In the world of writing, there are many categories. These categories have been broken down into genres, and if a writer chooses to write in any category, that is what will be referred to as their genre.
Though many people claim to start writing out of pure passion, one cannot deny the financial benefits that come with having a successful book in the market. countless people have become famous, and even won prestigious awards because of the book that they have written, and this has drawn more and more people into the writing profession.
Factors that determine how successful a book will be
A lot of time, energy, and even money can go to the writing and publishing of a book, but even with that, there is no guarantee of financial success. So after studying the pattern of success for many iconic books, it is safe to say that the following factors contribute greatly to how successful an author can be:
- The title – this may sound like a joke, but it is actually true. The title of a book can go a long way towards making it a financial success, especially for first-time authors and those that are not yet well known.
Before people make up their minds to buy a book, the title is the first thing that forms their decision. This is because a title gives the book its first impression, and there is never a second chance to make a first impression.
While a good title alone will not ensure 100% success of your book, a bad title can do a lot of damage to it. So, upcoming writers need to come up with a marketable title.
- The book cover – as long as the book is meant to be read by humans, the cover will remain an important factor that determines sales. So no matter how many times people are told to not judge a book by its cover — it is never going to apply to actual books.
Humans are visual creatures, and even if they are not buying the book for pictorial designs, they are still going to be drawn to the ones that have an attractive cover.
While the title of the book gives it a good first impression, a nice design can make a reader fall in love with the book at first sight. Therefore, book covers must never appear dull.
- The book description – before people get to see a movie, they watch the trailer and it goes a long way to determine if they will bother to see it at the cinema or not. The same also applies to the description of a book.
With a good book description, a writer will easily whet the appetite of the reader and this will encourage them to purchase the book.
After the title and book cover attracts a reader, the first thing they do is to check the description to see what the good-looking book has to offer. So while a reader sees the description as an informational piece, the writer has to think of it as a sales pitch.
The power of a good book description has been displayed many times in cases where an adjustment in a novel’s description immediately led to an increase in sales.
- The genre – this factor refers to the main content of the book and the category in which the story belongs. It could be horror, romance, comedy, history, thriller, or one of so many others.
Of course, you need to pick a good genre, but do not forget that as a writer, your area of expertise also matters. If you are talented in history writing, you will produce a better book than someone who wrote history because it would sell.
So before you put pen to paper, look at these genres of writing that are generating the highest amount of sales in 2022, so that you can match your natural flow of writing with the one you are most comfortable with.
Top book genres of 2022
- Romance – it should not come as a surprise that romance is one of the most lucrative genres of writing in 2022. Because over the years, it has consistently maintained that position.
Irrespective of the time or season, everyone will appreciate a good love story because of the way it evokes different emotions in the readers — even if it ends as a tragedy like in the case of Romeo and Juliet.
- Fantasy and science fiction – since science fiction started climbing the sales ladder, people have continued to appreciate the genre even more — but the younger generation of readers have a strong loyalty to it.
The stories from this category always picture a world that does not really exist in reality, with various creatures that can do superhuman things or use alien technology.
On the full list of the 20 best-selling books of all time, science fiction occupies half of the categories within it. This just goes to show how much people love alternate realities.
- Self-help and motivational books – in the last decade, mental health awareness has really grown far and wide, and this has led to a surge in the sale of motivational and self-help books.
With a good self-help book, people may not need to spend so much money on therapy. Motivational books also have the same effect, as people are more willing to improve themselves in this era than ever before.
Some writers even add a touch of religion to their self-help books to appeal to a particular set of people who share the same beliefs.
- Crime and thriller – this is the only genre that has been able to compete with books based on romance. Because of how they put readers in emotional states, crime thrillers and romance fiction keep moving to and from the first and second spots in the rank of best-selling genres.
How to pick the right book genre
Remember that as a writer, your skills will sell your books faster than the genre you want to choose.
So before you pick a genre based on how fast it will sell in the bookstore, have it at the back of your mind that there are other writers who are naturally gifted in that area — this is why you should only put your best foot forward.
If you are a sucker for love stories and romance, writing in this genre will come very easy to you and your books will easily evoke the right emotions in people irrespective of the plot.
But if you are a religious person or hold strong beliefs, you could do well in other genres of writing, but motivational and self-help books will be perfect for you. That inner conviction you have will reflect in your words and build a powerful connection with people.
For those that have an overactive imagination, science fiction and fantasy writing will go so well with that talent. If you fall into this category, there is a loyal set of readers waiting for your books to hit the stores.
Finally, if you grew up playing cops and robbers and have a penchant for detective movies, then writing in the crime and thriller genre is what you should do. With all that passion for mystery, your book will surely be a page-turner.
