. If an author adds a twist or spin to the original story that is not true but elaborates the story or plot, the book is no longer non-fiction, it has become fiction. This situation is easy to handle. The author can categorize the book as fiction and leave the statement somewhere on the title page or as a footnote that the book is ‘based on true events’.

The age group covers a wide variety of factors including whether or not the book contains language, violence and explicit scenes as well as the reading capability of the target audience.

After deciding on the correct age group, there could be quite a few genre selections remaining for the author. If the amount of choices is limited to only two or three but the book could easily fit into other categories, the author should choose the categories that best fit the book itself. If the genre selection for a book is very limited, the choice is simple and makes choosing an easy task.

Keep in mind that genre selection can be one of the most complicated tasks that depend on the characteristics of the book; everything from the time period, setting, location, the plot and individual scenes can determine how to label a book accordingly. An author in the position to select the genre of their book for themselves may already be acquainted with how to direct their book, but those who are uncertain will soon understand how this can change who they might have thought their target audience was.

It is absolutely fine to use a process of selection, in fact it can be very helpful and useful even to the most seasoned writers. Do not get discouraged; let this process become a natural ritual upon completion of any writing work and allow this to be as enjoyable as the writing has been.