Is there a line between YA and Urban fantasy?

bkwriter · Jul 15, 2010

so, (still not feeling good about this for some reason, trying to sort it out) I got a critique back from pacific Northwest Writers Ass.. contest saying they that the category I sent in was more YA. I sent my manuscript to scifi/fantasy category because I thought it was Urban Fantasy. My MC is just entering college and she's an angel fighting demons. I was wondering if I should change markets from Urban Fantasy to YA or can they be interchangeable? What is your opionion?

Thanks

Shady Lane · Jul 15, 2010

YA isn't a genre, it's a categorization. So you can have YA Urban Fantasy (which it sounds like yours is) the same way you can have Adult Urban Fantasy.

Sage · Jul 15, 2010

bkwriter said:
so, (still not feeling good about this for some reason, trying to sort it out) I got a critique back from pacific Northwest Writers Ass.. contest saying they that the category I sent in was more YA. I sent my manuscript to scifi/fantasy category because I thought it was Urban Fantasy. My MC is just entering college and she's an angel fighting demons. I was wondering if I should change markets from Urban Fantasy to YA or can they be interchangeable? What is your opionion?

Thanks

Like Shades said, urban fantasy and YA aren't mutually exclusive. YA is a classification based on the target audience. Theme, tone, age of protagonist, and other things help you decide whether the novel is YA or not. Books such as Wicked Lovely and Vampire Academy are YA UF.

That said, a college-aged character is not YA (unfortunately).

the category I sent in was more YA

The way you word this makes me think that they're saying that they were looking for YA SF/F, is that right?

Cholisose · Jul 15, 2010

That's odd that they called it YA, considering it's a college-aged protagonist. Perhaps they felt that the tone/style of your piece lent itself better to YA? Maybe the story will work better with a younger protagonist? Might be something good to experiment with.

shaldna · Jul 16, 2010

I write primariliy YA UF, so I have no idea what those people are talking about.

bkwriter · Jul 16, 2010

yes, it is strange they would say that but my character was just entering college. Maybe that's why? Oh, and the tone, my writers group did say she sounds like eighteen or so.

Thanks for the help

heatercat · Jul 20, 2010

Line's pretty gray since many chicklit, female urban fantasy writers are crossing over, following the $$$. But generally, all the same conventions, just set in high school.

Glenakin · Jul 21, 2010

Strange. YA is, as others have said, a classification for a specific audience. It's general. Within YA you have paranormal, speculative, urban fantasy, contemporary, etc.

Is there a line between YA and Urban fantasy?

bkwriter

Shady Lane

my name is hannah

Sage

Our Lady of Parentheticals

Cholisose

...

shaldna

The cake is a lie. But still cake.

bkwriter

heatercat

Glenakin