When oh When Will the YA Trend End?

I could be wrong, or it could be a UK thing, but from what I've heard agents saying that YA is approaching saturation point. I imagine the agents mentioned are wanting something new in YA to get excited about.

And you know what, if you perserve, your book could be what gets the biz excited about horror/historicals/sci-fi again.

I know it's frustrating. I get frustrated when I go into a bookstore, and see all the historicals that are set in ancient Rome are war/military fiction. I have to rummage through the internet/book reviews/author interviews to find the stuff that isn't. But, you have a bit of a grumble, walk away and deal with it in a mature fashion.

leahzero said:

Not sure why people are equating YA with teen readers, when it's been shown that a huge portion of YA readers are actually adults.

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True. Me, for example.

I was reading adult books when I wasn't even one myself. Now that I'm an adult, I find YA to be quite appealing. And to be honest, I enjoy YA as much as any Romance novel, if they're both engaging and well written. The genre is not what matters.

It's a phase, as with everything in life. Like when I was mostly interested in reading paranormal romances a couple years back. Nowadays I'm really enjoying me some YA books, and so what? Shouldn't I be reading them because I'm out of the age range? Nopes.

And I think the same goes for teens. They can be as interested in an adult book as a YA one, it all depends on the teen and what she's looking for (or needing), at that point in life.

But as someone else said, people of all ages tend to read about other people who happens to be older (thus cooler) than the them. A 10 year old can't stay away from a book about a 12 year old. A 15 year old girl will read anything about an 18 year old character, and so on. They like to look up to older, wiser, cooler people, so they look for books that offers them just that. Be it YA or not.

Adults who read YA are looking for something in that genre -no, let me rephrase that- they're looking for something that only YA can offer, and so, they read young adult books even when they're not teens anymore.

My point is this: teens read more than just YA books, and YA books are read by more people than just teenagers.
And I think that's good. Awesome, in fact. Every book, every genre, teach us something. Even if it is that we don't like that particular genre.

The only end I want to see with YA is the stunning lack of diversity in the genre,especially paranormal romance,the genre I write.

I want that situation fixed ASAP. Other than,I love to write and read it.

Captcha said:

If you want to keep the book 'adult' and you can't sell it as is, maybe you should be looking at it more closely to see why people think it feels YA.

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This. When the characters are teens, the author has the liberty to explore themes like first love, first understanding, first betrayal, et cetera. Which can be quite intense. Exploring these themes with adult characters is almost always awkward.

Waffles said:

I am going to a writer's conference in a couple of weeks. All the attending agents are looking for YA (other things too, but YA is the one common genre among them).

I have no issue with the genre itself, but it's not what I write, nor is it what I want to write.

But then erotica seems to be the Next Big Thing (thanks 50 Shades!) and I don't write that either.

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It is frustrating when it seems like what you want to write is not in vogue (I mistimed my attempt at epic fantasy by about ten years, it seems; oh well...). As a trend, it has its motivators, but all trends are finite. Just have to keep plugging away and target your queries carefully. Your book will find its home.

I am following the Writer's Voice blog contest at the moment. I haven't read all of the 200 entries, but from the first third, it looks like 5/6 of them are for YA or MG novels. There are *so* many people writing in this area now, it's already getting difficult to find new angles. I suspect the explosion may quiet down to more of a steady state soon. YA will hardly go away, and there's no telling what the next big thing will be, but it won't always be dominant.

Kitty27 said:

The only end I want to see with YA is the stunning lack of diversity in the genre,especially paranormal romance,the genre I write.

I want that situation fixed ASAP. Other than,I love to write and read it.

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Yes, indeed.

The realization that triangles are not the only geometry would be nice. How about some shining trapezohedrons for a change?

Brutal Mustang said:

This. When the characters are teens, the author has the liberty to explore themes like first love, first understanding, first betrayal, et cetera. Which can be quite intense. Exploring these themes with adult characters is almost always awkward.

