Assignment 1: Great chart from Lawrence PL. Found some books I've read and some new ones to add to the stack. It's always helpful to have Hunger Game read-alikes.
Assignment 2: I chose the first article, New Adult: Needless Marketing-Speak Or Valued Subgenre?, because I wanted to know how the category "New Adult" was being used. As of the date of this article, according to PW most retailers hadn't heard of the term, with one saying the term "will be perceived as lame." The use of "New Adult" seems to be about marketing, so the Readers' Advisory implications are clear. I haven't had anybody come up and ask me about "New Adult" books, but I have had younger adults asking for book recommendations where titles of this subgenre may have been useful. The most interesting point made in the article to me was made by an editor who said that "New Adult" fills a hole in the romance genre, noting several self-published titles that he cites as "New Adult." I'm of the opinion that there is a readership for "New Adult" books, but it's the name that might be off-putting to some people.
The second article I read was The Next Big Thing. I was curious what the author would cite as reasons adults are reading teen books, besides "the obvious fact that YA books are amazingly entertaining, and full of awesome." Of the many that were listed (e.g., adults have favorite teen authors; savvy marketing), there were two that stood out to me. The increasing number of bestselling adult authors now writing YA fiction, like Grisham, Patterson, and Picoult, are bringing a new audience to the books. This is an opportunity for adult readers to connect with other Teen fiction. The author clearly believes (and I agree) that pop culture has had a huge influence on adults reading YA books. She cites TV shows like The Vampire Diaries, True Blood, Downton Abbey, Pretty Little Liars, etc., as influencing adults reading in Teen Fiction. From personal experience I can say that's true. Adults watch movies/TV shows with teen protagonists, so the crossover to YA fiction isn't surprising. (ETA: I think it's interesting the author uses YA throughout the article. I prefer the use of Teen -- much easier to understand)
I posted comments on Justin H's blog and Cayce H's blog.
Assignment 3: I've decided to follow 2 authors' blogs: John Greene and Shannon Hale. I love John Greene, so it's no surprise that I love his blog. Both seem to be written by the authors themselves, and while Hale's is more centered on her writing, both authors provide opinions on topics of the day as well as some personal info. I liked the combination, though I thought Greene's provided an interesting view into the author's mind.
Assignment 4: After looking at MacMillan's Tor Teen and Teens at Random, I'm struck by the similarity in their forthcoming titles. Lots of dystopian, sci-fi, fantasy, horror titles coming. Looking at these 2 sites I was reminded of something a colleague once said about how all Teen fiction is depressing. I'm not sure that's true, but I do wonder where the dystopian saturation point is. One other thing I noticed at Random House's site was that they offer a couple of newsletters, one of which is all about the Poalini books. Why did this strike me? I didn't realize that he was still publishing the series. Personally I didn't like Eragon and never picked up the others.
Hi Julie,
ReplyDeleteI would not be in favor of a marketing push for a "New Adult" genre. It seems like a lot of teen books have increased in violence and romance anyways, so the delineation between Adult Fiction and Teen Fiction works fine. Introducing a new term would just make things more confusing for customers. I was happy when BCPL changed from Young Adult to Teen, so New Adult it not something I would be a fan of.
I definitely agree that pop culture and bestselling adult authors writing teen novels have played large roles in the increased popularity of the teen genre. I have seen an increase in the amount of adults asking for pop culture titles such as Twilight & Hunger Games, and teen titles by James Patterson, John Grisham and Kathy Reichs over the last year or two.
Hi Julie,
ReplyDeleteI agree about the readership of "New Adult" books and also that the term might not really describe the readership adequately.
I am not sure that there is a clear description of what even constitutes "Young Adult" fiction. I think the line between "Young Adult" and "Adult" has become very blurred over the last few years. What would be the true definition of "New Adult Fiction'? Adding an extra term seems unnecessary and only adding to the confusion.
I didn't read the article about the "New Adult" genre but I have to agree that it sounds a bit lame. No one has asked me about this either. I must be a bit dense because it took me a minute to realize the term was referring to someone who is "new" to adulthood. But what the heck does that *really* mean??
ReplyDeleteJulie-I am totally with you on the whole "New Adult" thing. I don't forsee it lasting long as a marketing term. I mean what is exactly the difference between Young Adult and New Adult. To me, young adult implies and includes those young 20-somethings to who the new "New Adult" term applies.
ReplyDeleteI am always a little wary about terms or labels that can be perceived as marketing, so I'm thinking other readers may feel the same? It does sound lame, to me.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I think it's a good idea to have an idea of this subgenre. It seems to be really about a phase of life and the issues that surround it. People going through that may be looking for these books.