Sandy – Yes, Adult fiction is considered 17+, but the problem is that a lot of fiction considered ‘Adult’ is also stuff that’s so adult that 17 to about mid twenties aren’t quite into it yet. I guess it’s all really confusing, but it just becomes a real problem when stuff considered 17+ has no other category to go in other than ‘Children’s’ or just ‘Adult’. Put it in Children’s and you run the risk of angry parents, put it in Adult and an author could be missing out on a lot of younger adult readers that typically don’t troll the Adult categories. It’s all so confusing! LOL – thanks for your comment. :-)

Isn’t Adult fiction considered for readers 17 and up though? So wouldn’t New Adult and Adult be essentially the same thing in that sense? I know New Adult fiction are usually about characters around college age 18 and 20+ year olds, so it would also target readers 17 and Up but I think there not only needs to be a description to distinguish New Adult from Young Adult but to distinguish it from Adult as well as Adult fiction is usually about characters in their late 20s and onwards. I hope New Adult fiction gets more ground soon, as there are many books in the YA genre that would fit this category more and maybe that will satisfy the disgruntled parents xD.

You’re very welcome, Cally! And I’m up for it if you want to. Just let me know how I can help. :-)

*retailers*

Thanks for linking to my post. Maybe we should start a petition for Amazon to create a New Adult category on their site. Then, if it’s successful, other retailer may follow suit! 

Very well said, Pixie. I hope they recognize it soon too. It’ll be better for writers AND readers, that’s for sure.

New Adult is often more my category, too. The problem though is that it’s not quite a “category” yet. Everything still gets labeled YA because technically the characters are still “young adults” (ages 15-20). However, the content can vary. New Adult gives us more of an adult cross-over appeal with more mature content, but still OK for teens to read I would say–and often in the case of New Adult, the characters aren’t in school or they’re in college (or in the case of Paranormal, may be a permanent age).
I struggle a lot having to classify my own, too. I think it’s better suited for New Adult due to language, but since the category isn’t really widespread, many retailers make authors classify it as either YA or adult. Well, it’s not quite adult. Haha. So, when people ask, I say “YA with an adult cross-over appeal”. At least until “New Adult” becomes a wider genre.

I’ve read a lot of “YA” series in recent years that would definitely have the New Adult category. Richelle Mead off the top of my head at the moment would be a perfect fit there.

I do look forward to when New Adult becomes a category we can use. :)

That’s so true, Sri! You’re exactly right. Even my book, The Mayfair Moon, starts out in high school, but the first book is about as ‘YA” as it gets. Book two and three are definitely more New Adult, that’s for sure.

Thanks! I actually just used a free template and tweaked it to make it my own. Like adding the crow banner and a few other things.

I think the reason most of the categories are tagged “Young Adult” is because most of the stories start in High School (Should i say ‘ALL’) and the leads are still in their teens..but as the story progresses we see they turning adult,mature,strong,falling in love and now comes the problem..because neither they are Young anymore but Not even fully Adult…but how well an author can project a love story without a little “STRONG” romance between leads,a little mature yet sweet love story?

I think that’s where the base problem is..as we can’t tag the one series of book to YA and suddenly the next to Adult…

New Adult is the answer..though it will sure take a lot of time to acknowledge it and actually make it as a new category!
But still we can wait and try in helping..
Sri.

P.S:BTW i love ur blog design and theme..its dark and edgy..i love Black ;)

Sri – SO TRUE!! I get frustrated when looking fir something to read because I like younger stuff with some sexual content and dialogue that isn’t minced and sounds unrealistic and silly. But I’m also not looking for anything straight adult, either. So this New adult category is really kind of perfect. A lot of ‘YA’ books are very, very teen (13-15ish) and I can’t get through books like that!

I totally agree with this..whenever i want to read books with a little mature content i have only option “Adults”..but they turn out to be more Erotic than Adult.(ARGH! I am not saying i am not into graphics but that was not i was looking for!!).
Even though “Young adults” have equally some mature content in them..they don’t fit the genre correctly either.I particularly want something in between and that’s where “New Adult” fits in.
I think it’s time “New Adult” replaces “Young Adult” and especially give Authors and Readers a correct category to chose their work.
J.A…a good post dear :)
Sri.

Devon – Yeah, I do think FALLING In BETWEEN is definitely New Adult. You’re right – “too mature for younger audiences and not ‘dirty’ enough for adults”.

I really hope the industry as a whole will recognize this issue soon.

Yep, New Adult has been there for awhile, but it’s not widely acknowledged. I love it because it allows us to write more edgy novels for characters that range from late teens to early twenties. It’s similar to Mature YA, but it’s impossible to categorize your book as that too. Falling in Between is New Adult because my seventeen year old character is coming into her sexuality. It’s too mature for younger audiences and not ‘dirty’ enough for adults. Amazon and other book stores force us to categorize it as juvenile fiction, and all we can do is label it as Mature YA or New Adult in the book description. Sadly, not everyone pays attention to that, or the warning of sexual content, and get offended when they read it, then usually leave bad ratings because they weren’t expecting that from a young adult novel. As authors, there’s nothing we can really do until New Adult becomes widely acknowledged by book providers. Kinda sucks, huh?

I’ll still keep writing them though, offended reviews be damned. :)