I’ve been asked this question a lot so I decided to address it here.  Women’s fiction is a genre that can incorporate other genre’s like mainstream fiction, romance, and/or historical fiction.  The gist of it is that it is writing for women about women and women’s issues.  Women’s fiction often incorporates family, relationships, and friendships as a intregal part of the story.

Chick Lit is a form of women’s fiction, but the audience is 20-30 somethings. Hen Lit is for us older gals 40 and older.  But these are just monikers that have been coined by the marketing industry to identify and possibly pigeon hole our work.  Having a specified genre helps the publishing industry get a better understanding of who the audience will be.  And frankly it can allow you to have a “built in” audience.  For example, Sci Fi lovers will probably read the latest science fiction novel, even if they don’t know the author.  Romance readers are always looking for the next best love story.  So, I guess what I’m saying is that women’s fiction is a melding of genre’s and appeal to a wider audience.  I like that, since that is what I read and like to write.

Write on writing buddies,

BD