Should writers stick to one genre?

I never realised it was possible to write in different genres.  I always thought you had to choose one genre, and that was it. You were in it for LIFE. There would be no returns, no reruns, no back-tracking of any kind. If you happened to choose Vampire Romance as your brand, well… you better remain in that box or else.

I think this system of ‘author branding’ was created thanks to the publishing market. It makes sense to stick to a certain genre if that’s what your readers come to love and expect from you. Branching off into a different genre usually requires a pen name, and that means you pretty much have to start at square one.

But what if you really, really want to write both crime and romance novels? What if you also enjoy dabbling in YA fantasy?

I love that J.K. Rowling decided to submit…