Many of you write for twentysomethings, while others of you have these younger readers as part of your “fan” base, but you might not realize it. After all, included in the general adult audience are twentysomethings.
Books that are targeted to this audience have seen significant sales–Velvet Elvis, He’s Just Not That Into You; Auralia’s Colors, Starving Jesus–and I believe more such books are on the way. So this week let’s look at what twentysomethings like to read and why. Since I read a lot of books aimed toward this audience, and I’m in my twenties, that gives me some credibility. 🙂
Twentysomethings aren’t looking for the typical adult book. What they like to read is a book that reflects their lives.
What’s going on in typical twentysomethings’ lives? (If you are a twentysomething and don’t see yourself in any of the following categories, let me know!)
A twentysomething is a:
1) College student
2) Budding career person
3) Young husband or wife
4) Single or dating person
5) New (or new-ish) parent. Those in this category have the least amount of time to read, but they’re always looking for the “lost manual” that was supposed to come with the kids.
6) Person who has no idea what to do with his or her life and is passing time until inspiration strikes. They aren’t slackers, but they have little direction; so it might look as if they aren’t doing anything.
Of course, a person can be in multiple categories, adding to the confusion.
The 20s are a time of seemingly endless transitions: out of college and into the workforce; out of an apartment shared with fellow college students and back home (not exactly what any of us, including our parents, had in mind); in significant debt with college loans but wanting to establish our adult lives sans money. The goal for each twentysomething, as he or she navigates these transitions, is to feel like a grownup. But that’s tough when on one hand society expects us to act like adults but on the other hand, it doesn’t treat us like grownups.
That leaves twentysomethings often feeling stuck between being a teenager and being an adult. And that “in-between-ness” is reflected in what they read. Tomorrow we’ll take a closer look at that in-between spot.
I write to this age group, and it appears to fall in between Young Adult by most peoples standards.
YA is 12-18 it seems. So, do I write Yound Adult? Not THAT age frame…more the college age, dating, etc. So what would that be classified as? Adult? It’s perplexing to say the least.
I’ll look forward to tomorrow’s post.
Have a great day.
I’m 23. I write books that I would like to read. This does not include twentysomethings who act like teenagers. I connect with characters who may be in their twenties or thirties, but who are thrust into very intense situations and have to rise above society norms to overcome their problems. That’s the type of characters that work for me, and that is the type of characters I try to write.
I can usually tell when an author is trying to “write down” to my age group. Often times it comes off sounding fake or childish.
I don’t think these books featuring twentysomethings should be classified as YA. Movies with twentysomethings aren’t classified as kids movies. These should be adult novels that just happen to have a character who isn’t old enough to get the senior discount at Denny’s.
I think there is huge potential for this market. Rachel is right in that readers like me are looking for something different. I admit that we are a stubborn, cynical group. We analyze, compare, critique, and dissect everything. Then, when something works and clicks with us, we go all crazy about it. We chat about it, we blog about it, we name our kids Frodo and think there should be a National Stay At Home And Watch Star Wars Day.
But we aren’t babies. We’re just a bunch of nerds who love cool stuff, but refuse to swallow fakie fries.
My raving two thoughts.
Looking forward to your future posts, Rachel.
I would not say that typical YA is 12-18. By 18, we’re looking for actual adult topics. This age group (I’m 20 and will graduate college in May) is looking for guidance and help for those transitions that we’re facing from those who have made it through. Sometimes it feels as if there is absolutely nowhere to land after “right now” and we’re looking for hope that we’ll find a place and actually matter to the world.
Deep inside, we’re all nerds. Just admit it. 🙂
Great post, Rachel. I’m glad you’re opening up this topic.
When I started writing for YA over 20 years ago most of the mail I received was from young women ages 12-16. Now, in response to those same books, the mail comes from 8 year-olds as well as 38 year-olds and beyond. I would estimate that the average readers are still in that 12-16 target but the circles beyond that target have certainly expanded beyond what they were 20 years ago.
This week I’ve been reading CS Lewis’ “Letters to Children”. A line from one of his letters made me smile. It seems fitting for this discussion:
“You see, I don’t think age matters so much as people think. Parts of me are 12 and I think other parts were already 50 when I was 12.”
I couldn’t agree more.
Thank you all for your comments!
Kayla, I really like your last sentence. I think your feelings apply to so many 20-somethings.
James, I bet you’re going to like tomorrow’s post. (Nerds? I’m not sure we’re all nerds…but I would vote for a “National Stay at Home to Watch Star Wars Day” and I’m a member of the Facebook group “When I Was Your Age Pluto Was a Planet.”)
Lynn, I agree that the bookstores really do need to have another section for twentysomethings!
You’re right, James. I’m a nerd….. I’m okay with it too. **smile**
Ha ha! I’m content with my nerd status as well.
Great post, especially to those of us who aspire to write to this audience. I think you have done a good job of broadening the categories of “twentysomething” beyond the freelance web-designer who lives in mom and dad’s basement waiting until he writes the next “killer app” for the iphone and becomes an overnight success. We’re a bit more complex than that.