Could my book be YA? I don't think so

Norligh · Jan 7, 2009

Because it has sex. LOL.

My MC is a 21 year-old college woman, in love with an age-old vampire. And no please no don't go thinking it's Bella Swan all grown up, because it isn't, at all.

While Cassie is away at college she is reunited with her old vampire flame, a vamp who had been in her life since she was born (before she was born really) as he protector (he protects her for a reason- she is a VIP as she gets older.)

Long story made short, the book is not all about the romance. It is more of a thriller, and the romance is a sub plot. But her relationship with him entwines with the main plot. Confusing, I know.

So- a few people have asked me if it is YA. I say no... Cassie and her vamp lover do have sex towards the end of the novel. They are all in college- so not high school.

What do you think?

Red.Ink.Rain · Jan 7, 2009

Nope, that's not quite YA. YA protagonists usually fall between the ages of 14 and 18. 21 is a bit old. But it would probably work well for a paranormal romance.

Shady Lane · Jan 7, 2009

Sex. Is. Fine. in a YA novel.

However, I see nothing in here that makes it YA.

Danthia · Jan 8, 2009

Doesn't sound like it from your description.

traininvain · Jan 8, 2009

What makes your book *not* YA is your character's age (not a teen), and the fact that there don't seem to be any "coming of age" elements, either. It has nothing to do with the sex.

Sex is not taboo in YA fiction. Far from it. Actually there is very very little that is taboo in YA fiction, period.

pandora_6666 · Jan 8, 2009

I agree that your heroine seems to old for it to be YA IMO, and, like you, I'd have thought that the sex was taboo in a YA novel, but apparently not! Then again the only recent YA I've read is harry potter (sexless) and twilight - which might as well be sexless. I'm glad you posted this, though, because I am half working on a YA that should have sex in it - assuming I finish it - and I was concerned, but now I know it's okay

Kathleen42 · Jan 8, 2009

I don't read a whole lot of paranormals so you should take what I say with a grain of salt (perhaps a whole salt shaker) and others may jump in to correct me.

When I think of the paranormals I have read, they seem to fall into two age categories/demographics: teen (Twilight, Blood and Chocolate) and early twenties out in the working world (Anita Blake, Sookie Stackhouse).

There seems to be a gap between 19 and, say, 22. That, combined with the fact that your characters are in college, is probably what has people asking you if it's YA.

If there is a gap in what's out there, it could work for or against you. On one hand, you may be tapping into a market that hasn't been fully explored and which there would be a demand for. On the other hand it may be difficult for publishers and agents to figure out how to best position your book.

Red.Ink.Rain · Jan 8, 2009

...Then again, I'm working on a YA book with one MC who's 19, one who's 16, one who's 14, and one who's 15. Lots of age differences. So maybe it's not a huge deal. I don't know.

timewaster · Jan 8, 2009

So- a few people have asked me if it is YA. I say no... Cassie and her vamp lover do have sex towards the end of the novel. They are all in college- so not high school.

What do you think?[/quote]

It may be that your tone is YA - that your characters do not speak or act as adults?

Norligh · Jan 8, 2009

Thanks for all of the responses!

I thought the same thing... that YA is not supposed to have sex in it! How naive of me... my husband always calls me a prude (last time because we were watching "Two and a Half Men" and Jake would not stop texting while out for dinner. I said, "I'd grad that phone right out of his hand," and my husband's reply was, "That's because you're a total prude." No- because I think texting is from the Devil... LOLOL)

Ah- your book, "Shades of Gray." I can't wait to read it!

Jennifer

PS- I think my next will be YA. I totally feel I have a YA in me... must be due to all the unfulfilled desires from my childhood that I need to purge through fiction!!!!

pandora_6666 said:
I agree that your heroine seems to old for it to be YA IMO, and, like you, I'd have thought that the sex was taboo in a YA novel, but apparently not! Then again the only recent YA I've read is harry potter (sexless) and twilight - which might as well be sexless. I'm glad you posted this, though, because I am half working on a YA that should have sex in it - assuming I finish it - and I was concerned, but now I know it's okay

Norligh · Jan 8, 2009

I think the tone begins more YA and Cassie grows out of it as reality sets in- a major part of the book is her maturity as she grows. I know many 21 year-olds who are still so... YA

Question... I've been labeling this as a paranormal thriller, and I wanted my MC to be "of age" mainly because... this sounds so dumb... she drinks wine, has sex... but she's a freshman in college. I wrote her as starting college late. What if I rewrote parts of it- and made her a regular age of say, 18 starting college? But I want it to be a series... and she grows throughout the series.

Oh shite. What to do. Isn't there a niche for college-age characters???

timewaster said:
So- a few people have asked me if it is YA. I say no... Cassie and her vamp lover do have sex towards the end of the novel. They are all in college- so not high school.

What do you think?

It may be that your tone is YA - that your characters do not speak or act as adults?[/quote]

Shady Lane · Jan 8, 2009

There's zero niche for college age characters. It's a problem.

You put her in college just so she could drink and have sex?

Madisonwrites · Jan 8, 2009

I've heard that YA age can go up to twenty-one. After all, a twenty-one year old is a young adult in society, so why not in a book?

