Jennifer Rummel describes the Next Big Thing being adults reading teen books. She included studies that proved adults are usually the ones purchasing these titles, often for themselves and listed 10 reasons why young adult books are so appealing to adults. Nostalgia and the popularity of titles like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games with their movie tie-ins make YA books irresistible. She suggests teen books to adults looking for something great and new in their favorite genre or to complement their tastes in television.
The second article I read was Publisher's Weekly take on a a new genre some publishers are pushing called New Adult. Here, the focus is on the "post-YA reader" who's just out of her teens and is looking for a read that deals with issues eighteen to twenty-somethings experience. While I don't see BCPL adopting a "New Adult" shelf, it's an important category to be familiar with. Also, it's worthwhile for the publishers to promote these books to potential readers to let them know it's available. This distinction informs the customer that these books are too mature for teen readers and will appeal to those looking for themes they're familiar with, in a voice similar to their own.
I posted comments on P Deany and J Hartzell's blogs
I agree with you about the strangeness of adopting a "New Adult" shelving space for books that are marketed towards the 18-20 somethings. In our current library jargon, "New" means that the book are new, not that the reader is new to being an adult. Perhaps if it had a different name. Teen could be the 12-17 and Young Adult could be for those who are 18+. I'm wondering if there are any people that feel put off by the fact that our YA books are labeled "Teen." I haven't been a teenager for quite some time, but I enjoy reading in that section.
ReplyDeleteKatie, I enjoyed reading your comments on "New Adult." I agree with you that the term is a useful marketing tool and it's useful for us on the RA end in recognizing that some of the content is aimed at older readers rather than the younger end of traditional "Young Adult."
ReplyDeleteHi Katie,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your take on "New Adult." About three years ago I did have a young adult specifically asking for some recommendations for this type of book, but it was before I had even heard of the term. I did have an idea of what she meant though. I don't know how much of a trend it will be, but I agree it's to be aware of this style of book.
Sorry, I mean "Hi Kathryn." I've been on a BMB bender today!
ReplyDelete