Do we really need genres anymore? (updated)

It's not the first time I've talked about not wanting to be stuck in a genre: and it probably won't be the last. Are genres too confining?

The problem is that as soon as we put books in a category, it limits your audience. It suggests it's the central theme when most books, movies, and television shows can dip into a whole range of genres. You can watch a detective show and catch a little romance. You can read a detective book and stumble across some unexpected humor. Sometimes stating that a book is a specific genre only shows your potential audience a portion of what they can expect. It's like introducing your new friend and describing her as a journalist: when she's also a mother, a wife, an activist, and maybe even a volunteer in her community. The one-word description limits our view of who she is when she has so many aspects to her personality. Books are the same.

Another issue with having a specific genre is that it limits your audience. For example, if I learn a book is a 'romance', you've already lost me. It doesn't matter that perhaps it's only one element, and maybe the novel is full of humor, drama, and other things. I might enjoy it but, I've already written it off as 'not my kind of book'. This is another reason why I'm iffy on genres. I write books that more or less fall under the thriller-suspense categories, but I have a lot of other stuff going on, including romance, dark humor, maybe even a little horror from time to time.

I guess the point is that good books, movies and television shows have many different things going on. We have short attention spans and need lots of colors lighting up at once or we get bored. I'm not sure if genres are as important as they were in simpler times. What do you think?

Why do you need a sharp book cover? 😉(Updated)

Book covers should symbolize the pages inside, but how much of an impact do they make? Do we judge a book by its cover?

I spend a lot of time thinking about my book covers and choosing the best option. Like everything else, I often overthink it, but in general, a cover must give an overall feel of the story inside. For example, many of my books have a dark, sinister vibe that is captured on the cover. These days, I write about criminals, so you wouldn't expect to find an image that is bright, cheery, and fun. It wouldn't make sense. It would be misleading and send the wrong message about the story and the characters involved.

Book covers should speak to their potential audience. To me, if something captivates them in the imagery, chances are it represents a curiosity about what may be in the pages. Much like a movie poster, a book cover should leave you with a sense of what to expect. Colors, the specific images, and the title create an impression and should cause the potential reader to be intrigued and want to sink into the pages.

A perfect example would be my Hernandez series. The protagonist is sinister, powerful, and dangerous. Both the covers in this article will show you the connection to this theme. I lean toward ominous imagery. I also have bright colors that are eye-catching and attractive against the black background. This is what captivates your audience.

In the end, each author has to decide which cover best represents their book while at the same time considering the marketing aspect and what will sell. It can be a difficult balance but is necessary when publishing a book.