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I personally disagree. I think the reason so many adults read YA is because we DO relate to it. I am 36 with two kids and I can't imagine ever feeling completely grown up on the inside. Genre books for adults often have fewer emotional ups and downs and focus on action, but literary novels don't. So I don't believe that adult characters can't explore the themes of first love, first betrayal, etc. with realistic and rewarding intensity.

I think people do tend to hear those themes and think YA, but I think they are short-changing the possibilities in non-YA books.

fireluxlou said:

I hope it never ends. It's what I'm writing for.

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Same.

But I do understand the frustration. If its not what you like to write, then why should you succumb to the latest trends/big interest genre? I think with your story if you've got a different spin on the grieving daughter and romance, then go with it. I also get why moving it 'down' to YA would make sense, too - it may stand out in the crowd more. I don't really recall many books like that in YA... Again,just me though.

Waffles said:

I am going to a writer's conference in a couple of weeks. All the attending agents are looking for YA (other things too, but YA is the one common genre among them).

I have no issue with the genre itself, but it's not what I write, nor is it what I want to write.

But then erotica seems to be the Next Big Thing (thanks 50 Shades!) and I don't write that either.

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YA has always been popular, and will always be popular because it will always have a market.

Part of the reason that YA has been so hot in recent years is because of the crossover aspect - folks like me who are in their 20's (or older) who still read YA (and children's books).

But YA isn't exactly a genre, it's a target audience, and within that there are different genres - so there's YA horror, and sci-fi and fantasy and steampunk and romance, just as there are in adult books.

If you don't write YA, then don't worry, there are millions of readers who don't read YA, and lots of writers who don't touch YA - last I checked, Stephen King was doing just fine.

Waffles, go to that conference and pitch to those agents, but learn from my experiences with agents and remember this one piece of advice: don't accept representation from an agent for whom you are the only client writing adult fiction. Go with one who has success with both YA and adult. You don't want to be the ONLY person on their list who's doing something outside of their usual bag. Trust me on this one. I've been in that position twice and it only led to extreme frustration.

Also, somebody upthread said that adults are reading YA because YA offers something they can only find there. True. I also happen to think that the compartmentalization of fiction into ever more specifically defined categories is restricting what can find a publisher and what can find the broadest range of readers possible. If works such as To Kill a Mockingbird, The Catcher in the Rye, I Capture the Castle, Huckleberry Finn, and so many others that are classics or are still sold as adult fiction were being queried today, they would have virtually no choice but to appeal to the YA market or be passed over by the big publishers. Now anything with a young protagonist MUST be YA or it gets nothing.

It used to be that general fiction was a category with more variety and more to explore. Today expectations for all these little subdivisions have become so rigid, and with the crappy economy publishers are even more reluctant to take a risk on anything that doesn't look like a "sure thing"...I'm thinking small presses and independent publishers will proliferate and gain more ground with readers. Big trade publishing is so paint-by-numbers now. It's depressing as a writer and as a reader.

I want to second the poster who suggested that maybe there is something about your novel that would translate well to YA. Maybe the voice read YA or there was something about the characters and the way they interacted that could be seen to be easily changed to YA.

Agents don't tend to go around suggesting that clearly adult novels be changed to YA. Usually they do this when they sense a book could be changed.

This doesn't mean you have to change it, but I would investigate the reason behind the request a little further than "All agents want are YA, so much so that they want me to change my clearly adult book to that category!" There might be another reason.

There might not.

But why not think about all the potential reasons the suggestion was made, consider that maybe agents aren't total fools with YA blinders on, but that there was something about your work that spoke to this agent as having potential as YA. If after you consider it (and don't just consider, "Well they're adults in adult situations, clearly the agent is nuts", but really do consider voice), and you still disagree, then clearly that is not the agent for you . My friend had one agent tell her no one was buying YA that wasn't first person. Needless to say, my friend was quite grateful not to be repped by that agent as that attitude is simply . . . well very not true .

Toothpaste said:

I want to second the poster who suggested that maybe there is something about your novel that would translate well to YA. Maybe the voice read YA or there was something about the characters and the way they interacted that could be seen to be easily changed to YA.

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That's true; maybe there is. That's worth exploring.

