Are editors genre specific?

This is a good question. It tells me that you are serious about your writing and understand there are such things as genre conventions and reader expectations. This is great.

Most of us know that we’re writing in a certain genre, but some of us are not so clear about the subgenre. Me, I have always written in the fantasy genre. But that’s a huge umbrella and in recent years, many subgenres have come into being.

Back in the olden days, when I was still knee-high to a grasshopper, it used to be High Fantasy, Arthurian Fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and lyrical fantasy. Now, there’s urban fantasy, paranormal romance, dark fantasy, steampunk, fairy tale retellings, fantasy of manners, etc., etc.

You could have knocked me down with a feather when I learned the distinction between romantic fantasy and fantasy romance. Apparently, fantasy romance has its focus on and is driven by the romance, meaning readers of this subgenre expect a good deal of romantic interactions (both intimate and otherwise) and HEA endings. Readers of romantic fantasy, on the other hand, expect much more than romance; they want all the world-building and magic along with the romance which, while essential, does not drive the story, and HFN is perfectly acceptable.

All this to say that knowing our genre/subgenre is essential because, like it or not, genre conventions exist, and readers have very specific expectations and will complain if those expectations are not met. Oh yes, they will.

If you are better informed than I was, and are absolutely sure that you are writing in a certain subgenre, that is wonderful. You will know all the conventions (by reading voraciously and keeping up-to-date in that subgenre) and should be able to meet all your ideal readers’ stringent expectations.

However, if you are not 100% sure, then it may be a good idea to find an editor who specializes in the subgenre that you are aiming for. If they have that kind of expertise, they should be able to help you massage your story into one that your ideal reader would enjoy.

As for me, now that I know exactly what subgenre I’m writing in, I do not need to be so particular. My editors do not read a lot of romantic fantasy, and still they enjoy my writing and are happy to work with me. In fact, one of my criteria for selecting my editors is that one of them must have equestrian expertise. This is because there are a lot of horses in my stories and I need to get those details right. So that’s something else to think about.

In conclusion, I would say that this depends entirely on how well you understand the conventions of the subgenre that you are writing in. If you’re a newbie, it’s probably best to work with someone who has that kind of expertise. But if you have a good understanding of the conventions of your subgenre, then you should be able to work with any editor.