This site has the basic book genres as “categories”. Books can also have sub-genres, tropes, or particular subject matters attached as “tags”. Some of these tags may seem similar, but for readers and authors who appreciate the differences in meaning, they are important distinctions.
Below are some commonly confused tags with their meanings explained. Different people, platforms, and publishers may have their own definitions, but the explanations listed here are what this site follows when determining if a tag is appropriate.
Achillean – The male equivalent of Sapphic, indicating men or masculine-aligned person who is attracted to other men or masculine-aligned people.
Contemporary – Tells the reader the story takes place in the present day. Useful when it’s unclear what time period a story might be set.
Diverse – The story contains multiple characters from marginalized groups, not just the main character.
New Adult – Similar to Young Adult, but definitely not the same. The focus is not so much on social angst and parental drama anymore. It’s more about navigating new responsibilities, finding one’s place in the world, and exploring one’s sexuality. Stories should not be marked as both Young Adult and New Adult.
Chaste – The story contains no sex and no foul language. Implies there is romance in the story.
Sweet – Emotional intimacy and feel-good vibes. Separate from “Chaste”. Here, “Sweet” is used more to indicate scenes that make readers go “awww” rather than heat level. On this site, “sweet” books may contain sex.
Steamy – Story contains sex.
Erotic – Story contains graphically described sex scenes. Not to be confused with “Erotica”.
Shifters – Stories with characters who can transform into animals at will and remain in control of their actions.
Werewolf – Stories with characters who transform into a werewolf against their will—generally at a full moon—and cannot control their actions. It’s often more of an affliction than a power. Stories should be marked as either Werewolf or Shifter, but not both (unless the story actually contains both!)
Dystopian – Features an organized society where there is great suffering or injustice. Think Hunger Games.
Post-apocalyptic – Features a disorganized, survivalist landscape. Different from Dystopian because there isn’t much organized society to speak of. Think Mad Max.
A quick note on the “Literary” genre
Literary fiction focuses on realistic, weighty issues, typified by character-focused writing and a lack of other genre features. It does not mean the work has beautiful prose (though it could).