Holy crap, this is really good advice. I'm writing a young adult novel which was originally going to be a new adult and I wanted to know what kind of guidelines to think about. I'm definitely using these tips.
Best video I've found on the topic. A follow up question (to anyone): Is there a more open market to YA? I often wonder if many adult writers prefer to write YA because of the prospect of a less tapped demand.
Wow, it actually is! I haven't read that book since I was 12 and I guess I just had a completely false memory of it being in present tense, but I just checked the Amazon preview and you're right.
When I was growing up I changed from reading mostly horsey books to adult (not adults only, just ordinary fiction) at between ages 9 and 10. I still occasionally read the horse books into my puberty but, for all intents and purposes I was over kids books. The only thing Young Adult does for me is to prevent me from even trying to read a given book. I think you should just write, whether it be fact or fiction and, if you think you want to appeal to a "young adult audience" keep difficult topics out. I think labelling loses a lot of readers for you. I dont mean tp be putting authors down but it seems to me that more people would read it. Take myself for instance. I saw the Hunger Games books, they werent labelled young adult so I read all of them and really enjoyed them. Maybe this is another of too many inclusivity talks but, to my mind you can still reach your target audience without putting off other readers. The state of reading and writing is in such a bad state that I think we all need to be making sure as many as possible actually read books.
Great video! I'd like, however, to disagree with one point. I'm a retired teacher-librarian. I stocked many books that had swearing in them, as did most of my colleagues. Swearing in books does not preclude them from being purchased for school libraries (I'm talking public school here, I can't speak for private schools) as long as the swearing is not gratuitous.
Can I make a suggestion for editing? Give a short moment between cuts. Some lines are so close in cut its like you don't breathe through the entire video. Its nonstop.
Maybe swearing should be treated this way -- and accents too (eg Scottish brogue): Introduce it somewhat heavy at first, to get it established, and then dial it way back
You've just got to think about the kind of reader that you're aiming your novels at. As people grow into adulthood, they enter into different situations and develop new interests, replacing old ones. So a young/teenage reader who read a previous novel may no longer relate and connect emotionally with the narrative of the next novel if the characters have moved on to issues associated with adulthood. On the other hand, if the characters have grown in age but they still think and act like they did before, that would not appeal to an adult literature market either.
It's not common and usually only happens in very popular series (think Harry Potter), but usually these are series that move from middle grade to young adult, not young adult to adult. Anything is possible if your series is a phenomenon, but I wouldn't count on the fact that a series would change age categories since it's not the norm.
@@Reedsy That is definantly not very common and even if your character do happen to age past a certain age group if the novel started out as a young adult novel I would definantly recomend agianst turning it into a gory novel a smutty novel or something thats laden with swear words I am in the process of writing a novel that kind of goes into the catagory of a young adult novel but I think right now it's most likely a bit too over laden with swear words to be a young adult novels it doesn't have sweer words throughout but in some scenes it seems a bit overloaded with swear words.but again when it comes to swear words in novels it can also depend on what swear words are used that determine whether it's approperiate for young adults or not.
I think the biggest issue in my case in the world I'm currently editing, it tops out as 56,000 words ( a little less after some editing ), and the age within it actually ranges between 13-26, and back to 13 again. How would you market such a book with a cross-over audience?
Damn is a swearing word... Ahh... good to know. I just thought if it's as "It's so annoying!" I know damn mean curse, or so I think, but... it's like... curse the situation rather than curse someone... or is it just me? (English ISN"T my mother tongue. Where I live, there's another word used in the same situations, and no one considers it a swearing word. Just... not the politest word... but no one cares.
Do people say "damn" though? It's not just about writing what you can possibly get away with. You have to consider what people actually say. Furthermore, often you read a novel and you can tell the writer has simply replaced swearing with the word "damn" or "crap" or some other soft curse. The word has a similar effect to a ruder word, and so may be considered inappropriate by some.
Of course. You just have to try your best to make the character seem realistic as an older teenager, which can be difficult for younger people at times, but yeah. Your characters aren't limited to your age :) I'm 14 and I would love to chat about book stuff if you are up to that. (you obviously don't have to if you don't want to) :) xx
