Does a new writer
trying to break into YA need to have a finished novel or can they submit a proposal?
If you’re new to YA and thinking about pitching a book proposal;
think again. Typically, publishers of fiction want a finished product, and as a
new writer your book is the best representation of your ability. Very few, if
any, agents will shop a fiction proposal, YA or otherwise, from an unknown
author. If you are established in a different genre, or have an amazing,
interactive website for the YA audience you might stand a better chance, but
any agent will want to make sure you can write fiction. Better just to write
the book and get it to a reputable agent.
What are the
recommended specs for a YA novel—page length, word count, language censored in
any way?
There is still some separation in the expected word count of
adult fiction versus young adult fiction. Adult fiction typically falls
somewhere between 80,000-100,000 words (300-400 pages). Writer’s Digest suggests a 55,000 – 70,000 word
count for YA (220-280 pages); cautioning against going much higher, although
they admit this is a very fluid category. If you are writing fantasy/sci-fi,
you will probably go well into the 70,000 range, as world building uses a lot
of ink. There are always exceptions of course, just check out these YA
bestsellers: The Hunger Games (384), The Night Circus (528), Mrs. Peregrine’s
Home for Peculiar Children (352), The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing:
Traitor to the Nation (351), and Delirium (441).
Most of the restrictions we associate with YA—profanity,
sexual situations, extreme violence—have fallen away. Profanity makes regular
appearances in nearly all bestselling YA fiction; and appropriately so as it
has become ubiquitous in our society. That’s not to say you should be careless
with its use, but to ignore it completely may have your dialogue sounding
inauthentic.
Most YA books are still fairly restrained when dealing with
sexual situations. That is to say, they focus more on the yearning and the lead
up to sex than actual sex scenes. Make no mistake, many characters are sexually
active and speak openly about it, a lot about it, but the actual ‘going all the
way’ scene in a book like Shiver, for example, leads you to the door and shuts
it (nobody really considers 50 Shades of Grey to be YA, in spite of the young
protagonist!).
And as far as extreme violence goes, you need only look at
the success of The Hunger Games to realize how loose the restrictions on
violence have become. It is listed on Amazon for readers “12 and up.” When you look at the level of violence on
television, in movies and video games, it really shouldn’t come as any
surprise. Fortunately, Torture Porn (think The Saw movie franchise) is still
relegated to adult fiction.
Which agents are the
most easily accessible to a new YA writer?
Many agents, who five years ago wouldn’t consider YA, are
now actively pursuing writers of the genre. When I managed a Waldenbooks in the
eighties, books for teens fell under one banner: Young Adult, and it occupied
two linear feet of shelf space. Judy Blume was its most provocative author, Forever causing uproars in school boards
across the country for daring to deal with her protagonist’s loss of virginity.
Today, YA easily occupy 15-20 linear feet, even in modest sized Barnes &
Nobles, with subcategories for: Romance, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy &
Adventure, Sci-Fi, Mystery, Historical, Dystopian, Steampunk, Humor, Anime and
Graphic Novels. Agents are looking for the next hot voice in YA and are more
receptive to a great pitch or query letter. Andrea Brown, Full Circle, Victoria
Sanders & Associates, Andrea Hurst, Wendy Lamb, are agencies I see
consistently at conferences, soliciting YA material. Laurie McLean of Foreword
Literacy (The Iron Fey series)
regularly attends the Willamette Writers Conference and signed Portland author,
Marni Bates as a result of a pitch. Marni now has four YA titles in print and a
film option.
Do you have to have an
agent to get read?
It certainly helps, but like the music industry before it,
everything is changing in publishing (and in film). Agents used to be the
gateway to writing success. That is less and less true. Many publishing houses
have laid off their in-house editing staff, formerly assigned to new writers to
get their books in shape. Now, many of those editors are working freelance and
often act as a conduit to agents and publishers.
Another way to get read is to pitch to a film manager, producer
or agent. We’re seeing a lot of cross over at our conference; film people
looking for completed, published and unpublished manuscripts, blogs, life
rights, even Twitter feeds. Sh*t My Dad
Says, was a book before it was a sitcom, and a Twitter feed before it was a
book. So there are ways to get your book read outside of the traditional query.
Are there any
conferences a new writer can attend that are actually helpful?
