Specifications such as word count, gender of protagonist, age of protagonist, actual sex vs. that hinted at, type and number of conflicts, etc., etc., have their own requirements depending upon genre, and the category within said genre. Yes, that does get complicated. But those specifics are stated, and can easily be found under a publisher's guidelines. What becomes a bit more hazy concerns our perceptions of what the genres mean as to character, plot, and style, and where writers get confused is in differentiating between what constitutes good writing, and how that may SEEM to conflict with genre requirements. For example, Thrillers must definitely be plot driven.
Good writing is good writing, no matter in what genre it is published.
And good writing can be learned. But it must be studied and practiced, diligently, patiently, and indefinitely. Another example of writing-quality misconceptions is the Traditional Western category. Okay, so that's a bit oversimplified, but you get the drift. And though an old category indeed, these westerns are often maligned as just formula work.