Before I begin my latest rant, before the tittering starts and is drowned out by full on sniggering, I want to remind the hecklers in the crowd that the Twilight series and The Hunger Games trilogy are young adult (YA) fiction.
(No need for to be embarrassed, sweeties; even my huntin'-fishin'-tobacco-chewin' husband has read all of these.)
I read a great deal of YA fiction, particularly fantasy/paranormal/horror/SF titles, and believe some of the best new writing is being published under this designation. My reading pile for the month of March has, among other titles, included (in no particular order):
- Anna Dressed in Blood
- Girl of Nightmares
- Daughter of Smoke and Bone (re-read)
- Days of Blood and Fire
- Dead Beautiful
- Life Eternal
- The Awakening: Ghost Huntress #1
- The Guidance: Ghost Huntress #2
- The Demon Trapper's Daughter
- Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore- the only adult novel on the list
- Beautiful Creatures
- Carnival of Souls
- Lips Touch: Three Times
You know those stories who yank you under the current and keep you there until you reach the end, where you resurface, soaking wet and out of breath, feeling quite put out the book is over? That was reading Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke & Bone and Days of Blood & Starlight.
I just knew my son, Gryphon, would enjoy them, but when I showed the books to him, he rolled his eyes. Smitten with these books, I pressed on, and Gryphon informed me he would not be caught dead reading either book in public. Why? Because of their covers. Removing the dust jackets solved that issue, but that doesn't work for paperbacks, or library books. (Librarians frown on that sort of thing.)
Too many wonderful YA novels are hidden behind a covers that are unappealing to boys. The front of well-written books, page-turning, thrilling adventures with life or death consequences, whose characters are monsters, zombies or demons, will, strangely, be illustrated with a romance-novel type of image of a girl. (Even more puzzling, books with male protagonists will sometimes have this kind of cover.)
Chatting with some of my son's female friends about books I've been reading, I learned that they, too, find the covers of many books too embarrassing to choose. These smart, funny girls, who read avidly, and aspire to be writers, pass on reading fabulous stories because the covers make them feel uncomfortable.
Many YA fantasy covers are astonishingly reminiscent of bodice-rippers, often replete with the image of a sweet young thing in the strong arms of a sexy guy. I've taken books off the shelf, and put them right back, without reading so much as the front flap, because of the cover.
More than once, I have defended a YA book I've been reading, saying with reddened cheeks, "Oh, the story doesn't really isn't anything like what you see on the cover." The look I receive in return is of the "yeah, right" variety.
Yes, people could opt for the electronic versions, and then their choice of book would be a safe secret. But, you see, because of the cover, people aren't even bothering to find out what the book is about, much less consider downloading it onto their e-reader. Everyone gets that covers sell books. I'm perplexed; what is the deal with these YA covers?
The YA market has emerged as an area of the publishing market that is growing in popularity with adult readers:
"According to a new study, fully 55% of buyers of works that publishers designate for kids aged 12 to 17 -- known as YA books -- are 18 or older, with the largest segment aged 30 to 44, a group that alone accounted for 28% of YAsales. And adults aren’t just purchasing for others -- when asked about the intended recipient, they report that 78% of the time they are purchasing books for their own reading. The insights are courtesy of Understanding the Children’s Book Consumer in the Digital Age,an ongoing biannual study from Bowker Market Research that explores the changing nature of publishing for kids." (Publisher's Weekly article)
Publishers, want to sell even more YA fantasy novels? Make more of the covers less cringeworthy. Hoping consumers will follow the adage, "Don't judge a book by its cover," is not an effective marketing strategy.
Broaden your cover art to appeal to both boys and girls. Remain aware of your adult market when you brainstorm concepts for cover designs. You'll sell more books.
Pinky-swear.
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