Agents don't tend to go around suggesting that clearly adult novels be changed to YA. Usually they do this when they sense a book could be changed.

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In my experience, they do. And could is the operative word there, not should.

In my experience, both agents and editors told me that they loved the story and my writing, but the book fell "between categories" and if I re-wrote it to fall squarely into YA it would sell. When I asked what about my book made it fall between categories, I was told that the age of my protagonist at the beginning of the book meant it "should" be YA. She was thirteen at the beginning, and twenty-one at the end. I pointed out that the book was about marital strife and motherhood, which are adult themes, but I was still told by multiple Industry professionals that her age -- and only her age -- was a sticking point, and that I should turn it into YA. In other words, rewrite the entire plot to suit a YA audience.

In my personal experience, agents and editors DO INDEED tell you to change it to YA when they sense a book could be changed...and not necessarily when it should. Do all industry pros make such suggestions? No, of course not. It just happens that so far all of the ones I've encountered have.

This doesn't mean you have to change it, but I would investigate the reason behind the request a little further than "All agents want are YA, so much so that they want me to change my clearly adult book to that category!" There might be another reason.

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I agree. I think it's always worth carefully considering the advise of the pros if you want to publish with the Big Six. Every time I heard the advice to change my book to YA, I did carefully weigh the pros and cons of doing so. Each time I still felt the same way about it, and in the end I did not change the book to YA. But it's always a good idea to examine any criticism you get and honestly ask yourself whether you should apply it.

If after you consider it (and don't just consider, "Well they're adults in adult situations, clearly the agent is nuts", but really do consider voice), and you still disagree, then clearly that is not the agent for you .

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And don't be afraid to decide that an agent is not for you. Having an agent -- or two agents -- is no guarantee that your book will sell. You need the right agent for your book.

I realise you are agreeing with me, but I want to make it really clear that I agree with you. I in no way am saying agents don't make such suggestions, and even on the rare occasions make them so bizarrely when there is no possible way the book could be changed thus. But I truly do believe that most agents, most good agents, when they make that suggestion make it because they can see it as a possibility. They wouldn't suggest BARNEY'S VERSION be YA for example. But, like with yours, if they see something that is stuck between two categories, yes they will suggest an author make it suit the more marketable one. Even if in the end, that's not what the author decides to do and doesn't 100% suit the story the author wanted to tell.

It doesn't mean they are right at all, but it does mean that they usually have seen some kind of kernel, something that made them think it was possible.

At any rate, we totally agree, just wanting to make it abundantly clear .

leahzero said:

Not sure why people are equating YA with teen readers, when it's been shown that a huge portion of YA readers are actually adults.

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I have to agree, even though I don't have any numbers on this. It may be just a perception, as I've seen so many adults on the bus reading YA books these days.

I am really not sure whether to market one of my novels to an adult or YA audience because although it is a coming-of-age story, I think it would appeal to both audiences - at least, that's what my betas have told me.

Libbie said:

Also, somebody upthread said that adults are reading YA because YA offers something they can only find there. True. I also happen to think that the compartmentalization of fiction into ever more specifically defined categories is restricting what can find a publisher and what can find the broadest range of readers possible. If works such as To Kill a Mockingbird, The Catcher in the Rye, I Capture the Castle, Huckleberry Finn, and so many others that are classics or are still sold as adult fiction were being queried today, they would have virtually no choice but to appeal to the YA market or be passed over by the big publishers. Now anything with a young protagonist MUST be YA or it gets nothing.

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Touching on an interesting subject here.

Rosemary Sutcliff is one [if not the] of my favourite writers. Now when she was writing she was firmly in the 'children's' categories. Now, when I look back at her fiction, if she was writing now she would be firmly in the adult section [all but a few.] Marcus in The Eagle of the Ninth is 22, I can't imagine a modern publisher accepting it as a YA, and putting it straight into HF.

I imagine the same would be correct of RLS Kidnapped [can't remember the age of Davy.]

