I think a lot about people who try to write Romance or YA because of the idea it's easy money and they make the vital mistake of not respecting the category/genre or the readership, and it's very hard to zero in on the market's needs if you don't start with a baseline of respect.

There's nothing wrong with writing books for money (hi, have you met me?) but you've got to respect the foundation that was laid before you to walk on in any genre or category and the readership that made it flourish.

Also, if you respect the category or genre and the readership, you will...write a better book? And maybe get more money for it? It's kinda basic, but true! Respect and knowledge of why people love certain genres leads to you writing with deeper understanding!

Those are the first questions I ask myself when I decide to tackle a new sub-genre (which I do on a regular basis because I'm like a moth with pen names): why do people love this particular thing? What can I do to make them love it even more, while also putting my spin on it?

It's a beautiful challenge, learning a new genre or category. Come at it with respect and a willingness to understand why people love this particular thing, not shame them for it or think less of them for it or think yourself a game changer without actually knowing the game.

And the game of writing-to-market can be lucrative, but tapping into a readerships established love of something is an even bigger challenge than simply changing genres or writing a decent book in a new genre. Writing a beloved book in a new-to-you genre is the biggest challenge.