What genre should I use?

[gmw]

The next short story I want to publish is written as a series of interviews about a piece of music where the creator has died and everyone is claiming the rights should belong to them.

What I can't work out is how to categorise this story in the available Smashwords genres.

I am tempted by Fiction » Themes & motifs » Legal, because there is a (quite minor) legal aspect to it, but that's not really what it's about, and it's probably not what people are expecting under that heading.

The only other category sufficiently generic would seem to be Fiction » Literature » Literary, but I've never really seen myself as a writer of "literary" fiction. The story is intended to be amusing (though not in an overtly comic sense), but it isn't really intended to astound anyone with the quality of my prose (which is how I generally think of "literary" fiction).

Any suggestions?

[cromag]

Who are fighting over the rights? Relatives? Acquaintances? Publishers? Strangers?

My first guess would also have been "Fiction » Themes & motifs » Legal." The descriptions of some of the stories in that category seem in line with your description. And, you could use a "Humor & comedy" category for a secondary genre.

[gmw]

Originally Posted by cromag

Who are fighting over the rights? Relatives? Acquaintances? Publishers? Strangers?

The initial plan was for all of the above , but to keep it short I've kept it down to just a handful.

Originally Posted by cromag

My first guess would also have been "Fiction » Themes & motifs » Legal." The descriptions of some of the stories in that category seem in line with your description. And, you could use a "Humor & comedy" category for a secondary genre.

I'll probably stay away from "Humor & Comedy", I think that might give the wrong idea. I'm hoping readers will find it wryly amusing, but I don't really expect anyone to laugh out loud ... or am I placing too high an expectation on the "Humour & Comedy" genre?

The legal aspect exists because it has to, given the subject matter, but the story is actually about people's sense of entitlement - in fact the story is called "Entitled".

Thanks for your thoughts on this.

[cromag]

In all honesty, I've never encountered a book that made me "laugh out loud" -- deliberately, that is! -- so that tempers my expectations. Besides, I think the "Satire" sub-category suggests amusement rather than guffaws.

If not humor, then, is there a "Mystery & detective" category that it can fit into? Cozy?

[gmw]

Satire. Yes. I hadn't thought about it that way, but now you mention it, I do think it will fit in there quite well.

Thanks very much!

[kennyc]

Sounds mainstream/literary to me, I'd put it there, unless it is truly focused on the Law/Legal aspects.

[gmw]

Thanks, Kenny. It's definitely not focused on the legal aspect. I've stuck it under Satire for the moment. I get self-conscious thinking about a literary classification - maybe I need to work on that, my prejudices may be showing.

[kennyc]

If there is no 'mainstream' category then 'literary' works that's really all it is.

[dorotea]

I would have to agree with Kenny!