Whereas it appeals to both groups, YA & MG -depending upon the profanity- should I?
With search & replace, I can swap or delete the curse words easily.
With search & replace, I can swap or delete the curse words easily.
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With search & replace, I can swap or delete the curse words easily.
My novel was pitched as crossover YA/adult. However, I'm worried that's going to hurt it in the end. It's pretty dark for YA, but adults may be turned off by its marketing as a YA novel. I think a clearer market is easier on everyone, but again, some books don't work that way. Book Thief was originally listed as MG, I think, and now is YA, but is really relevant to any market. Still, the fact that it's in the kids/teen sections of bookstores can be an issue for some people.
Thanks for replies everyone.
My Problem is, adults have read it and enjoyed it as well as teens and preteens.
MG / YA / Adult are marketing categories based on A LOT more than language usage. Tone is king. There's "major" language in the Miss Peregrine's novels, some that many parents would rush to cover their kids ears if they heard it in a movie, but it's MG.
Coffeebeans suggestion of PG13 may be the way go?
Miss Peregrine is MG?? Good lord. When I read it, I thought it was very firmly YA. Lately, the line between MG and YA seems to have blurred for me. I just finished Frances Hardinge's A Face Like Glass (brilliant book with amazing worldbuilding) and I thought it was very clearly MG in terms of tone and themes, but when I Googled reviews of it, it was apparently marketed as YA. So I don't even know anymoooore *world crumbles around my ears*.
OMG. By beautiful, special eyes. They've been tainted!Thanks for replies everyone.
My Problem is, adults have read it and enjoyed it as well as teens and preteens.
Note: the circa is 1958
My characters do not curse for sake of it:
Damn, my arm fuckin hurts. I looked up at Walt, “I don’t know?” With dread for what I might see, I held my breath and looked at my right arm. Sure enough, I saw blood, a lot of blood. “Wholly crap! Walt, can you see this?”
Walt’s jaw dropped. “Oh shit, that looks freakin bad.”
The sex below is about as hot it gets, which is hardly warm:
Later, the sight and sounds of a Roman chariot race held my utmost attention. I was thus, only vaguely aware of Sue’s fingers in my hair, or that her other hand had discovered the small tear in my pant leg near my crotch. When the chariot scene ended, I faced Sue. “Did you find that as exciting as I did, Sweetie?”
An odd smile appeared on Sue’s lips. “Probably more so than you, Mister Oblivious. Kiss me and make me tingle.”
Mister Whom, and tingle? What the hell? Naw, don’t ask. I kissed her, upon kissing Sue again, I felt her fingers in that tear and gasped. I looked down I saw my number 16 sweatshirt on my lap and Sue’s hand were under it. “What the fuck are you doing?” I whispered.
“Just making the movie more exciting.”
“Stop that, you’re getting more than the movie excited!”
“Sue frowned, “Um, but I never felt a real roll of money before. Can I hold it for a minute, please; it's dark; no one see will see or know?”
“No, behave yourself.” I lifted her hand from my leg. “Watch the damn movie.”
Coffeebeans suggestion of PG13 may be the way go?