Breaking out: the value of writing across genres and formats

Let’s talk about writing across different media, platforms and – within texts – in different genres. My thoughts are tied to feedback sent to me, conversations and observations of social media. It seems that many writers, or would-be writers, may feel that they need a narrow focus, otherwise agents and publishers will not be interested in them, perceiving them as too amorphous; not knowing who – or what – they are. Moreover, many think you can only get an agent if you write very commercial fiction (a note: there is nothing wrong with very commercial fiction) and I do not think this is true, though I do think you need, as a writer, to at least have some awareness of markets and know which texts your work is (roughly) simpatico with.

So, who am I? Over six years I have written for print and online journals as a reviewer, feature writer and columnist. What of my books? Auto-fiction (trauma; biography), novella (gothic; Welsh literature), novel (a blend of magical realism and historical fiction), two short story collections, (both gothic; weird fiction), memoir arranged in essays (nature writing and extended trauma), non-fiction book about writing, novel (magical realism; book group fiction), novella (gothic; seasonal). I am now drafting another novel. Of these, four are published, two forthcoming, one soon to announce, one being read, one on agency submission and one a work in progress. In addition, I have authored multiple stories and creative non-fiction for anthologies.

If you genuinely want to write in different forms, do it. Whatever you do, there is no guarantee, so I would advise being you

There are two things going on here. One is the spread; the other is that I always have something going on, which is helpful because odds are that, as in life, most things you do will fail. I think of mental health and lucre, here. Keep busy; keep hustling.

Let me unpick a few myths based on personal experience. First, I was told that publishing a novel and short story collection in the same year was a mistake, a dilution. I did not find this to be the case, because readers, bloggers and reviewers moved back and forth between those two books and interest in one book led to interest in the other. It was that short story collection which got me agented, too. So, if you genuinely want to write in different forms, do it. Whatever you do, there is no guarantee, so I would advise being you.

Next, I have heard on multiple occasions that you must persuade agents and publishers that you are "allowed" to be someone who crosses form, genre and media. For reassurance, this is not my experience, and I would always consider the source of this information and aim to ask a variety of people, if you can. What my agency says to me is that I need to write the book I want to write. The key criterion? That it is brilliant (no pressure, then!). It is, however, understandable that agents may want an author to have a narrow focus in terms of it making them more easily placed and marketed on their writerly path, and that an agent would not have the expertise for writers branching out in certain directions so might demur, but that is not unreasonable and not the only story. Also, not all books need be agented; they are not with me. Nonetheless, the fact that I can diversify has been emphasised; how I am more broadly as a thinker. My output thus arranged is not a weakness, because I was approaching it all from a position of passion and strength and as a bookworm. In the events I am doing, range is spotlit as a point of interest. Keep an eye on markets, but you can only be you, not an imitation of you. You will not sustain that; it will crumble.

There is such a thing as "personal brand", but approach this flexibly. It might be instructive if I share what mine is, though analysis may not sound slick! My USP is to let my personality shine through, daft and awkward as I am. I share my love of books, look after people, notice their work, share mine, ask questions and find reading suggestions.

If you do all this – and to me, this is natural; not something forced or strategic – then you show you. Do it across social media, as much as you dare and I believe that you can be a force of nature, binding together all your discrete interests.