Are you a writer considering the genre of young adult literature?
The realm of YA has seen exponential growth since 2020, drawing the interest of many authors.
Switching to a genre just because it’s gaining popularity might not be the best idea, but it is certainly a factor.
Keep reading to see if YA is really the right genre for you.
What is Young Adult?
The Young Adult (YA) genre is a category of literature that primarily targets readers between the ages of 12 and 18, though it also appeals to many adult readers.
YA books follow young protagonists, typically teenagers, navigating the challenges and experiences of adolescence.
These might take place in modern, realistic times (insert any John Green book here), or they might take place in a fantasy (Six of Crows), sci-fi (The 100), or dystopian setting (The Hunger Games).
YA can have any subgenre that Adult literature has—the only difference is the age of the protagonist (as well as general content, catered to be appropriate for each group of readers).
Where does Young Adult fall as a genre?
Young Adult is a relatively new genre, but it has steadily grown in popularity. Let’s look at a few facts about the genre.
Most popular young adult genres
You might notice that the popularity of YA genres follow the popular Adult genres. Here are some of the best-selling YA genres:
- Fantasy
- Sci-Fi
- Romance
- Contemporary
Book sales dramatically fluctuate with trends and public interest.
You’ll see trends of cyclical popularity if you pay attention. Sometimes a trend that showed up suddenly can disappear just as fast. This makes “write-to-market” or any kind of strategizing based on trendy sales pretty risky.
The exception to this is quick publishing, like self-publishers can do. If your turnaround time for a book is just a few weeks or months, you might find success here.
An example of a traditional author vs trends is Lex Croucher, who wrote a regency romance with a modern vibe called Reputation at a time where this was NOT a popular genre. But what happened when she was ready to query agents? Bridgerton.
Genre trends come and go! Instead of following the stream of trends, consider writing what you love to write and waiting for the pendulum to swing back.
Young Adult genre sales
Here are a few facts about YA genre sales:
- While YA makes up the smallest age category of sales (4.58% of all book sales), YA is the fastest-growing category, with sales spiking by 48.2% since 2018
- The YA genre greatly benefited from the pandemic, growing sales by 24.7% in 2020, then 27.5% in 2021
- The majority of YA books are fiction (30.91 million sold in 2022), but there are some popular nonfiction publications (4.11 million sold in 2022)
- Over half of YA book buyers do not fall into the “young adult” demographic (they are over the age of 18)
- Of those, over half of adult YA book buyers are between the ages of 30 and 44 (making them 28% of all YA buyers)
- 78% of adult buyers are purchasing the books for themselves
So what we can see from this data, YA is a growing genre, and many of its readers don’t even fall into the target demographic.
Questions to help you decide if young adult is for you
If you’re still not sure about writing YA yourself, here are four questions you can ask yourself.
1. Do you enjoy reading YA?
Writers who are passionate about their genre and topic almost always write stronger stories.
If you’re slodging through a genre you don’t like, writing will seem much more like Work. Writing what you love keeps you motivated, so you can keep dropping books.
2. Do ya like kids?
Respecting and enjoying the perspectives of young people is kind of imperative to have a career in writing YA.
Not only do you craft your work around them (obviously), but a large component of actually selling books is interacting with your audience. And if you’re writing YA, your audience is mainly teenagers.
Imagine yourself at schools, doing readings of your new release. Imagine a line of tweens waiting for you to sign their books. Does that horrify you? If so, YA might not be your speed.
3. Do you remember being young?
Having regard for the teenage experience is vital to write a good YA novel.
Do you feel like you understand young people? Do you remember what it was like to be 16? Young Adult fiction covers topics like first kisses, first Times, high school, dramatic friendships, young love, prom, graduation, college apps, clashing with parents, rebellion, finding identity—do you remember going through those things yourself?
If you’ve blocked that all out (fair), it might be difficult to step into the shoes of a teenager.
4. Do you want to be responsible for influencing impressionable people?
Minds are shaped by what we put in them, and a large portion of teenage input is media.
If you aim to be a part of that, are you ready for your writing to have a part in forming the minds of our next generation?
If the answer to all of the above is “yes,” YA might be for you! Here are some popular subgenres you have to choose from:
7 popular subgenres of young adult fiction
These are seven popular YA subgenres you might consider.
1. Romance
Romance focuses on the romantic relationships, emotional journeys, and sexuality of young protagonists.
These stories tend to address themes like first loves, heartbreaks, coming-of-age, self-discovery, and different types of personal growth.
Examples include To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han and Gwen And Art Are Not In Love by Lex Croucher.
2. Fantasy/Sci-FI
The Fantasy subgenre can include stories set in entirely made-up universes, or stories that are a mix of contemporary and magical elements.
The same is true for Sci-Fi. Examples of this genre include Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.
3. Self-help
There’s a self-help book for any kind of person going through any kind of struggle, and if anyone is going through some kind of struggle, it is a teenager.
YA self-help might cover issues like dealing with the stress of school, deciding which life path to take, dealing with difficult family members/living situations, or managing mental health.
An example of a YA self-help book is Totally Me: The Teenage Girl’s Survival Guide by Sandy Rideout and Yvonne Collins.
4. Historical
Historical YA is often fiction, but can be based on or inspired by real historical events.
It is set at any point in the past and explores that era’s events, cultures, and society. These stories feature young protagonists navigating the same types of problems current teens might, but set in the context of that particular time period.
Examples include The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and Infamous by Lex Croucher.
5. Paranormal
Paranormal typically combines elements of fantasy or supernatural with a contemporary or urban setting.
A young protagonist will encounter things like magic, mythical creatures, ghosts, or other supernatural things. Examples include Shades of London by Maureen Johnson and New Moon by Stephenie Meyer.
6. Contemporary
Contemporary focuses on realistic, present-day settings and explores things that regular people can experience.
A young protagonist in contemporary YA might deal with friendships, family dynamics, self-identity, and growing up.
Examples include Boys I Know by Anna Garcia and The Lost Marble Notebook of Forgotten Girl & Random Boy by Marie Jaskulka.
7. Thriller
A thriller in YA will follow a young character experiencing some spooky and unsettling things! They might try to unravel a mystery, or they might be escaping death in some way. Examples of thrillers in YA include Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus and I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick.
There are, of course, countless genres and subgenres of books. These are only a few.
Are you ready to write a young adult book?
Ultimately, the question of whether or not you should write young adult fiction rests on your interest in the genre, your ability to shift into the mindset of a teenager, and a connection with young readers.
Writing for young adults provides a powerful platform to communicate, influence, and guide people during their developmental years.
While that’s a huge responsibility, it’s also a great opportunity.
Whether you choose young adult or pass it for another genre, as long as you’re writing what you love for a demographic you connect with, you’re heading in the right direction!