Toothpaste said:

I realise you are agreeing with me, but I want to make it really clear that I agree with you. I in no way am saying agents don't make such suggestions, and even on the rare occasions make them so bizarrely when there is no possible way the book could be changed thus. But I truly do believe that most agents, most good agents, when they make that suggestion make it because they can see it as a possibility. They wouldn't suggest BARNEY'S VERSION be YA for example. But, like with yours, if they see something that is stuck between two categories, yes they will suggest an author make it suit the more marketable one. Even if in the end, that's not what the author decides to do and doesn't 100% suit the story the author wanted to tell.

It doesn't mean they are right at all, but it does mean that they usually have seen some kind of kernel, something that made them think it was possible.

At any rate, we totally agree, just wanting to make it abundantly clear .

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Yeah, I know. My response was to make sure Waffles was understanding what to expect from working with agents in a YA-saturated market.

leahzero said:

Not sure why people are equating YA with teen readers, when it's been shown that a huge portion of YA readers are actually adults.

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*raises hand* Let me go hide under some heavy furniture, but I liked Twilight (hate Bella, like Twilight...how did that happen?) and I REALLY liked the Hunger Games.

I have personally been finding adult novels tedious lately and it was a nice change.

gothicangel said:

I could be wrong, or it could be a UK thing, but from what I've heard agents saying that YA is approaching saturation point. I imagine the agents mentioned are wanting something new in YA to get excited about.

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According to Kristin Nelson's blog, editors may be moved to violence if they see anymore YA paranormal romance, because that's what they've been seeing for the last two years. I wouldn't say that the entire YA category will be saturated, but certainly parts of it.

GFanthome said:

I have to agree, even though I don't have any numbers on this. It may be just a perception, as I've seen so many adults on the bus reading YA books these days.

I am really not sure whether to market one of my novels to an adult or YA audience because although it is a coming-of-age story, I think it would appeal to both audiences - at least, that's what my betas have told me.

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I believe it was Query Shark that said to let the agents worry about pigeon holing your work.

I suppose if you're an agent and you think you could sell a book as a YA but not as adult fiction, then suggesting it be rewritten to YA makes sense. It need not however make sense to the writer.

I dug out my old (1973) copy of Eagle of the Ninth to see if it gave an indication of the age range for which it's intended, but it's only described as a children's book. Given that back then the Teen/YA category probably didn't exist, that's not much help. Marcus is however young for his rank, so I suspect Sutcliff did have the younger end of the readership in mind.

Instead of fighting the YA tide, why not go with it? Embrace your inner teenager!

I know I tried and failed miserably. My inner teenager seems to have left home. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try.

YA has easy crossover appeal: the teens will read it because it's for teens and the adults will read it as escapism from the sometimes tedious responsibilities of adulthood.

My inner teenager is Holden Caulfield . Still want me to embrace?

This article has some stats on adults reading YA:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/b...l=1&adxnnlx=1336412928-ECne9YtXk0LgnI6k8x6qTA

Here's the main set of numbers:

According to surveys by the Codex Group, a consultant to the publishing industry, 47 percent of 18- to 24-year-old women and 24 percent of same-aged men say most of the books they buy are classified as young adult. The percentage of female Y.A. fans between the ages of 25 and 44 has nearly doubled in the past four years. Today, nearly one in five 35- to 44-year-olds say they most frequently buy Y.A. books. For themselves.

Well I write YA myself, but I also write horror, which is a much harder sell, so I do understand where you're coming from. It's a hit right now, and that is incredibly disappointing about the conference. I have a very real fear of having an agent express interest in one of YA novels, but only if I shove in a romance. Which...really isn't my thing.

There will always be something. If you're getting bites though, I'd still be hopeful. Just maybe not for this particular event.

well

All those YA are going to grow up and hopefully want something more. Getting people to read is never a bad thing.

YA isn't a genre. A genre is sci-fi, mystery, romance... YA is an age category. In this case, YA usually features young adults as the protagonists.

MVK said:

I've never had a good feel for YA. In middle school I was reading Lord of the Rings. I'll have to take a look at a YA novel to see how it's different.

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I'm hoping you're not classifying LoTR as mid grade simply because you read it at that age. LoTR is adult fantasy.