New Adult Books: Part One

When I first heard about New Adult as a book category I was excited. I'd been having a tough time classifying my own work--which has a young, casual voice similar to YA, but clearly isn't meant for younger readers--and to me, this felt like a perfect fit. So what is NA? Basically it covers that transitional time right after high school. Characters are facing 'new' firsts--new job, living away from home, going to college, serious relationships, maybe even getting married. (Rather than regurgitate an entire definition of what New Adult is, I'll refer you to http://www.naalley.com/p/about.html -- they've got a great collection of resources and info on the subject.)

So needless to say, I've been keeping tabs on the whole movement. It's funny the amount of resistance I've noticed from skeptics, particularly with regards to whether or not this should be a legit category. I've seen it referred to as a fad, or a niche group that will only appeal to a really small audience. I've seen the excuse thrown around that twenty-somethings don't read, therefore this is a pointless endeavor. Or that it's just YA with sex added to it so that it'll appeal to an older audience.

It seems to me (and maybe I'm just more attuned to it now) that NA continues to grow steadily. There are book clubs, groups, and blogs cropping up that cater to NA readers and writers. I mean, look at some of the top selling NA authors--take Jamie McGuire for example-- it's pretty clear there is an audience for these types of books.

I see so many possibilities, and think we're really just hitting the tip of the iceberg as far as what NA can be. So is it a fad? I don't think so. NA is finding an audience, so it must be resonating with readers on some level...obviously these books wouldn't be selling if it didn't. I think it is still evolving and growing, particularly as authors in different genres jump into the mix, and I will be interested to see which direction it takes.