Genre: How To Niche Down For Artists

A genre is a style of communication (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions. As you use it, it describes a category of art or entertainment (e.g. literature, music, film). If businesses and entrepreneurs have niche markets to target, then artists and creators have genres. By focusing on a particular genre, you can hit the sweet spot of (a) tapping into a known audience and (b) bringing something unique to the table. Genres make sense out of what is normally ambiguous and uncertain artistic expression and categorize it.

Art and entertainment is the product of a social state. People write, paint, sing, dance, and otherwise produce about what they know about. Situating that knowledge into a particular genre allows you to play with the meaning of things. Say you’re a writer who loves the Napoleonic war period. You could craft a novel set in the period, depicting a typical villager’s lifestyle which is suddenly overtaken when he is taken to serve Bonaparte. Maybe you will write a tragedy from the Emperor’s point of view depicting their struggles in war. Hell, maybe you’ll devise a short story about one of the wars as they are described by historians.

All of the above is only possible because of your social state. If there were no surviving records of the Napoleonic wars and/or if you weren’t particularly interested in them, everything changes. Accordingly, the genre you pick to serve shifts, and so does your target audience. Since every genre has a set of conventions, expectations, and norms. They provide a framework that guides you as a creator and tells the audience what to expect. Exactly like niche markets inform a firm on what and how it has to produce to serve a particular customer.

Here’s the thing with genres. Sure, they come with established tropes, themes, and structures. Great shorthand for audience expectations. Detective novels do typically include a crime, a mystery, and a clever genius who unravels the case. The kicker: overreliance on these conventions can result in robotic, uninspired work. The polar opposite of creativity. Successful creative work innovates within the boundaries of a genre by tweaking, subverting, or blending convention. Straying too far from the genre’s core alienates the audience who wants familiarity. Thus your aim as a creative is the middle ground: honoring the essential traits of your genre while introducing fresh elements to distinguish your work.

Real-world examples of genre:

• Literature: authors like Agatha Christie adhere to mystery conventions. All the while they weave intricate plots that surprise readers. Contemporary authors blend mystery with elements of psychological thriller. This offers a fresh narrative while still delivering the satisfying resolution that mystery readers know and love.

• Film: traditional horror films are based on jump scares and eerie scenes. But movies like The Babadook incorporate deeper psychological themes. They blend classical horror tropes with innovative storytelling. Similarly, classic action movies follow well-established formulas. Yet films like Mad Max redefine the genre with relentless pace and visually striking sequences that push the boundaries of what’s possible in videography.

• Music: pop songs often follow predictable structures. Still, artists like Billie Eilish and SZA manage to innovate by mixing unconventional sounds and lyrics. For rock, bands that honor classic riffs but infuse elements of electronic music or hip-hop attract fans of traditional rock while appealing to new audiences.

• Video Games: role playing games (RPGs) have set mechanics like leveling up and quest-based narratives. But games like The Witcher add deep storytelling, complex character development, and even a moral aspect. The genre is enhanced without pulling it out with its roots.

How you might use genres as a mental model: (1) map out the playing field — identify the conventions of the genre you are working in, like a short list of key themes that resonate with your target audience; (2) stretch it twist it — define which elements you can innovate while still remaining within the winning framework, something that will set your work apart without alienating fans of the genre; (3) research the audience — conduct surveys, focus groups, or social media feedback for insights on what the audience loves about the genre and what’s gone stale; (4) pilot your work — pick out a segment of your audience and market one piece of work before you dedicate yourself to the full version (e.g. one song from an album, chapter of a book) to see if people genuinely like it; (5) tweak it or forget it — adjust elements and test your creative work again, or let go of the project if it isn’t resonating with your target audience.