A stupid question. No, really, there IS such a thing.

lenore_x · Aug 2, 2010

This is so basic and I'm sure it's been asked before, but it's kinda vague so I don't know how I'd search for it.

If an agent wants YA, but specifically says no fantasy, what are the chances they like YA fantasy?

I understand the distinction with YA being the primary genre and fantasy being the sub-genre, and the book would be shelved with YA, but it just seems to me that if someone shuns adult fantasy they wouldn't like YA fantasy either.

:gone:

DeadlyAccurate · Aug 2, 2010

Query and find out. Worst thing that happens is a rejection letter. If they absolutely loathe YA fantasy, they should add that to their website.

suki · Aug 2, 2010

Generally speaking, YA is a subgenre of YA fantasy, not the other way around. So, when I saw an agent said no fantasy, I took that to mean no fantasy of any kind.

And you could query anyway, but if they actually say no fantasy, it's very, very unlikely that they mean YA fantasy is ok (unless they specifically say so). So, why waste your and the agent's time?

Query an agent who is actively seeking YA fantasy.

~suki

Terie · Aug 2, 2010

I'm not sure what is vague about 'no fantasy'. That mean's 'no fantasy'. For any target audience. I would never query a YA agent who specified 'no fantasy' with a YA fantasy.

Theo81 · Aug 3, 2010

Try looking at the situation in a different way. How well is the agent going to be able to represent the novel if they don't do fantasy?

Corinne Duyvis · Aug 3, 2010

I agree with all of the above, actually - it really can't hurt to query if you particularly like the agent, but I wouldn't get my hopes up. There are actually plenty of agents who don't rep adult fantasy but do rep YA fantasy, though these are mostly the ones who ONLY rep YA/MG. Still, it's not always a matter of what agents like, but also which editors they know, and how well-read in the genre they are.

But yeah, if they say 'no fantasy' without specifying that YA/MG fantasy is OK, I wouldn't expect too much.

Danthia · Aug 3, 2010

YA is a market, not a genre. Fantasy is a genre within a market. So if the agent says no fantasy, odds are they don't want it for any age group.

However, YA does have that weird "fantastical" element that's technically fantasy, but not traditional sword and sorcery high fantasy that is often what folks mean when they say no fantasy.

I'd suggest seeing what else they've sold, and they have anything that's kinda like yours on their list, query away. If there's no trace of anything even remotely fantastic on their list, don't.

Ryan_Sullivan · Aug 3, 2010

If they say "I rep adult blah blah blah, but no fantasy. I also rep YA..." then they'll probably accept YA fantasy. If they say "I rep blah blah blah YA blah --no fantasy" or if they only rep children's then chances are they wouldn't want it.

Miss Plum · Aug 3, 2010

Send a Hail Mary query. What are they going to do, sue you if it's not their genre?

Jamesaritchie · Aug 4, 2010

No fantasy means no fantasy. Some of the biggest YA publishers out there won't touch fantasy, and some want no genre YA at all.

Much YA has zero fantasy elements. YA with fantasy has simply gotten much of the press the last few years.

Ryan_Sullivan · Aug 4, 2010

Jamesaritchie said:
No fantasy means no fantasy. Some of the biggest YA publishers out there won't touch fantasy, and some want no genre YA at all..

That's absolutely absurd. Yes, plenty of YA has no fantasy, but publishers of YA aren't looking for specific sub-genres, and certainly wouldn't close off to YA fantasy. Editors do, publishers (and imprints) don't. YA isn't bound by "genre" as much as adult is.

RJK · Aug 7, 2010

Many agents have a stable of publishers they work with. They don't waste their time with cold calls to other publishers. If the publishers they work with don't publish fantasy, the agent won't accept any fantasies, YA, MG or adult.

Terie · Aug 7, 2010

Jamesaritchie said:
No fantasy means no fantasy. Some of the biggest YA publishers out there won't touch fantasy, and some want no genre YA at all.

Much YA has zero fantasy elements. YA with fantasy has simply gotten much of the press the last few years.

Ryan_Sullivan said:
That's absolutely absurd. Yes, plenty of YA has no fantasy, but publishers of YA aren't looking for specific sub-genres, and certainly wouldn't close off to YA fantasy. Editors do, publishers (and imprints) don't. YA isn't bound by "genre" as much as adult is.

It's not absurd at all. The agent about whom the OP is asking specified 'no fantasy'. What that means is, plain and simple, 'no fantasy'. It has nothing to do with what publishers and imprints publish, or how genres bleed into each other; it has to do with what that agent represents, and this one said, 'no fantasy'.

Ryan_Sullivan · Aug 7, 2010

Terie said:
It's not absurd at all. The agent about whom the OP is asking specified 'no fantasy'. What that means is, plain and simple, 'no fantasy'. It has nothing to do with what publishers and imprints publish, or how genres bleed into each other; it has to do with what that agent represents, and this one said, 'no fantasy'.

Right, I was saying the publishing part was absurd. But, there are also many agents who do YA fantasy but specify no fantasy in adult.

shaldna · Aug 7, 2010

suki said:
Generally speaking, YA is a subgenre of YA fantasy, not the other way around. So, when I saw an agent said no fantasy, I took that to mean no fantasy of any kind.

me too. it made it really tough finding agents to pitch my ya scifi/fantasy/historical to

A stupid question. No, really, there IS such a thing.

lenore_x

DeadlyAccurate

Absolutely Fazed

suki

Opinionated

Terie

Writer is as Writer does

Theo81

Corinne Duyvis

My New Cat Is Too Big for Shoulders

Danthia

Ryan_Sullivan

Agented YA Writer

Miss Plum

Jamesaritchie

Ryan_Sullivan

Agented YA Writer

RJK

Sheriff Bullwinkle the Poet says:

Terie

Writer is as Writer does

Ryan_Sullivan

Agented YA Writer

shaldna

The cake is a lie. But still cake.