Welcome to WWW where every week a guest will offer some insight into the world of writing and publishing.
Today I'm thrilled to have Emi J. Gayle, published YA author of The 19th Year series, share about publishing for YA readers. You definitely WANT to look into her kick bum series - be sure to check out the latest release at the end of the post! Check out my 5* review of book #2, Day After, HERE.
But onto the goods ...
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Publishing for Young Adult readers ... who are we really marketing to?
There's
a designation in publishing for young adults that says a young adult is 14-19
years old. I'm pretty sure, though, that voracious 14 year old readers aren't
actually going out and buying the books we're writing. Sure, they may be
getting them from their libraries, or maybe in some small cases, from school.
In reality, it's Mom (or Dad) who's plunking down that money for that book.
That
makes me wonder ... first, are mom and dad reading these books? Second, are mom
and dad approving of these books? Or are kids doing the, "Buy this book
and I'll read it!" thing while holding the covers tight up against
them?
In all
honesty, I think it's a mix. Moms in particular, are reading YA books, not
necessarily with their kids, but as something enjoyable too, which makes
marketing to the YA crowd, not the only way to go. We reach Moms, we might
reach kids and if we reach kids, we might reach moms. No, that doesn't mean 2
copies and 2 sales, it means a wider audience and hopefully future fans.
So what
does that mean to the author? To the publisher? To the marketer? It means a
cover has to draw in more than one kind of person. No, kids and parents are not
the same, despite the apple not falling far from the tree. Parent = tree. Kid =
apple. Different being, same flavor. So a cover has to draw in both people. How
does that happen? Well, have you noticed the 'sex appeal' of some YA novels?
There's one way. How about the intricate design and attention to detail? It
seems these facets are even more pervasive in YA books than in adult books (not
always, but sometimes). These are things all the people working on a book have
to think about.
Of
course the cover isn't all of it. It's the story inside. What's most popular
with adult women? Translate that to younger adult women, and downplay some
aspects (i.e. sex ... or in some cases, don't - that's the author's call). What
story lines catch the most attention? Mirror them in YA. It's like good
animated films both amuse kids and keep parents happy to, right? Pixar is
wonderful at this ... there's adult humor that kids won't 'get' and the kids
are super happy too. Same concept applies. A YA book isn't just for the YA
audience, it's for the parent(s) too and marketing to them both should, in
theory, reach a wider audience than just marketing to the 14-19 crowd alone.
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Ms. Gayle's newest release!
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| Click on image to add on Goodreads |
Day After
The 19th Year
by Emi Gayle
Release Date: May 6, 2013
Target Reader: Young Adult
Keywords: Paranormal Romance, Romance
Demon crypts. Vampire lairs. Glowing angels. Sexy sirens. The stuff of fiction.
Or so Winn Thomas always thought.
Since being accepted into the fold of the supernatural, he knows better. None of what he imagined is true, but everything he feared is, and binding himself to his Changeling girlfriend until her nineteenth birthday will give him an education far beyond what he’d get at his human high school.
Luckily, Winn’s not giving up, he won’t back down, and he definitely isn’t going to run away with his tail between his legs. After all, only werewolves have tails. Right?
In this, the second of the 19th Year trilogy, Winn’s facing the challenge of one lifetime. If he doesn’t learn the truth about mythological creatures, his girlfriend Mac Thorne won’t either. That means, in six months, when she chooses her final form, she won’t know what to pick.
Winn, though, has his own ideas about Mac’s final selection—plans she knows nothing of.
He intends to have her pick human.
Whether she can or not.
Or so Winn Thomas always thought.
Since being accepted into the fold of the supernatural, he knows better. None of what he imagined is true, but everything he feared is, and binding himself to his Changeling girlfriend until her nineteenth birthday will give him an education far beyond what he’d get at his human high school.
Luckily, Winn’s not giving up, he won’t back down, and he definitely isn’t going to run away with his tail between his legs. After all, only werewolves have tails. Right?
In this, the second of the 19th Year trilogy, Winn’s facing the challenge of one lifetime. If he doesn’t learn the truth about mythological creatures, his girlfriend Mac Thorne won’t either. That means, in six months, when she chooses her final form, she won’t know what to pick.
Winn, though, has his own ideas about Mac’s final selection—plans she knows nothing of.
He intends to have her pick human.
Whether she can or not.
Purchase Links:
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About Emi Gayle
Emi Gayle just wants to be young again. She lives vicariously through her youthful characters, while simultaneously acting as chief-Mom to her teenaged son and searching for a way to keep her two daughters from ever reaching the dreaded teen years.
Ironically, those years were some of Emi's favorite times. She met the man of her dreams at 14, was engaged to him at 19, married him at 20 and she's still in love with him to this day. She'll never forget what it was like to fall in love at such a young age — emotions she wants everyone to feel.
Ironically, those years were some of Emi's favorite times. She met the man of her dreams at 14, was engaged to him at 19, married him at 20 and she's still in love with him to this day. She'll never forget what it was like to fall in love at such a young age — emotions she wants everyone to feel.
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