What do you think of when you hear "Young adult"??? Not quite a child but not quite a mature adult. Or is it? Books within this genre are set for this target market, but their success has been demonstrated time and time again by the purchases of individuals of all ages. In the past, authors realized this with some even going door to door to sell their wares, like Mark Twain, or even having monthly inserts in weekly or monthly newspapers or magazines, like Charles Dickens.
Today, books that appeal to a wide range of individual tastes and ages. An excellent example of this is J K Rowling, who while peddling her works to several publishers, offered Harry Potter as a Young Adult collection, knocking out the interest of several potential suitors. While the publishing house that accepted her work, Scholastic, is generally known for young adult and school age materials, they saw the potential appeal to all, and that why they bid. Other publishing houses sought the next big YA book to crossover, and the fruits of those endeavors have led to Hunger Games, Percy Jackson, and Twilight. Other books that were limited to the same age groups were expanded in scope and interest like Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings.
So while the hunt continues, find the book that appeals to you, and make sure you visit the YA page online or table in your favorite bookstore. You'll be pleasantly surprised!
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