Here is the first part of the assignment. For those of you reading my blog to give me credit for the bookish training, I do apologize. As you can see, I am slightly non-linear and chaotic in my thought process. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on who you ask.
The flow-chart was fun and informative. I really liked the look of it and I am sure it would have great appeal for library customers looking for a new read.
The two articles I read were:
The Next Big Thing: Adults Reading Teen Literature
and
New Adult:Needless Marketing-Speak or Valued Subgenre
I enjoyed and understood both articles. As a librarian, I have been reading teen literature my whole career, and have thought nothing of it. But, as I progressed in my career, I watched the teen book market explode and become more important and larger than life. I saw how the influx of television shows and movies influence readers. Adults are also going to see the Twilight films, the Hunger Games, Pretty Little Liars. And many adults like to read the novels based on their favorite entertainment programs. They also love to find other novels that are similar to what they have enjoyed, and so finding a readalike is important, and easy to do in the same collection where you find the original. I often have had many parents reading what the kids liked, and then wanted more for themselves. I have also had many teens who have grown into adulthood, but still like their favorite writers. I think there is less of a stigma now, teen books are more "cool" and "popular" and appeal to many people on so many levels. If you are reading the Hunger Games, you are now in a massive army and are not an oddball. I call this progress.
The New Adult moniker, I think is a marketing ploy that is apt to fail. I pretty much think this is a needless term. I appreciate that they are writing books in the "new adult" area but those books have been around before, and people tend to gravitate toward them. It would be hard for a library or bookstore to create a special collection just for these books, so they are going to end up in fiction anyway. I think they should focus on marketing the actual book itself, getting readers familiar with the author and making sure that book has a following. I think the term New Adult is kind of silly sounding, and it may turn people off. Savvy readers will be able to head to the adult section, browse and find the books they need.
Doug, I agree with your assessment of current YA lit -- there's so much there for every reader, and it's not limited to the "intended" audience.
ReplyDeleteBut in response to your take on the "New Adult" designation, I agree it's somewhat superfluous, but I can also see the point of view of the publishers: there really isn't another name for books intended for that age group, about the process of becoming an adult. I think it's best thought of as a subgenre of the YA genre, and as that I think it's okay.
Doug, You are so right about the way YA material exploded with some of the suthors having huge fan bases because the subject matter appealed to the masses and the media.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the New Adult term is to keep the 18-24 year olds interested in the Teen authors as well as showing them other choices. I agree that it is just a term, it is kind of telling a teen they can have a 1st library card (adult version) at the library. It may not go over with the public.
Great correlation between the trending shows and how they draw readers to novels of the same theme. I think adult readers of teen fiction are looking for entertainment beyond the television.
ReplyDeleteI think, Doug, you're right about the stigma disappearing. I can't remember seeing my parents generation reading stereotypical teen literature, but now it's nothing to see a businessman or woman on the metro with Hunger Games in their hands.
ReplyDeleteDoug, I think you are dead right with the New Adult name being useless and bound to fail. I think the concept of teen fiction being separate in a library despite drawing adult, teen, and even some pre-teen or children advanced readers into its collection, needs to be re-evaluated. Does that section exist so the teens can easily find books we expect them to be entertained by, or is it there so we can keep the teen library visitors in one controlled environment because of the stigma their population carries with them due to behavior?
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