Teen Books

[Billie_Joe00]

Hi, I'm very interested in writing a book aimed at teenagers, around 15-18. I've written about 15,000 words so far, I know it isn't nearly enough, but how much do you think is recommended for this target audience? Thanks.

[katiemac]

I'm going to give you my answer as a reader since I don't know industry standards nearly as well as some other helpful people here. I'd say, for the age group you described, the novel length should be the same as standard adult, approximately 80,000-110,000 words.

My reasoning comes from my own experience, being just a little older than your intended age group. Teens (especially at a high school age) who read for pleasure are mostly reading adult novels anyway. They're used to the vocabulary, style and themes of adult novels. Even if the reader isn't into "heavy" pleasure reading, they're accustomed to that kind of material from literature classes.

To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure if there is an "age group" for the high school age. Most teens I know are reading novels about adults in professional jobs and situations. A lot of the stories I'm familiar with which are set in high school and that age are shelved in the "young adult" section. I haven't touched that section since I was in middle school. It's my experience that readers tend to project the characters' ages ahead of themselves when choosing a book.

[Mike Martyn]

[QUOTE=k It's my experience that readers tend to project the characters' ages ahead of themselves when choosing a book.[/QUOTE]

The same applies to advertising. I observed when my kids were youger that the kid in the TV ad for the toy or whatever was a year or so older that the target audience. The coolness factor, I suppose.
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[Roger J Carlson]

Industry standard for Young Adult or Middle Grade novels is 40,000 to 60,000 words. That isn't a fixed rule (look at later Harry Potter novels), but an unpublished writer would do well to stick to that.

[TheNightTerror]

A lot of the stories I'm familiar with which are set in high school and that age are shelved in the "young adult" section. I haven't touched that section since I was in middle school. It's my experience that readers tend to project the characters' ages ahead of themselves when choosing a book.

Ain't that the truth. I don't think I've ever read something intended for someone my age. When I was about 8, I was reading, (and disturbingly enough, understanding) Stephen King novels. Kid novels just didn't interest me. I liked horror, and kiddie horror novels were just pathetic.

I never read teen books. :o

[KTC]

Hi, I'm very interested in writing a book aimed at teenagers, around 15-18. I've written about 15,000 words so far, I know it isn't nearly enough, but how much do you think is recommended for this target audience? Thanks.

I'm writing one now that I hope will be a YA/Adult cross-over. One can only hope, right. I'm looking at about 62,000 words.

(As a sidebar...I just read a terrific YA...CHEESEBURGER SUBVERSIVE by Richard Scarsbrook. At the risk of hijacking the thread...has anyone here read this?)

[katiemac]

Ain't that the truth. I don't think I've ever read something intended for someone my age. When I was about 8, I was reading, (and disturbingly enough, understanding) Stephen King novels. Kid novels just didn't interest me. I liked horror, and kiddie horror novels were just pathetic.

I never read teen books. :o

Oh sure. I read Salem's Lot in 6th grade. A bit higher than your 8. I read too many teen books than I should have. I think I read every book on those shelves, intermixing with a nice adult fiction every now and then.