Is there a such thing as "lower YA"?

Accoridng to Sharyn November's article in the current issue of Locus (a YA special), YA is informally categorised as follows in the publishing industry:

"10 up: high middle-grade/low YA
12 up: what most people consider YA
14 up: edgier, more difficult YA"

Yours sounds like the second one of those.

James, I believe they call it Tween. Sometimes it gets shelved w/ MG and sometimes in the YA section.

Just say you write on the younger side of YA. There's a pretty wide range of maturity/reading levels encapsulated within the category YA, so you actually have a lot of room.

Dreamer3702 said:

James, I believe they call it Tween. Sometimes it gets shelved w/ MG and sometimes in the YA section.

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In our library if it's popular enough it gets 2 copies and one gets shelved with the Children's (pretty much board books to MG) and one gets shelved with YA.

misslissy said:

In our library if it's popular enough it gets 2 copies and one gets shelved with the Children's (pretty much board books to MG) and one gets shelved with YA.

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Yeah, now that I think about it... they do the same thing at my Borders.

Yup. It's basically called Tween or Young YA. That's usually more for MC's between 10 and 12, though.

I remember someone posting on here before that they worked in a library, and anything where the MC was 14 and up definately went into the YA section, no matter what the content (i.e. edgy or bubblegummy).


Since your MC is 15, it'd most likely be considered YA and not MG (in which the maximum age of the MC would be 12).

The labels have more to do with themes and plot complexity than they do age. I just sold my YA fantasy and my protag is 17, and the other characters' ages range from 14-19. I figured it was a solid YA, but my editor said they're thinking about marketing it to the 10-14 age. They decided this because there's no sex, it's not edgy (though it is a bit dark and deals with some dark issues) and is more of a fun adventure. They felt it was better suited to the slightly younger YA range. Older teens like things sexier and grittier these days.

So, if you're story is sexy and gritty, then it's probably older YA. If not, perhaps younger. Just call it YA and let the editors figure out the final subgroup It's not a picture book or a chapter book, so YA covers it.