1/1/13
There’s little question that the Young Adult (YA) fiction market is boosting interest in reading and driving sales of books, films, and merchandise. Billion-dollar brands, such as Twilight, Hunger Games, and Harry Potter, have been built on teen spending dollars, even if those series appeal to older audiences as well.
Success also brings high expectations, which can be challenging to fulfill in the fickle teen market. Publishers are perpetually seeking the “next Hunger Games” to demonstrate the popularity of reading. Publishing Perspectives recently hosted a conference focused on today’s teen readers to identify current habits, trends, and whether it’s possible to predict the next big thing. [Full disclosure: YMA participated as a speaker on one panel.]
Today’s teens enjoy reading. More than half (55%) strongly agree that they like to read for pleasure, according to Young Adult Library Services. “Smart and geeky is the new rock n’ roll,” says Ypulse’s Jake Katz. Katz says book lovers are no longer uncool, and are as likely to discuss and recommend their favorite titles as they are to talk about movies or videogames. This is important, since word-of-mouth is the most popular way for teens to learn about new books. However, traditional channels are also effective. In fact, TV and print ads drive more YA sales than they do sales of any other publishing category, according to Bowker’s Carl Kulo.
Like the majority of the book publishing industry, YA skews female. Some 69% of YA titles are purchased by women, and 88% of female readers purchase new rather than used books. Nearly half (46%) are planned purchases, with 14% saying their last YA purchase was impulsive. But YA titles aren’t solely purchased by teens; the largest group of purchasers are ages 18-29.
Among the teens who buy YA novels, most are buying for themselves. Some 97% of the YA titles purchased in 2012 were intended for the reader, with the remaining 3% given as gifts. Nearly one in four YA readers (24%) discuss books with others at least weekly, and 7% discuss them online.
Despite teens’ preference for all things digital, print still dominates as their preferred reading format, with hardcover sales slightly outpacing eBook sales (33% vs. 31%).
Teens Are Quick To Judge
Teens’ fondness for newness and novelty is particularly challenging for YA books. The most successful YA titles are published in series form, yet teens will not continue to read books in a series out of loyalty. “Just because they liked the first one doesn’t mean they will continue reading [the series]. One thing can turn them off, and then they are gone,” says Alloy Entertainment’s Julie Hochheiser Ilkovich. A series could be going strong for four or five titles, and suddenly die, she says.
TV and movies are critical components to boosting awareness of YA novels.?While adult titles are more dependent on reviews of these adaptations to boost book sales, YA readers aren’t as discerning. “Movies are basically a two-hour advertisement for the book,” says Scholastic publisher and author David Levithan. He admits there have been some print-to-entertainment failures, such as Aragon, that have hurt the buzz of the print series, but more typically they don’t impact book sales.
Predictions of the “next big thing” remain uncertain, with many in the publishing industry attempting to shift the focus onto sustaining several modest hits rather than creating a single home run. Nonetheless, several novels have recently been optioned for movies, which typically guarantees mainstream success. These titles include Amanda Hocking’s Trylle Trilogy, John Green’s The Fault In Our Stars, Maggie Stiefvater’s The Scorpio Races, and Libba Bray’s The Diviners. Scholastic, publisher of The Hunger Games and Harry Potter series, has high hopes for The False Prince series by Jennifer Nielsen.
One challenge that continues to stump the YA industry: American teens aren’t interested in reading series from other countries, and teens in other countries aren’t interested in reading novels set in U.S. high schools.
Contacts and Connections: Alloy Entertainment, Julie Hochheiser Ilkovich, Digital Editorial Director, 151 W. 26th St., 11th Fl., New York, NY 10001; www.alloyentertainment.com.
Bowker, Carl Kulo, 630 Central Ave., New Providence, NJ 07974; 908-286-1090; carl.kulo@bowker.com; www.bowker.com.
Scholastic, Tracy van Straaten, 557 Broadway, 8th Fl., New York, NY 10012; 212-389-3782; tvanstraaten@scholastic.com; www.scholastic.com.
YPulse, Jake Katz, Chief Architect, 143 W. 29th St., 7th Fl., New York, NY 10001; 888-292-8855; jake@ypulse.com; www.ypulse.com.
© 2013 Business Valuation Resources, LLC (BVR). May not be reproduced without written consent of publisher.