Pulp Fiction discussion

Self-promotion caveat!
So I spent 12 years writing a book and then let the dust settle for another 8 so that (hopefully) none of the inspirations for the characters would blow up my house. I hit the "publish" button without knowing ANYTHING about genres, audiences, marketing, etc, etc. My work has been called everything from "grotesque" to "literary fiction" by the few that have seen it. I thought it was crime fiction when I first started writing it, then thought it was horror by the time I published. I've learned more since then, but the book is kind of hard to peg. I'm starting to wonder if it's sort of a crime fiction / noir / hardboiled / historical hybrid. Is that possible? I'd be thrilled if a couple of people truly familiar with the genre would be willing to take a look.
I'd really like to know if I should be selling it as crime fiction or something else.
Hey, everyone wants a free book, right?
Thanks - J. Kilburn / You can see my work at topdogsnovel.com

I am the author of "A Darker Shade of Greed". The novel is about a private detective in 1920 who must find a missing tailor in New York City. It is both a crime noir novel and historical fiction. The detective is friends with historical figures like Damon Runyon, Bat Masterson and he meets baseball icon Babe Ruth. It works as a mystery crime novel adventure as it incorporates historical references in old New York as well. So, my advice, if it is well written and the plots flows, publish it.

I played around with the term "nordic noir" trying to combine my literary heritage (I'm from Sweden) with the American pulp I read growing up and some of my favorites from the crime genre (detective novels really) from the 30s and 40s (from the states). My publisher labeled them "historical fiction" cause for some reason - and this is pretty stupid - we obviously don't call it "nordic noir" in Scandinavia (did not then at least). So my books has been called noir, crime, hardboild and much more (LBGTQ because of a gay protoganist). Well, they may be hard to market but are funnier to write them. I,m writing a scandi western now! Gonna put som southern gothic in there as well. Good luck to you, sorry for any misspellnings.

Martin wrote: "I played around with the term "nordic noir" trying to combine my literary heritage (I'm from Sweden) with the American pulp I read growing up and some of my favorites from the crime genre (detectiv..."

Enjoyed the first two, still got the third to get to.

Another blend here, Romantic Noir, which is non-existent when it comes to categories. Really wish that the literary/publishing community would add Noir as its own genre with its own sub-genres.

Christie wrote: "Another blend here, Romantic Noir, which is non-existent when it comes to categories. Really wish that the literary/publishing community would add Noir as its own genre with its own sub-genres."

ROMANTIC Noir! I think I might have to read that! I am intrigued...