You finally have an idea for the novel you want to write, now you must decide on the genre and target audience. I know that it sounds stupid to mention this but it’s very important. You must know before you start writing who your audience is.

Most people know what genres they like to read and possibly which ones they like to write so this decision shouldn’t be too difficult. However, you may not find this easy so I’ve included a list of genres for you to think about.

If I’ve missed any, please leave a comment.

• Fantasy
• Horror
• Science Fiction
• Crime
• Suspense
• Young Adult
• General
• Romance
• Western
• Mainstream
• Historical Fiction
• Humour
• Speculative Fiction

Yes, some genres do overlap and some have sub-categories too but this list will help you get started.

Then you have to decide who you want to tell your story to and why. This is the audience.

• What message do you want to give them?
• Are agents/publishers looking for this type of story?
• Are there other stories already published that can help you decide if you’ve made the right decision?
• If you want to write for the younger audience, what content is acceptable?

Do the research now and save yourself the disappointment of doing the wrong thing later. Know your target audience from the beginning.

Go back to the contents page . . . | . . . Go to Part 4: Sentence, Theme, Premise