Define it!

[bec251]

I am in the process of submitting my book for representation, and I keep running across the problem of defining young adult literature. Is it juvenile fiction? Is it children's fiction? When an agency no longer accepts "children's literature," do they mean young adult fiction too?

[Saltier]

That's hard to say. I kind of see YA as it's own beast but I'm not qualified in any way to give that opinion :)

Where are you researching the agents/agencies? I know Agent Query has a search function. You could search YA for agents and then whittle it down by looking at the actual websites.

[vroth]

A lot of the time, if they say they don't accept children's books, they mean YA, too-- at least, that's been my experience. As a rule, if they don't say specifically that they are looking for YA, I tend to leave them alone-- because even if they wouldn't reject your work outright based on the genre, it seems to me that if YA was a priority of theirs, they would list it, and I want an agent who is excited about YA.

I think "children's" tends to be a term that covers MG, YA, and kids books. "Juvenile fiction" is more specific and refers to books younger than YA, I think. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I am by no means an expert. :tongue

[lonestarlibrarian]

When I look at the websites for book warehouses like B&T, they use something called BISAC subject headings-- Book Industry somethingorother. :o) Basically, everything from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie picture books up to the House of Night YA novels is going to fall under "Juvenile Fiction." The age ranges are going to be different, of course, but it's all considered juvie.

[herbchick]

In my experience, the agents will ask specifically for what they want and I have come across agencies that ask for YA but no picture books. I have also found that big agencies may have two agents looking for YA and others who aren't so if it says no children's and you have looked at the agency's agents and on publisher's marketplace and don't see YA then I would not submit.

At our library children's is picture, easy, juvenile(MG) and YA.

[Danthia]

If you're unsure if children's lit means YA or not, check their client list (if they list their books anywhere) and see if they rep any YA authors. But they usually say if they rep it or not. If they do say children's lit or juvenile fiction, but don't say YA specifically, query anyway. YA is often included in those labels. Worst case they say no if they don't rep it.