Writing and Selling the YA Novel Read Online Free PDF Page A

Multicultural books have moved from being nearly nonexistent to being sought after, and more and more books are being written from perspectives other than white, middle class, or wealthy teens. In 1999 the Young Adult Services Division of the American Library Association established the first Michael L. Printz awards to honor literary excellence in books written for twelve- through eighteen-year-olds, so now it's much easier for excellent teen novels to gain the recognition and attention they deserve.
    This is an exciting time to be a writer for teenagers. Authors today have fewer restrictions and more recognition than ever before, and with the prevalence of the Internet we have increasing opportunities to market our books directly to our audience. Though you may not always like what they have to say, rap and hip-hop artists have given teens an ear for rhythm and wordplay, and social networking sites like MySpace have given teen authors a fun, accessible image.
    Are there still challenges? Definitely. Did you know that the Teen Choice Awards recognize just about every form of entertainment other than books? They give out awards for TV, movies, sports, fashion, and music, but I suspect if anyone suggested they include a "Best
    Book" category the idea would never be taken seriously. Why is that? The answer to this question is something that writers for young adults should consider. How do teenagers today view books, and are we doing all we can to keep them reading?
    Hopefully the answer is yes, and the books we write today will be part of tomorrow's history—a history other writers will draw on as inspiration for the work they will do in the future.

    an easy reference tool, cutting down on the time it takes you to establish your YA reading list. So, don't stress yourself trying to read them all, but whenever you have a chance, choose a title and read it with a critical and historical eye. (I had good luck finding many of the older books on Amazon.com, at used bookstores, and through library book sales.)
    1940s: Seventeenth Summer by Maureen Daly (Dodd, Mead, 194?)
    Going on Sixteen by Betty Gavanna (Westminster Press, 1946)
    1950s: The Sea Gulls Woke Me by Mary Stolz (Harper, 1951)
    The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (Little, Brown, 1951)
    Sorority Girl by Anne Emery (Westminster Press, 195a)
    A Separate Peace by John Knowles (Seeker & Warburg, 1959)
    1960s: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (Viking Press, 1967)
    The Pigman by Paul Zindel (Harper & Row, 1968)
    The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (Walker, 1969)
    1970s: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret byJudyBlume (Bradbury Press, 1970)
    Go Ask Alice by Anonymous (Prentice Hall, 1971)
    Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack by M.E. Kerr (Harper & Row, 197?)
    The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier (Pantheon Books, 1974)
    1980s: yln,nie on My Mind by Nancy Garden (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 198?)
    The Divorce Express by Paula Danziger (Delacorte Press, 198a)
    Running Loose by Chris Crutcher (Greenwillow Books, 1983)
    Slumber Party by Christopher Pike (Scholastic, 1985)
    Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block (Harper & Row, 1989)
    1990s: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli (Little, Brown, 1990)
    Oh My Goddess! 1-555-GODDESS by Kosuke Fujishima (Dark Horse, 1995)
    Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas (Simon & Schuster, 1996)
    Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1999)
    2000s: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares (Delacorte Press, 2001)
    The First Part Last by Angela Johnson (Simon & Schuster, ?oo3)
    Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown 3005)
    The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Alfred A. Knopf, 2,006)
    American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (First Second, 2,006)
    So, now you know what YA novels are and how they've evolved. We've discussed motivation, and you've read widely from books spanning many decades. It's time to start writing.
    Perhaps this is the moment you've been waiting for. You're ready. You're pumped. Like an athlete who is prepared to go the