Target Audience

[writersink]

I've been writing my WIP for about a year now, and I'm on the 3rd draft. I always thought of it as a YA science fiction, but now looking back, I seen it's somwhere in between children's and YA. I think I'm aiming at 8-13 year olds, but what is this target audience called? Or do you guys think I should change it to make it more for children, or more Young Adulty? Is it bad that I can't identify a target audience because I've just been writing what I like. I really need some advice!

You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you. ~Ray Bradbury

[longknife]

MG?

[polymath]

Middle grade is the age genre before young adult. The audience age is between single digit and teen years, 10, 11, 12: 'tweens. Conventions of middle grade include first forays away from parental guardianship, often but not exclusively in school settings, boarding schools, foster homes, adopted orphans, or youths visting with other families. School vacation, after school, and weekend adventures are also middle grade situations. Due to strong moral authority oversight, middle grade must be about age appropriate coming of age emotional, psychological, and personal growth: bildungsroman.

It's about initiation into independence preparation for young adulthood, the next life stage. Central characters in middle grade must operate independently of adult guardians and learn a life lesson. Edgy middle grade confronts issues middle graders are exposed to, like first exposures to the cruel, gray-shaded world, no longer unequivocal black and white, right and wrong, good and evil, so they learn to differentiate and they enhance their emerging individual identities.

[dios4vida]

Yup, that'd be Middle Grade (MG). If your book is the same target audience of, say, Jacob Wonderbar, then you're right on MG.

[writersink]

I was hoping that wouldn't be the answer. It seems in my attempt to write Young Adult, I have instead written a children's book. =( Ahh well.

[CharleeVale]

I was hoping that wouldn't be the answer. It seems in my attempt to write Young Adult, I have instead written a children's book. =( Ahh well.

Just wondering why this is a bad thing? Harry Potter books are considered MG. You won't find them in the YA section. You'll find many other vastly popular books in the MG section too. The Inkheart Series, Hugo, and I think Percy Jackson might be there too.

CV

[polymath]

I believe the Potter saga aged along with its core audience, from middle grade to the young adult threshold into early adulthood, age, topically, content-wise, and edginess. Seven installments, seven years of Potter's life, though a ten-year span of publication time.

The several libraries I frequent shelve the Potter novels in the juvenile category, which encompasses middle grade and young adult by their conventions.

Besides the above features, what to me makes the later Potter installments young adult are the young adult self-identity trials the central characters undergo. Romance, peer pressure, teenage rebellion, increasing responsibilities, increasing privileges, etc.

[writersink]

Just wondering why this is a bad thing? Harry Potter books are considered MG. You won't find them in the YA section. You'll find many other vastly popular books in the MG section too. The Inkheart Series, Hugo, and I think Percy Jackson might be there too.

I don't consider it a bad thing. Its just the fact that I've spent so long thinking of my book as YA. Now for me to realise it is in fact children's means I have to change a few things,for example, longer words. It just means more editing. Also, the fact that it is children's means there is more adjusting for me in terms of how I now market it. Plus, it isn't good for my ego that I couldn't write a YA novel.

[dios4vida]

Its just the fact that I've spent so long thinking of my book as YA. Now for me to realise it is in fact children's means I have to change a few things,for example, longer words. It just means more editing. Also, the fact that it is children's means there is more adjusting for me in terms of how I now market it.

I would be careful thinking of MG and children's as the same thing. With MG, as far as I know, there is a degree of pushing vocabulary and plot that isn't there in children's. If you start to edit this to be a "children's" book, then you might end up lowering the reading level too far.

Plus, it isn't good for my ego that I couldn't write a YA novel.

This doesn't mean you can't write YA! Don't say that. All this means is that this story turned out to be more MG than YA. There isn't a problem with that. Next time, the story you mean to tell might turn out to be another MG, or YA, or adult. It doesn't mean that you couldn't write it to the audience you'd intended - it meant that you were true to the story, and the story was more suited for a different audience. That's actually a good thing, that you followed what was natural for the characters and plot. It will probably ring with more authenticity.

Besides, MG is a great age group to write for. They are the age where a true love of reading can develop. Good books for that age group are hard to come by, but the good ones can inspire life-long readers and writers for the next generation.

[polymath]

Well said, dios4vida. I'm especially favoring the true to the plot and characters point.

Only to add, recreational middle grade readers read up in age, as do later-year young adults read up in age into early adult age genre. I guess they're anxious to explore their up and coming potentials.

[writersink]

I would be careful thinking of MG and children's as the same thing. With MG, as far as I know, there is a degree of pushing vocabulary and plot that isn't there in children's. If you start to edit this to be a "children's" book, then you might end up lowering the reading level too far.

I live in the UK, and as far as I know, we don't distinguish "children's" and "MG" as Americans do: I've never heard of another group. I'm not certain though. If we do, that group won't be called Middle Grade.

[Falls Apart]

I was hoping that wouldn't be the answer. It seems in my attempt to write Young Adult, I have instead written a children's book. =( Ahh well.

Don't feel bad I just realized recently that my attempt to write YA may have turned out adult. I'm on my fourth or so draft and I'm starting to think that a book about political intrigue and war, with main characters aged up to mid-seventies, violence, sex, language, a completely cynical outlook, and absolutely no good guys, may not work as YA. Still on the fence, though, mostly since I don't feel like I can write a book for adults before I legally am one :\

[writersink]

mostly since I don't feel like I can write a book for adults before I legally am one :\

Of course you can! As a writer, you can write anything. Age is just a number- and besides, no one in the writing world will know how old you are without you telling them. Therefore, the only person that is stopping you writing adult is... you!

[Falls Apart]

^^Thanks

[MattLarkin]

mostly since I don't feel like I can write a book for adults before I legally am one :\

Of course you can! As a writer, you can write anything. Age is just a number- and besides, no one in the writing world will know how old you are without you telling them. Therefore, the only person that is stopping you writing adult is... you!

And it takes practice to write in any style. If you want to write novels for adults, start writing those now. It's never too early to begin honing the craft, and the more time you spend at it, the more pay off you will see. Whatever your longterm goal, you'll be glad you started working toward it early.

Even most YA writers are adults, because they needed time to practice their craft and gain experience (and for other reasons). The age group you are in isn't a big issue for the age group you want to write for.