Should I market my book as romance?
As I start to move forward with publishing, I’m struggling to define exactly how to market my book. The book is contemporary YA Christian fiction, and yes, the two teen MC’s do end up as a couplein the end. But I didn’t write it specifically to be a romance. That was just a side product of the bigger story, which is about a young woman’s quest for success despite her disability and stepping out of her comfort zone to stand up for someone else.
And before you ask, my “Timothy” (probably a Hannah, actually) doesn’t mind romance, but might not be expressly looking for romance books. I’m afraid labeling it romance will put the emphasis on the wrong thing, and yet it could also be helpful in alerting readers that there is this type of relationship in the book.
Any advice? Am I overthinking it? If it helps, here is the back-cover blurb:
Teen artist Rhapsodie Welles has spent her entire life avoiding stimulating environments. Fluorescent lights? Forget it. Musky deodorant? Stay away. Featherlight touch? She’d rather walk on red-hot nails. Solitude is her friend, and they get along quite well.
Then she’s paired with Sage Jacobi for an eight-week photography project. Fidgety, loud, and over-the-top in every way, Sage is Rhapsodie’s worst nightmare embodied in a blond boy with surprising camera skills. She could drop the class, but that would mean her sensory issues sideline her dreams again. So, with the encouragement of a mysterious photography mentor, Rhapsodie does the unthinkable. She stays, and grudgingly enters the chaos of Sage’s world—where at least she finds an unexpected ally in his sister, Clarice.
Yet something isn’t right in Sage’s family. Rhapsodie tries to ignore the bizarre interactions, underhanded maliciousness, and strange bruises at first. But the more Sage helps her find her footing in the world of photography, the more she realizes he’s the one who needs a hero most.