New Adult: The New Genre on the Block

I'm probably behind the times in talking about this, but I just discovered this new genre through a book I recently read, Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson.  While researching for my review, I saw that this book can be considered "New Adult".  I didn't have any clue what that meant, but after I did a little research, I thought it was such a great idea!

Obviously not a new idea in terms of writing, but definitely a new idea in terms of marketing, New Adult is a line that was first pursued by Dan Weiss, Publisher at Large for St. Martin's Press, and his Editorial Assistant, S. Joe-Jones.  Weiss is a veteran in the publishing world, bringing to the world the Sweet Valley High series, among other things.  He saw a niche that was being underutilized and felt he could really develop something new for readers.

Basically, New Adult tends to center around protagonists who are between 18 & 26 years old.  They are usually in a transitional period where they aren't children, but haven't quite established themselves in their adult lives.  This means that they could be entering college, graduating, starting a their first career, or entering that first serious relationships.  It's a lot of "firsts", but in a way that is different from what a teenager would experience.  I like how Kristen Hoffman put it in her article, "New Adult: What Is It?", "As the saying goes: old enough to know beteer, but still too young to care" (2010, para. 3).  She goes on to say, in reference to herself and friends, "It's a strange time, because we're technically adults, but most of us feel more like overgrown kids" (Hoffman, 2010, para. 2).  This sentiment, I feel, perfectly encapsulates the need for this genre.

As a "20something" myself, I often feel like I'm in this constant battle, trying to figure out where I fit in now that I'm not in high school, but also when I'm not an adult with a mortgage, a husband, and two kids.  I think New Adult is a great opportunity for people n the same type of transitionary period of their life to tell their stories and write books about characters reflecting their lives.

There are some great books out there that could already fall into this genre, and an opportunity for more and more to be added.  Some of my favorite "adult" books I would re-categorize as New Adult: Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby, Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin, Prep by Curtis Sittenfield and Psych Major Syndrome by Alicia Thompson.  Obviously there are a ton more examples, and the genre is ever expanding to include books in all realms, not just contemporary (Royal Street is a good example of this).

I think this is an exciting new genre and a great addition to the book world.  The fact that more publishing houses are starting a New Adult line means more opportunity for readers and writers.  I like that the publishers are realizing that there are still needed distinctions.  Not to pigeonhole but to expand.  There are some interesting sites that you can check out if you want to learn more about New Adult: NA Alley, 20 Something Reads, and Confessions of a Twenty Something Fiction Writer.  All three have really good resources and book recommendations!

So what do you think?  Love New Adult?  Hate New Adult?  Needed niche or superfluous addition?  Let me know your opinion in the comments!


Reference:
Hoffman, K. (2010). New adult: What is it? Writer'sDigest.com. Retrieved from http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/new-adult-what-is-it

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