Is Victorian YA too 'quiet' for today's edgy dystopian tastes?

DLacy said:

Does anyone else sometimes feel like their story just isn't edgy enough for today's YA tastes, but believe their story is perfect for those who'd appreciate it?

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Well, everyone who gets rejected thinks their story is perfect for those who'd appreciate it.

I doubt your problem is lack of edginess, though. I mean, Victorian YA (steampunkish and otherwise) is kind of popular right now. If an agent says your voice is too quiet, that's probably what she meant. If you're getting completely different comments from other agents then you just haven't hit the right agent yet. Or else your query needs work, period.

I wouldn't get too discouraged. If you're getting requests for fulls, you must being doing something right. How many queries have you sent?

Even crap queries can get some requests. Just something to think about. Anything around 10% for page requests is average. Above is good. Not saying your query needs it, but with 50 posts you could put it over in Query Letter Hell and see what folks have to say. You might be able to get some additional nibbles. You could also post a sample of the novel in Share Your Work at 50 posts, and mention that you had an agent say the voice was too quiet. Folks there could tell you if they see it. If they do, maybe there's something to it. If not, you can let it go as personal opinion. Then again, you can do that anyway. Sometimes it really is a matter of just finding one person who gets it, and surviving the process until you do.

I think my story is a bit quiet for today's YA market. It's contemporary. Victorian sounds more "hooky" though so it seems like that would at least pique some interest. Is it historical fiction? That seems to show up on a lot of agent wish lists.

DLacy said:

Thanks, Amy. I'm working toward the 50 post quota and am a little reluctant about QLH, but that's a very valid option. I'll keep the rest in mind too. This is a huge forum. Better make the most of it!

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why? the folks are there to help, and if you're worried about harsh crits, you can say "be gentle"

Maybe "hooky" is the wrong word, but it sounds different at least!

DLacy said:

cnote, never heard Victorian referred to as 'hooky' before, but to each his own. It has garnered some interest from agents due to the historical nature, but while I have researched to be sure I don't make huge historical faux pas, I focus more on the fantasy aspect than the historical in the books. I do target the agents who have historical on their lists, actually. That's another reason I'm not done querying yet.

Quicklime, I think I've been taken in by the rumors. No one has said the board isn't helpful, just that the name is appropriate. I will say that lately I'm feeling almost excited at the prospect!

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funny thing about Hell, at least this one: I'm pretty sure in the real hell you don't get to control your own level of misery. Here, you do. I got my ass KICKED in qlh in my first posts. Deservedly. And almost everyone does. But the folks who dive in and actually critique, an d listen to the critiques of others and try to think of how they can address them instead of dismiss them, tend to get through fairly quickly. You control your fate, just be smart about it.

I'm planning to query (well, slight delay now) in October. A LOT of the folks who were new when I was starting, and a lot of folks along the way since then, took a couple half-hearted stabs and then slunk off. A lot who worked harder got agents. It isn't hell at all, qlh is my favorite spot on this site, but you have to look at it from a different point of view. I go there to play, and it teaches me to write far more tightly. That's an investment, and a holistic one--my novels and shorts also improve for it. Mostly from the work I do on other people's stuff.

Go in looking only to get out, not participating, and just looking at what people say is wrong in your query myopically, trying to strip-mine experience and run off with it, and it will be hell. Use it as a tool, and really participate, and you'll do fine.

DLacy said:

All she told me was "the voice was too quiet", which I know is personal preference since she's the first to tell me that so far. They say compare the crits the agents give with each other so you can improve your MS, but all the agents say something different! I haven't had two agree since I started querying!

...

The YA market is tough. My creepy little Victorian girl can't possibly compare to the likes of Katniss, Katsa, and any other tough dystopian heroines whose names start with a K. My story isn't even dystopian. It's spooky gaslight fantasy with a heroine who looks like she'd belong in a Tim Burton movie. Is it just a matter of bad query timing?

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I know nothing about the YA market, but your story certainly sounds interesting to me--the feel of it, leastaways. I feel like there should be a market for it...and after all, if you're getting full requests, then the agents are clearly into the idea. Their issues with it are likely more specific to the manuscript than the overall feel/market placement of the manuscript. (That's my interpretation anyway; I could be wrong.) Creepy, when done well, is usually appealing.

Did you have betas? Did they say anything that any of the agents have echoed at all?

If the voice is too quiet, then it's the voice, not the concept. (And, if she's the only one who has said that, then who knows if it actually is or not. *shrug*)

Final thought: dystopian is rather glutted at the moment, so don't be discouraged about the fact that yours isn't. I'd imagine that'd work against it, if anything; many agents have probably filled their lists with dystopian and aren't looking for it now. (Not that dystopian can't sell, either. I just don't think "not dystopian" is a factor that will work against you.)

Yeah, they're not looking for dystopian anymore. I'm not sure what they are actively looking for besides contemporary and epic fantasy.

But historicals certainly get published, like Libba Bray's The Diviners, and there's plenty in historical fic that can be "edgy," scary, etc-- some of the best ghost stories are Victorian. Do you think "quiet" could refer to a relative lack of action scenes? Or to a voice that's appropriately Victorian but more ornate than most YA readers are used to? I'd try to find some published YA books set in that era and compare them.

ETA: I just reread and saw the agents all seem to have different issues with it. Are there really no patterns you can find? When my book was rejected by editors, two or three said the voice lacked immediacy, and that helped me rethink the book. Others said something generic, or nothing.

Being too edgy is sometimes a problem in YA, too! I think it may be one of mine. A edgy concept is good, but the characters need to be relatable, which means having easily understandable motives, like Katniss protecting her sister. The violence of the books is edgy; the psychology is pretty standard.

There's no doubt that agents and critics tend to praise "kick ass" heroines, but Bella Swan and her ilk hardly fit in that category. Jane Eyre has a quiet, repressed strength and anger, and people still read about her. So I doubt the age of "quiet" heroines has entirely passed.

DLacy said:

The YA market is tough. My creepy little Victorian girl can't possibly compare to the likes of Katniss, Katsa, and any other tough dystopian heroines whose names start with a K. My story isn't even dystopian. It's spooky gaslight fantasy with a heroine who looks like she'd belong in a Tim Burton movie. Is it just a matter of bad query timing?

Does anyone else sometimes feel like their story just isn't edgy enough for today's YA tastes, but believe their story is perfect for those who'd appreciate it?

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Don't think about your book competing with The Hunger Games or other dystopian YA books. Your book isn't in the same category. What are your recent comp titles (the books you mention in your query, like "My book will be of interest to readers who enjoyed [Title #1] [Title #2] [Title #3]"? From the very brief description you've provided here, it sounds like it's similar to In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters or Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard. Query both of those authors' agents and the literary agents who represented other recent books similar to yours. Those agents who have a clear history of liking your genre of books will be the ones that really believe such books and such voices have a place in YA literature.

Good luck!