# Genre, Theme, Subgenre??? HELP!



## Raging_Hopeful (Aug 16, 2011)

Okay, I have several short stories that I am looking to submit for publication. I have had two other stories published but I think what is standing in my way is I might be submitting my stories to inappropriate markets. I have the hardest time determining what the story's "genre" is and "theme" and god forbid it falls into a "subgenre." This makes navigating Duotrope a living nightmare for me. >.< 

I know my work is not literary and it is most likely just general fiction. But if the story has ONE element of science fiction in it but it is not the real meat of the story, does the story fall under the science fiction umbrella? Or is that considered cross genre? So confuuuuuused.


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## moderan (Aug 17, 2011)

Unless the sf content is the main thrust, don't market it as sf. Almost everything has genre-crossing elements. Genre identification is difficult at best-the margins keep shifting.


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