confused about genres

[Ahrihn]

I'm currently writing a YA novel but i'm not sure which genre/s it would fit into. Any help here is appreciated!
My novel has:

• Romance (for context, while the romance isn't the key point of the story, it is one of the main reasons for the MC's development and essential for the climax & resolution. I could cut it out but it would be a pain in the ass, I don't know if it's prelevant enough to fit into Romance).
• Set in a fictional world similar to ancient China but not historically accurate — it resembles wuxia (think of low-fantasy C-dramas or the like) but with a lot of changes to the society and geography. Only the level of technology and dress (no specific dynasty) remains the same.
• Politics
• Death, brainwashing, gore (but it's infrequent)
• No magic, but there are ways to 'refine' the human body to push at biological limits
• Happy ending for MC and FL.

I feel like it would fit into a Historical Romance, but it doesn't really stick to any particular period or historical events. It also doesn't fit into Romance Fantasy because there aren't any supernatural elements or magic.
Does anyone know which genre or subgenre it would fit into?

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Sounds like just YA Fantasy, really.

 

[Cipiteca396]

Don't take these things too seriously. Relax, add it if it seems mildly relevant.

Genres and Tags exist to help people find your novel, so having more is better. The only time you need to be cautious is if it's a polarizing topic.
For example, I dislike brainwashing. You'll definitely want to add the brainwashing tag to ensure people like me don't show up and 1 star you for finding something unpleasant by surprise.

Though, make sure to read each tag you add to be certain what it is. There's a few that might surprise you.

Romance (for context, while the romance isn't the key point of the story, it is one of the main reasons for the MC's development and essential for the climax & resolution. I could cut it out but it would be a pain in the ass, I don't know if it's prelevant enough to fit into Romance).

Romance for sure.
Is your protagonist male, female or genderless?
Is the love interest male, female or
Certain combinations of these tags allow you to add more tags, like Girl's Love or Bisexual Protagonist.

Set in a fictional world similar to ancient China but not historically accurate — it resembles wuxia (think of low-fantasy C-dramas or the like) but with a lot of changes to the society and geography. Only the level of technology and dress (no specific dynasty) remains the same.

Historical and Ancient China requires actual earth history.
Funnily enough, Ancient Times does not.

Politics

Tag: Politics | Scribble Hub

www.scribblehub.com

Death, brainwashing, gore (but it's infrequent)

Content Warnings should take care of that, I think? Except the second, I already linked. May need adult or mature genre.

No magic, but there are ways to 'refine' the human body to push at biological limits

Might have to look through the cultivation tags for that. Body Tempering?

Happy ending for MC and FL.

Definitely Romance, but probably not Tragedy.

I feel like it would fit into a Historical Romance, but it doesn't really stick to any particular period or historical events. It also doesn't fit into Romance Fantasy because there aren't any supernatural elements or magic.
Does anyone know which genre or subgenre it would fit into?

You'll want to go through each genre one by one to see if your story fits into them. For example, there's no magic, but do they fight alot? Probably Martial Arts then.

 

[FallenMoon3]

Just put as many genres and tags as possible this will help you get more visibility

 

[Nolff]

Just put as many genres and tags as possible this will help you get more visibility

And if some aren't correlating to the story?

 

[The_Monarchy]

As long as you can weave these elements together perfectly you don't have to worry too much about tags. A good story will market itself

 

[corruption]

As long as you can weave these elements together perfectly you don't have to worry too much about tags. A good story will market itself

Perfectly? Don't even need to bother doing that.

Genre is not an exclusive system. It is just a way of describing your story. If you have to list just one genre, then ask yourself: What is the main plot line focused on.

Other genre can be listed, but only if they are reasonably represented. For example, if the story has a strong sub-plot about two people falling in love, then Romance would be a good listing, even if the main line is action or comedy. However, listing something as a comedy just because a character cracked a single bad joke would not be accepted by readers.

Personally, if I see lots of genre listed, I can't tell what the main focus is. It looks like the author is trying to cover as many bases as possible, which would mean the story is focused on having a little bit for everyone, but not on actually having a good story.