Indeed (cue blatant plug). I have been attending the
Willamette Writers Conference every year since 2008 (I became the Film
Coordinator in 2011). This is a very reputable conference that offers a high
caliber curriculum over a three day weekend, but also offers an opportunity to
meet and/or pitch to an agent, editor or publisher. We’re in Portland, but
there are undoubtedly conferences close to you worth attending. But they can be
expensive, so it’s important to set clear goals about what you want to
accomplish. If you only want to pitch your book, then you need to study the
roster of consultants available to pitch to. Every conference has a website
with biographies from each consultant, including a wish list of what kinds of
books they’re looking for. Study it, and
follow up with a search at publishersmarketplace.com or agentquery.com to see
who’s on their client list. Most of them have a website with a blog, or a
Twitter feed with links to articles they think are important. Follow them for a
few weeks to see if they’re a good fit for you. At the very least you will be more
informed when you query them or meet them in person to pitch. Writers are
signed every year at conferences around the country. I personally see it happen
every year in Portland.
Can you submit
directly to a publisher and which publishers are the most open to new writers?
No. You can query a publisher, but as a general rule
unsolicited manuscripts are thrown away. Check their website for submission
requirements and follow them.
What is the biggest
mistake a new writer makes when trying to break into the YA market?
The two mistakes I see the most often are lecturing and
shielding the reader. Teenagers are highly attuned to changes in air pressure
when a lecture approaches and will run for cover. Your message may be
important, urgent even, but it requires a light touch if it is to reach this
audience. Likewise, if you sugar coat your subject matter in an attempt to
protect the reader, you’ll come off as phony. I have been guilty of this
myself, going all the way to the edge and pulling back because I was afraid of
offending someone (more often a parent or school board). Teen audiences are far
more savvy than we give them credit for. Forget about playing it safe.
How can a writer
improve their chance for success?
Read young adult. Read lots of young adult. Not only will
you take comfort in the amount of flat out crap being sold (we all need hope!);
it gives you a point from which to compare your own story and writing. Then
when you find quality writing, (I’m a
fan of Lauren Oliver’s) you have a second point of comparison and can begin to
close the gap.
Know your market. For example, the paranormal romance genre
is glutted. Don’t write that unless you’ve found something no one else has.
(How do I know that? I read it in an agent’s wish list on a conference
website).
Is platform as
essential in YA as it is in adult trade?
Yes and no. You don’t have to build up your CV with
publications, lectures or speaking engagements to be a credible YA writer. But
you have to be findable, so at the very least you need an internet presence. My
website, zombienoel.com, was launched in advance of the completion of the book;
a new trend in marketing that agents and publishers are looking for. And once
your website is up, you can elect to bypass traditional publishing and
e-publish a chapter at a time if you like, on your own site.
What is the smartest
move you’ve ever seen a writer make when it comes to their career?
Kelly Williams Brown, not long out of college, realized
there was a whole lot of stuff involved in living on your own that she didn’t
know how to do or was too undisciplined to do.
This became the concept for a book proposal: Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps, with topics
like, “Make Your Fucking Bed!”
She started a blog two weeks before the Willamette Writers
Conference with the intention of adding something new every day for a year,
then pitched the non-fiction concept in a group pitch session. I think it was a
Saturday (she only came one day expressly to pitch). By Monday night she had a
book agent, who went on to sell the book at auction and FOX is producing a
pilot. All based on the strength on her concept, presentation, and a self-made
website.
What is the best
advice you’ve ever been given?
Randall Jahnson, (Mask
of Zorro, The Doors) a screenwriter transplant from L.A., told me I had an
annoying habit of ‘pulling my punches’ (see above!). After reading two of my
early scripts, he got frustrated and said, “This is good stuff, you set the
scene and build the tension and then—you wuss out! Fucking say it, don’t sugar
coat it!”
It’s damn good advice.
What do you wish you
knew then that you know now?
I wish I had been more confident, more trusting of my story instincts.
It’s a difficult thing to gage until you put yourself out there, be it a
contest, a critique group, or submission; but it’s important to have that trust
in yourself. Nobody else can write from your gut, so it’s pointless to second
guess yourself, especially on a first draft when everything is fresh. Errors in
execution can be fixed in the rewrite.
Any last words of encouragement or warnings?
Do something every day to further your writing goals or move
your story forward. Set up a space and a routine and guard it with your life.
We are told to write every day for good reason—it keeps us connected to our
story and keeps our skills sharp. So give it a try. Something is better than
nothing. And when you miss a day, or two or three; cultivate self-forgiveness.
Then get back in your chair and write.
Ruth Witteried has a M.A. from Pacific Lutheran
University and teaches screenwriting at Clark College in Vancouver, WA. She
took home the Columbine Award at the 2009 Moondance International Film
Festival for her feature length script, A
More Perfect Union, detailing the 1919 Centralia Massacre. She
is currently writing the young adult book and screenplay, Zombie Noel under her pen name, RH
Cohen. You can follow her on Facebook at SitYourAssDown; Twitter @sityourassdown1,
or zombienoel.com.
