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Genre-crossing and marketing
It's above freezing! And it's supposed to hit 40 today!!! Yesterday was warm, too. When I came home from getting my kindergartener, I could see steam rising off the roofs where the snow was melting. Spring, come!!
Um, but it's supposed to snow tonight and tomorrow. Boo.
Last night I had crazy awesome ideas for The Next Project. Alas, PMB came and took over my pillow and my whole half of the bed at about 3 am, and now I can't even remember my NAME, let alone what I was so excited about. I need sleep!!! So today I'm a zombie and letting him watch 101 Dalmations over and over and over, which I know is totally bad parenting, but I'm not good at being awake 24/7, and this is one of those days where if I don't get some rest I'm going to poke my own eyes out by mistake.
At least I have something to read. I entered a drawing at Tor.com and won a copy of Orson Scott Card's The Lost Gate. It turns out they threw in an audio version of Ender's Game as well. I just read Pathfinder, which I enjoyed*, and am finding this one entertaining as well.
*Twenty years ago, books like this were published in the adult SFF market (see Ender's Game). Now, YA is bigger, so books are categorized accordingly (not just these). He writes books about kids, and the books are easily accessible to kid readers--BUT, I don't think they are really kid books. After reading almost exclusively MG/YA, I find the psychic distance more adult than kidlike, and some of the action that in a kid book would be shown, is summarized in order to move on to other stuff. Which works as an adult book, although I do notice the difference. Also, Pathfinder has almost an omniscient feel, which is actually rather rare in YA these days, but which is fairly common in adult (er, I think--not that I am that well read in adult lit). I think The Lost Gate is a lot closer to kidlit, though. At least, the POV is more focused on one character. Yes, YA is a hot commodity these days, but I wonder who the bulk of the people are buying these kinds of books. I bet they're adult fans.**
**And for another tangent, I notice that a) some adult writer sensations actually don't write for kids very well (a LOT of writing-down to the perceived dumber audience), so while their kid books might get a ton of NYC publisher notice, I don't see a lot of kids who actually read or love these books (not speaking of anyone in particular, and certainly NOT Mr. Card, as many kids do love his books, whether YA or adult). b) Some adult writers ARE equally gifted at writing for both adult and kidlit readers, but I wonder sometimes if the publishing industry forgets that the audiences are completely separated, because I've seen kid books get zero advertising in the kid sector, as if the publisher is hoping the author's established reputation will continue to sell these new books, when in reality, the audience has NO IDEA that this author even exists. Ie, if you change genres, your new books basically start from scratch as far as name recognition. You know? It makes me sad when I see books like that, that I know kids would love--if only they knew they existed. c) The authors with extraordinary talents in both adult and kid writing skills, coupled with publisher support for their other-genre books, should THANK THEIR LUCKY STARS because those are the books that end up succeeding.***
***If you could do this, it would be nice for your readership, because they would discover you as kid readers, then have something to grow up into as they got older and wanted older stuff. But the stars would pretty much have to align for this to work.
Um, but it's supposed to snow tonight and tomorrow. Boo.
Last night I had crazy awesome ideas for The Next Project. Alas, PMB came and took over my pillow and my whole half of the bed at about 3 am, and now I can't even remember my NAME, let alone what I was so excited about. I need sleep!!! So today I'm a zombie and letting him watch 101 Dalmations over and over and over, which I know is totally bad parenting, but I'm not good at being awake 24/7, and this is one of those days where if I don't get some rest I'm going to poke my own eyes out by mistake.
At least I have something to read. I entered a drawing at Tor.com and won a copy of Orson Scott Card's The Lost Gate. It turns out they threw in an audio version of Ender's Game as well. I just read Pathfinder, which I enjoyed*, and am finding this one entertaining as well.
*Twenty years ago, books like this were published in the adult SFF market (see Ender's Game). Now, YA is bigger, so books are categorized accordingly (not just these). He writes books about kids, and the books are easily accessible to kid readers--BUT, I don't think they are really kid books. After reading almost exclusively MG/YA, I find the psychic distance more adult than kidlike, and some of the action that in a kid book would be shown, is summarized in order to move on to other stuff. Which works as an adult book, although I do notice the difference. Also, Pathfinder has almost an omniscient feel, which is actually rather rare in YA these days, but which is fairly common in adult (er, I think--not that I am that well read in adult lit). I think The Lost Gate is a lot closer to kidlit, though. At least, the POV is more focused on one character. Yes, YA is a hot commodity these days, but I wonder who the bulk of the people are buying these kinds of books. I bet they're adult fans.**
**And for another tangent, I notice that a) some adult writer sensations actually don't write for kids very well (a LOT of writing-down to the perceived dumber audience), so while their kid books might get a ton of NYC publisher notice, I don't see a lot of kids who actually read or love these books (not speaking of anyone in particular, and certainly NOT Mr. Card, as many kids do love his books, whether YA or adult). b) Some adult writers ARE equally gifted at writing for both adult and kidlit readers, but I wonder sometimes if the publishing industry forgets that the audiences are completely separated, because I've seen kid books get zero advertising in the kid sector, as if the publisher is hoping the author's established reputation will continue to sell these new books, when in reality, the audience has NO IDEA that this author even exists. Ie, if you change genres, your new books basically start from scratch as far as name recognition. You know? It makes me sad when I see books like that, that I know kids would love--if only they knew they existed. c) The authors with extraordinary talents in both adult and kid writing skills, coupled with publisher support for their other-genre books, should THANK THEIR LUCKY STARS because those are the books that end up succeeding.***
***If you could do this, it would be nice for your readership, because they would discover you as kid readers, then have something to grow up into as they got older and wanted older stuff. But the stars would pretty much have to align for this to work.
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I always thought that stablished authors need more publicity if the work in another genre because the people in that genre doesn't know them and is good to let them know that they are good in other genres
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I hope you (and your little one!) get some sleep today!!
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I'm reading PATHFINDER right now (though I'm reading a couple other books at the same time, so it's taking me forever). I do like it, but I have to agree that it feels like an adult book, not a kids' book. And Ender definitely feels like an adult book! And it does seem very rare that I see an adult-book author capable of also writing for teens...in fact, I'm not sure I can think of one (well, except Sarah MacLean, whose YA was published first).
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