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We all know that feedback on our stories is important. Getting a fresh pair of eyes and hearing another’s questions and thoughts on our work prompts us to be more creative and ultimately leads to us improving our work. But have you ever thought about how important it is to consider the background of the people offering you feedback? What genre do they read or write? Is it the same as yours? Why does it matter?
Let’s explore this a little bit.
In a Word
The main reason why it is important to pay attention to the genre your beta readers or editors are familiar with is that of awareness. For example, think about the car you drive. How many times do you notice the same vehicle on the road? Now, is it because your vehicle is a common vehicle or simply because you are aware of it? If you’re honest, the reason you notice vehicles that are the same as yours is because you are aware of your vehicle’s make, model, color, and so on. This awareness leads to you noticing other vehicles that match.
How does this relate to writing? Every genre has specific things that readers expect from it. These are called conventions and obligatory moments. For example, we expect there to a high-adrenaline pursuit at some point in action stories. In a romance, we expect the characters to kiss at least once. In a thriller, we expect at least one of the characters to be highly skilled with weapons and we expect them to use said weapons.
Someone who doesn’t read or write in the genre your story is in won’t be able to tell you if the necessary elements are missing. That isn’t a reflection on their judgment, but more a reflection on their awareness. If they don’t know what the genre should have, if they are unaware of the conventions your genre demands, then how can they tell you what is missing?
It is important to consider genre when hiring an editor as well. Remember that editors can be highly skilled in specific genres because they have worked on many projects within that genre. The genres they edit in are also probably genres they love, meaning that they are widely read n that field. All this means that they know what your genre needs to have and can guide you to achieving that, meaning that your story becomes all that it could be.
Big Picture Feedback
Having people who read or write in your genre offer feedback on your story is important because they are familiar with what your story needs to have. They will also be familiar with how things have been done before by other writers. This means that they can help you remain within the expectations of your genre while innovating and coming up with new ways to express things.
Sometimes, having someone who doesn’t read in your genre give you feedback can be beneficial. They will see things differently, possibly be confused by different things, or ask questions that add another dimension to your story. However, you do need to be aware that they won’t be able to advise you if your story is missing things that are conventions for your genre. There is also a chance that they might suggest changes that draw your story out of the genre you intended and into their preferred genre.
When looking for beta readers for your story, find out what genres they enjoy reading or writing. Ideally, you want people who are familiar with your story’s genre so that they can let you know if an important element is missing or if something is cliche. If you want a different perspective, then do recruit people who read or write outside your genre, but do keep the differences in mind as you work through their suggestions.
When it comes to hiring an editor to give you big-picture feedback on your story, then it is important that you pay attention to what genres they do or don’t edit. You will not get the feedback you need on your crime or mystery novel if you hire someone who edits romance. Yes, they’ll help you with some basic elements that are common to all stories and they can help you deepen the romance subplot (if you have one), but the main storyline won’t receive the attention it needs because they are simply unaware of the conventions it needs to follow.
What About Copyeditors?
Do you still need to consider genre when selecting a copyeditor, someone who will check your manuscript for spelling and grammar mistakes? Does it even matter at a sentence and word level?
Yes. The reason is, once again, closely tied to genre. Every genre has a specific emotion that is tied to it. Even when the genre is approached from a new angle, its core or main emotion is still the same. For example, the movie Goosebumps approaches horror from a comedic angle. However, the main emotion of the horror genre is terror, and Goosebumps still brings this to the fore even while compedy is being employed.
But why does this matter when selecting a copyeditor?
Words are the medium through which readers experience your story, and the careful choice of these words creates the overall tone of any story. Copyeditors and line editors are especially focused on words—their usage, spelling, placement, and so on. Some of the questions I ask when doing a heavy copyedit (also known as a line edit) are “Is this the best word for here? Is this sentence structured to convey the emotion of this scene?”
Consider the following sentences to see what I mean:
Blackness enveloped the world while wind screamed through the trees. Rain lashed at the window in fury, pounding against the panes looking into the warm, fire-lit room.
Outside was dark, with wind and rain almost overpowering the gentle crackle of the fire in the grate.
If you pare these examples down to the basics, they are saying the same thing: it’s night, there’s a storm, and the setting is a room with a fire in the fireplace. But notice the tone of the two examples. One lends an air of fear, using words like “screamed,” “lashed,” and “fury.” The focus in the first example is on the storm. The second one, however, lends a gentler air. No words describe the fury of the storm, only that it “almost overpowered the gentle crackle of the fire in the grate.” Even though nothing more is said, we immediately picture a cozy room and expect to see someone or even a family sitting together while outside is dark and stormy. The first example is what we’d expect to find in a darker story, possibly a thriller or horror, while the second prepares us for a gentler tale.
A copyeditor, while focusing on correct grammar and spelling, will pick up on the nuances of your tone. If they are familiar with your genre, they will be able to help you convey the emotion that is expected, even needed, in your story.
Conclusion
It is possible to have someone who is not familiar with your genre offer you feedback or work on your story and still give you good advice. But what is more helpful is having people who are widely read in your genre work on your story. When it comes to selecting editors at any level, an important question to ask is what genres they edit or work on. When you carefully select editors who work in your genre, you gain the benefit of their experience and they will help you bring your story to life.