I bring this up because we are about to launch a new Kickstarter in May – this is truly not a sales pitch but an example, I promise – and we (the team) were discussing the header. The big image that you see on all the Kickstarters. It’s the window in, the first hook to interest readers.

Our Kickstarter is indie genre fusion all the way down. Mixing fantasy, ghosts, superheroes, saving the world, good vs. evil, with a romance in it as well. Kinda sexy, too.

It’s actually what is now being called Romantasy, a new indie-created genre – that I talked about in my last blog here.

But on Kickstarter, we learned that romance isn’t a draw. Fantasy is. The ghosts and the paranormal and the superheroes-saving-the world bit in these books are what people are looking for on Kickstarter. Those are the readers that are really shopping Kickstarter right now. Not the romance readers.

So we will emphasize the fantasy part of the book. Let the readers know that is in there. The romance part will be obvious since there is a couple on the cover of each. But the most important thing the Kickstarter readers are looking for is the fantasy.

The rest is gravy.

And that is the glorious thing about mixing genres for readers.

All of these writers are writing stories that check so many readers’ boxes by mixing up the genres, having more than one in one (that totally makes sense…OK, to clarify more than one genre in one book) that more readers have more books to read.

Take this book series we are launching.

It is a fantasy series. It is a romance series. It is a superhero-saving-the-world adventure series.

So three major genres.

So three major groups of readers have a new series that they may really, really like.

And may become their next favorite book (series).

If it only had one genre…that’s just one group of readers.

And with three genres, not only does the series have more potential readers, how freaking fun does that sound? That is jam packing a story with a lot cool things.

And it’s new! It’s not your run of the mill, cookie-cutter baked thing just like the last. Not a Twilight spin-off #789,456,4z5,007,070,345 (That z is in there on purpose.)

You know it will we fresh and exciting and different.

And that is key. That means readers have so much more than they had before.

That is why indie genre fusion, mixing and matching gernes, why authors breaking out of the traditional writing molds (prisons) is so incredibly, deliciously, excitingly good for readers.

Genre mixing, what it means, the good, the bad and the “that really worked?”

This 5 part blog series was a delight to write!

But worry not, dear fellows, I am not done. This is only the beginning of me helping you find your next favorite book!

So next we are diving into the how. How do you find these great indie authors?

Let’s look beyond the end caps of your grocery stores and the same names on your bookstore shelves, and explore how and where to find your next favorite book – indie style!

(You can dance if you want to.)

(I do.)

(I just did a little head bobbing boogie in my rolly chair, just cause.)

(You can, too.)

So see you next week when we go on an exploratory adventure in search of…

Your Next Favorite Book!