Genre Selection
Writers Room uses BISAC (Book Industry Standards and Communications) genre codes to classify your manuscript and provide industry-aligned feedback. This is the same system used by publishers, bookstores, and libraries.
Why Genre Matters
Different genres have different conventions, reader expectations, and storytelling techniques. By knowing your genre:
- Feedback is properly calibrated - The editor understands what's an expected genre convention vs. an actual problem
- Reports are tailored - Get genre-appropriate analysis (e.g., romance-specific reports for romance novels)
- Sensitivity considerations apply - Genre-specific reader sensitivity notes help avoid common pitfalls
- Suggested feedback types improve - Generated feedback types match your genre's expectations
Automatic Genre Detection
When you import a manuscript, Writers Room analyzes the content and automatically detects your genre.
During the import process:
- Your manuscript is analyzed for genre markers (setting, characters, tone, plot elements, prose style)
- The detected genre appears in the chat alongside a brief explanation
- A confidence level (high, medium, or low) indicates how certain the detection is:
- High confidence: Clear, consistent genre markers throughout
- Medium confidence: Strong markers with some cross-genre elements
- Low confidence: Experimental, literary, or doesn't fit neatly into categories
You can chat with the editor and change the genre if the detected genre doesn't match your intent.
BISAC Genre Categories
Writers Room uses the complete BISAC subject heading list, giving you access to highly specific genre classifications:
Fiction Categories Include:
- FICTION / Fantasy / Epic
- FICTION / Fantasy / Urban
- FICTION / Romance / Contemporary
- FICTION / Romance / Historical / Regency
- FICTION / Mystery & Detective / Cozy
- FICTION / Science Fiction / Space Opera
- FICTION / Thrillers / Psychological
- FICTION / Literary
- FICTION / Horror
- And many more...
Young Adult and Children's Categories:
- YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Fantasy
- YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Romance
- JUVENILE FICTION / Fantasy & Magic
- And more...
The specificity of BISAC categories means your feedback is calibrated for your exact niche, not just a broad genre.
How Genre Affects Feedback
Expected Conventions
Each genre has conventions that are expected and should not be flagged as problems. For example:
- Romance: Instalove, internal monologue about attraction, happy endings (HEA/HFN)
- Fantasy: Infodumps for worldbuilding, invented terminology, prophecy tropes
- Thriller: Cliffhanger chapter endings, multiple POVs, time pressure
- Literary Fiction: Slower pacing, ambiguous endings, character-focused over plot
Actual Problems to Watch For
Genre-specific issues that should be flagged:
- Romance: Lack of relationship development, missing emotional beats
- Fantasy: Inconsistent magic systems, geography confusion
- Thriller: Predictable twists, pacing that drags
- Literary Fiction: Pretentious prose, characters that lack depth
Sensitivity Considerations
Writers Room includes genre-appropriate sensitivity guidance to help you avoid common pitfalls related to:
- LGBTQ+ representation
- Racial and ethnic representation
- Disability portrayal
- Mental health depictions
- Religious portrayals
- Body image
- Gender representation
- Age-related concerns
- Socioeconomic portrayals
- Trauma handling
It's still important to collect feedback from editors and beta readers in these groups, though.
Viewing Your Detected Genre
After import completes, you can see your detected genre:
- In the chat history from your import session
- In Story Analysis Reports where genre-specific analysis is provided
Changing Your Genre
If you want to change your genre, ask the editor to change it in chat. It'll help you identify the best BISAC category for your manuscript or help you save a custom genre.
Custom Genres
Not all manuscripts fit neatly into standard BISAC categories. Writers Room allows you to save custom genre names that better describe your work, even if they don't match official BISAC classifications.
When to Use Custom Genres
Custom genres are perfect for:
- Hybrid genres that blend multiple categories (e.g., "Beach Thriller", "Cozy Fantasy Mystery")
- Emerging genres that haven't been formalized in BISAC yet
- Unique combinations that don't have a standard BISAC code
- Personal genre labels that better capture your manuscript's essence