Guest Blog: Lucy Felthouse

Writing in Several Genres – Help or Hindrance? By Lucy Felthouse

Today I’d really like to ask a question – is writing in several different genres a help or a hindrance to a writer’s career?

Personally, I’ve always written whatever comes to mind. I don’t  just write in a single genre, and I’ve often surprised myself by going out of my comfort zone and writing something that I’d never imagined I would want to write. But here I am, six years into my writing career and I’ve penned m/f, f/f, ménage, contemporary, paranormal, BDSM, fem-dom, rubenesque, modern fairy tales, voyeurism, romance, bisexual and uniform fetish stuff.

I know many writers pick a genre, for example, straight paranormal erotic romance, and stick to it. Others, like me, write all kinds of things.

I can see the good and bad points of both sides. Sticking to a single genre means that your fans know what to expect, and that it’s incredibly likely that if they liked one of your books, they’ll like them all. However, on the down side, you may not be gaining new fans who wouldn’t necessarily look for books in the genre you write within.

Writing in multi genres means that you run the risk of losing fans. They may read something of yours and really enjoy it, then check something else out that’s in a different genre, and not like it. (This is why, on my website, I clearly state what genres my books are). On the other hand, though, someone may have found your writing while looking for a lesbian piece, for example, then gone on to read your books within other genres.

So, now I’m putting the question to everyone else. I’d love to hear your experiences – from both sides. It’s a little too late for me to change anything now—plus I love writing in several different genres—but I’m just curious to hear the opinions of others. I look forward to reading your comments!

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At 35, travel writer Annalise is fed up with insensitive comments about being left on the shelf. It’s not as if she doesn’t want a man, but her busy career doesn’t leave her much time for relationships. Sexy liaisons with passing acquaintances give Annalise physical satisfaction, but she needs more than that. She wants a man who will satisfy her mind as well as her body. But where will she find someone like that? It seems Annalise may be in luck when a new member of staff starts working in the bookshop at the airport she regularly travels through. Damien appears to tick all the boxes; he’s gorgeous, funny and intelligent, and he shares Annalise’s love of books and travel. The trouble is, Damien’s shy and Annalise is terrified of rejection. Can they overcome their fears and admit their feelings, or are they doomed to remain on the shelf?

More information, excerpt and buy links: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/off-the-shelf/

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Lucy is a graduate of the University of Derby, where she studied Creative Writing. During her first year, she was dared to write an erotic story – so she did. It went down a storm and she’s never looked back. Lucy has had stories published by Cleis Press, Constable and Robinson, House of Erotica, Noble Romance, Ravenous Romance, Resplendence Publishing, Summerhouse Publishing, Sweetmeats Press and Xcite Books. She is also the editor of Uniform Behaviour and Seducing the Myth. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9