How to query about a YA book

If you really don't know the market, then the first step is to get to know the market. Sending a piece out without aiming will rarely reap results. Pick up the children's writers' market book, read lots of YA that was recently published, and search for advice online. Search through this forum for other sites and message boards. There are some very good ones out there.

Inspired is right; it's vital to know the market you're writing for.

You say you have an idea for a YA book. Have you written it? If not, that's the next step (after or while becoming familiar with the market.) Particularly with fiction, you shouldn't query until the manuscript is complete, written, revised, rewritten, etc. Otherwise, you might find yourself with a publisher who wants to see a book that isn't ready to be sent out.

As far as agents go, they aren't as necessary for young adult fiction as for adult, but they can be helpful. Some publishers will accept submissions directly from the author, some won't. Again, before you make the decision of whether to seek an agent, you should have your book completed.

Good luck!

Both Kim and Inspired are right. You need to know the market first and you need to complete a work of fiction first. A good book to get is the 2006 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market. This gives names, addresses, and needs of book publishers and agents, as well as magazines. Also, go to the library and read other YA books to get a feel for the YA market. While you're there, go to the nonfiction section and get and read as many books as you can on the craft of writing.


Good luck!

All good advice. As someone else struggling to place a YA novel, the other task is to break your market selection down even further. Is it mainstream (for lack of better word), fantasy, sci fi, horror, humour, animal, christian who knows? Because some publishers are better known for publishing a genre, but they'll also publish YA in that genre. Mightn't be such an issue if you're mainstream YA and focussed at YA publishers.

So, yes, you do query as you would an adult novel, and no, you don't need an agent. That's not to say you mightn't decide to chase one - but no stalking

And all that said, I'm still unpublished, so what's my unproven advice worth? The hardest thing is to stay optimistic. It helps to work on the next novel. Good luck.

Just curious--how long is the average YA novel? I'm thinking of a fantasy setting.

Tri

There really is not set length for a YA fantasy book (or any other book for that matter). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was intended for the middle-grade market but at 309 pages it was pretty long compared to most middle-grade fiction published at the time (of course after it became so popular, Rowling's publishers didn't have much of a problem with increasing the word count to even greater extremes once they knew they had an audience).

Personally however, I believe most first-time authors have a better shot of getting published if they edit their books down to a more conventional word count for the age group they're writing for. I believe most middle-grade fiction today averages around 40,000-60,000 words, while YA can go up to 90,000 words, but other writers may have different word counts. Since publishers are going to have to invest their money into your book once they decide to produce it, a low -to-average word count might make your book more attractive on the financial side.


On a slightly related topic, has anyone noticed how a lot of popular children's books are being formatted to increase their page count? Both Lemony Snickett's Series of Unfortunate Events and the Charlie Bone books have very low word counts per page, making the books look longer than they really are. Does anyone think this formatting technique is a marketing strategy intended to attract readers who like the thick and heavy look of Harry Potter books?

Have you written the book yet or do you just have an idea? If you're an unpublished author you will probably need to have the book written before you even query. Both agents and publishers will want to see the whole book from an unknown author. For most of us, writing the book is how you learn how to write the book.

No, I have book and magazine credits, but not in that genre. I have what I think is a very original idea (don't we all), but I'm a hard science fiction writer. So I'm going to have to learn this genre, read in it, and give it a try. But I'm really out of my element. I might also have to read the archives of children's writing to get a tast of what's going on. The rumor I keep hearing is that writing for children or young adults is not as easy as one thinks. Lessons and themes should be subtle and implied--you don't beat them over the head with issues, write down, or preach down to them.

As soon as I'm ready I'll throw the idea out there for a critique.

Triceratops

triceretops said:

No, I have book and magazine credits, but not in that genre. I have what I think is a very original idea (don't we all), but I'm a hard science fiction writer. So I'm going to have to learn this genre, read in it, and give it a try. But I'm really out of my element. I might also have to read the archives of children's writing to get a tast of what's going on. The rumor I keep hearing is that writing for children or young adults is not as easy as one thinks. Lessons and themes should be subtle and implied--you don't beat them over the head with issues, write down, or preach down to them.

As soon as I'm ready I'll throw the idea out there for a critique.

Triceratops

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Ideas matter almost not at all. There's no such thing as a good or bad idea. It's all in how the writer develops the idea, turns it into a novel, that counts.

The first things I'd suggest doing is reading two or three dozen YA novels, make sure it's the kind of writing you think you can do. Then write the novel. Critiqueing an idea is like kissing your sister. Write the novel, and throw it out fro critique.

As for length, 40-60K is about right for a first novel.