NAMING AND

ORGANIZING
CHICK LIT
NO, NOT THESE!!!
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE CHICK LIT?
CHICK LIT DEFINED AS:
Upbeat, entertainingreads, written mostly by
women that feature young female characters.
These books can be about boys, frindship, family,
fitting in, or vacationsalmost always invovle
self-discovery, offer an uplifting ending, and
spotlight characters that are easy for girls to
relate to. (Meloni, Christine. Chickalicious.)
Chick is a derogatory term for the presumably
empty-headed girls or young women who are both
the characters and the readers; lit is an ironic
reference to the assumed lack of quality writing
in the form. (Campbell, The Lit of Chick Lit)
WHAT IS CHICK LIT?
Contemporary womens
fiction

Chick Lit explores the

personal, professional, and
romantic lives of young,
single, working women.
Coming-Of-Age story

Usually
written by women
for women.
CHICK LIT CRITERIA
Main Character: female, 20-30s, an every woman
Supporting Characters: gay best friend, evil boss,
cheating boyfriend, caring female posse, Mr. Right
Setting: Contemporary, urban (NYC, London, L.A.)
Humorous, satirical tone
Embedded in pop culture

NOTE: These qualities may not be present in all

genre literature, but they are stereotypical
nonetheless.
JUDGING THE BOOK BY ITS COVER

Bright, pastel colors

Curly, script-like fonts

Feminine images (i.e.,

shoes, make-up, purses,
female body)
BRIDGET JONES DIARY
SOUNDS SIMPLE ENOUGH?
Organizing a Chick Lit Collection

Traditional Author-Title Index

Plotline/Subgenre

Location
TRADITIONAL AUTHOR-TITLE INDEX
Alphabetized by authors last name
Most common method in libraries
Usually mixed together with general
fiction

Can be further organized by title OR

series
PLOTLINE/SUBGENRE

Much like romance novels, chick lit has divided into

sub-genres to deal with different female experiences . .
.

Mommy Lit Hen Lit Teen Chick Lit Guy/Lad Lit

PLOTLINE/SUBGENRE

Or commonly used plotlines.

Bigger Girl Single City Wedding Lit Working

Lit Girl Lit Girl Lit
HERES WHERE IT GETS COMPLICATED:
CHICK LIT AS A SUBGENRE
In some cases, Chick Lit may be used as a subgenre
for another literary genre.

Classics Mystery Fantasy/Sci-Fi Historical

Fiction
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Organizing Chick Lit by its location (either where it
was published or its setting)
Different regions have different writing styles and
themes

British American International

Chick Lit Chick Lit Chick Lit