Young Writers discussion

Hey, all! I had a quick question for all of you regarding YA vs. NA.

My current writing project involves a main character that's 28 years old, which puts him out of the demographic as far as the age of a typical YA protagonist goes. However, I feel that the themes in the book gravitate strongly towards that of YA, i.e. learning how to be an older sibling, friendship, and learning how to sacrifice.

So, I guess I'm just wondering which category my book falls under. Are there specific guidelines which distinguish one from the other that I could apply to my book? I feel as though it falls under both, and that'll be a huge problem when I start querying.

Thanks so much in advance! I appreciate the help. :)

28 is way too old for a YA protagonist––it even might be too old for an NA protagonist. I think most agents/publishers consider YA to be about characters ages 12-18, and NA to be about people age 19-25 or so (but it's also still kind of an "emerging" genre so it's difficult to define). Even if the book has themes that young adults can relate to, that doesn't make it a YA book. (Like, I can read The Great Gatsby and still sympathize with the characters even though they're older than I am.) If you were to query this book, it would probably fall under general fiction. Hopefully that answers your question!

I think I would have to agree with Brigid, and say your story probably falls under general fiction. Personally, I don't classify YA and NA by the age of the protagonist alone, but the age brackets Brigid mentioned are usually an easy way to help determine where your book falls.

Having a book fit into the YA or NA genre isn't just about having themes that a young adult or new adult person would relate to, it's about including the specific themes that define those genres. YA novels deal with firsts, like first love, and they often take place in a high school setting (though not always). NA novels are about a character finding their place in the world and may involve characters striking out on their own for the first time, doing things like going to college or getting their first real job.

If your character is 28 and just now deciding to go to college, or just graduating and getting their first real job. If he's experiencing the kinds of things one usually experiences in their 20's, then it might be NA; but from what you've said I would guess general fiction.

All of my main characters are 18 to 23-years-old, which places them in the NA category. However, most of them are 19 or 20, and I know plenty of books with protagonists that age which are still considered YA. I'd prefer my story to be categorized as YA, but I wouldn't mind NA.

Anastasia, it all depends on the age of your audience. To go deeper, think about the quality and ingredients of your content.