Sex in a YA book? Been done before. Don't stress over it. Only I wouldn't get too graphic, but that's just me.

tsilvestre · Jan 8, 2009

Still too old

I still think that at 18 she's too old for YA, esp. if most of the story with her love runs when she's in her 20s. Tough to backtrack but maybe you could do something when she's 15 or 16 and then add a character, younger sibling that sees what she's doing as she ages and tangles with the vamp and tries to save her even though she doesn't want to be saved.

Hope that helps somehow.

Norligh · Jan 8, 2009

Hell no- I made her 21 because I had scenes planned where she drinks wine. I needed her to be in college due to the plot, but I also wanted her to be a little older. It worked with my plot that she was very sick from a vampire bite while in HS so she graduated late hence she started college late.

Why would I plan the whole setting of my novel based off of being able to drink and have sex?

Mannn now I'm annoyed. Only I would come up with the only idea that has inspired me to write and entire book, and I pick an area that has zero niche. Of-freaking-course.

Here's to hoping I bust open that niche.

Shady Lane said:
There's zero niche for college age characters. It's a problem.

You put her in college just so she could drink and have sex?

Shady Lane · Jan 8, 2009

The bottom line is that age alone does not make something a YA book.

Your MC is not, or is just barely within the parameters for what is usually the age for a YA MC. But that's not the main thing that makes this not a YA. It's that so far, you've given us no reason why this should be YA. Are there coming of age elements? Is it written in a teenage voice? Is it, even with the romance and the vampires and everything else that makes the story, in some way relevant to the modern teenager?

Something isn't YA until not proven YA. It has to fit some guidelines, and I don't see any of those guidelines here, except maybe the main character's age. Maybe.

So I'm guessing you're writing an adult book.

Norligh · Jan 8, 2009

Thanks for your help- not this would not be a YA at all. It is an adult novel, and had been written as an adult novel. I just hope... I didn't pick an area that is totally unmarketable.

Shady Lane said:
The bottom line is that age alone does not make something a YA book.

Your MC is not, or is just barely within the parameters for what is usually the age for a YA MC. But that's not the main thing that makes this not a YA. It's that so far, you've given us no reason why this should be YA. Are there coming of age elements? Is it written in a teenage voice? Is it, even with the romance and the vampires and everything else that makes the story, in some way relevant to the modern teenager?

Something isn't YA until not proven YA. It has to fit some guidelines, and I don't see any of those guidelines here, except maybe the main character's age. Maybe.

So I'm guessing you're writing an adult book.

reenkam · Jan 8, 2009

Recently there have been more books with college aged protagonists. I can't remember the names at the moment, but there are several about "secret societies" in colleges and things like that.

So while there isn't a huge market this second, I'm thinking publishers are looking into it and making the market. And the books are selling well (according to the 'best-seller' table in the front of the stores....)

They're sold with normal adult literature, though. Not YA.

ChaosTitan · Jan 8, 2009

Actually, there isn't zero niche for college-age fiction. Take a look at Rachel Caine's bestselling Morganville Vampire series. They are YA and the protag starts as a freshman in college.

reenkam · Jan 8, 2009

Hmm, didn't know that about the Morganville series.

I also remembered that there's the book Freshman which is about a freshman in college and that's YA.

So, really, when you start looking for agents Norligh, you can probably query both since it's on the edge, kind of like upper MG/tween books can be MG or YA sometimes.

Shady Lane · Jan 8, 2009

Reen, I'm pretty sure it's an adult book with a young protagonist, is the thing.

reenkam · Jan 8, 2009

Yeah, I wasn't sure, tbh. I haven't read it yet.

I don't know where it came from, but it was in my bookshelf between a bunch of other YAs so I kind of assumed lol

Eta: actually, it's got to be YA. inside it says to contact Hyperion for Children for copyright information and the website listed is hyperionteens.com

Shady Lane · Jan 8, 2009

oh no, I was talking about the OP's book, haha

reenkam · Jan 8, 2009

Oh ok, false alarm then.

caromora · Jan 8, 2009

I think there are always exceptions (like the Morganville books), but for a debut writer trying to break in with a book set in college? Not as easy. Rachel Caine gets away with it because she's Rachel Caine. The ordinary, unknown writer would have to have an extraordinary book, and, well, most ordinary, unknown writers don't (myself included).

The best way to figure out if your book is YA is to actually read some YA novels and see what they're about. I mean this in the least bitchy way possible, but if you're just trying to convert an adult book into a YA because you think it's more marketable, you're kind of insulting YA readers and writers.

Aside from that, it sounds to me like you're writing urban fantasy or possibly paranormal romance, both of which are still selling, as far as I know.

Could my book be YA? *I don't think so*

Not your kid brother's YA

my name is hannah

Danthia

bonafide hustler

Lost in the cyber jungle

crushing on fictional characters

Not your kid brother's YA

present

my name is hannah

The Unicorn Writer

my name is hannah

aka cupcake

Around

aka cupcake

my name is hannah

aka cupcake

my name is hannah

aka cupcake

Still alive. Kind of.

Could my book be YA? I don't think so