26K?

I vote yes, but it ultimately comes down to your publisher.

I'd think so, most of the books I've read in YA are probably around 60k, but 26k would still be perfectly readable.

The label "novella" doesn't really exist in YA. I mean, yes, "technically" it's a novella, but there are just very short YA novels sometimes and they aren't really called that. Since YA caters to teens, and some teens do better with shorter books, they're a staple of the genre. Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott is 27k. That's the only book I can think of that is that short, and I think it's important to note that Living Dead Girl wasn't Elizabeth Scott's debut novel. If agents see a 26k YA novel from an unknown writer, I think the conclusion they're going to come to is that the novel is drastically under-developed.

Remember that with a book that short, there has to be something to offset the price point. Either you need to be an established writer, which makes it conceivable that people will pay a little more for the book, or it has to rock so many socks off that people can't wait to own their own copy.

Short books, like incredibly long ones, can make turning a profit more difficult.

Becca C. said:

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott is 27k. That's the only book I can think of that is that short, and I think it's important to note that Living Dead Girl wasn't Elizabeth Scott's debut novel.

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Most of Francesca Lia Block's books are about that length. Her debut was 20k but it was published in 1989.

strawberryblondie said:

Most of Francesca Lia Block's books are about that length. Her debut was 20k but it was published in 1989.

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Right! Most of Francesca Lia Block's books are that short. She's definitely an exception, so new writers shouldn't try to replicate her career that way.