by guest writer, Amanda Taylor

It’s a well-known fact that in the Young Adult/Children’s publishing world, YA follows adult trends. If a book sells well to adults, publishers often try to make a version for teens and kids. And if a genre is doing very well for adults, there will be reader demand for a YA version of the genre. This is mostly because younger readers want to read adult books to be more grown-up, and possibly to read what their parents are reading.

It seems, though, that the opposite may be true for writers. With the success of fantasy in the YA genre, more YA authors are trying their hand at fantasy titles for adults. Stephenie Meyer’s successful Twilight series for teens prompted her to release her adult title, The Host, this May. Looks like we might be seeing a lot more trade paperback romantic fantasies for adults from larger publishers soon…

by guest writer, Amanda Taylor

With the success of The Lightning Thief and subsequent titles in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan, booksellers have noted an increase in sales and interest in mythology. Carly Cohen of A Children’s Place Bookstore in Portland, Oregon, said, “Thanks to Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, parents, teachers, and kids have been coming in asking for other books on Greek mythology.

Riordan’s books are fun for parents to read also, and there has definitely been an all-ages increased interest in Greek mythology. The books are really popular in the classroom because they help teachers teach mythology in a fun and interesting way. Kids get so hooked that parents and teachers have been looking for supplemental materials to appease their young readers until the next book comes out.” Book Four, The Battle of the Labyrinth, is slated to release on August 19; fans and booksellers alike will be paying attention.

To explore Ink & Paper Group’s own offerings of mythology, check out Bowler Hat Comics’ Kid Beowulf and the Blood-Bound Oath.

by guest writer, Emilee Newman Bowles

I have a new favorite social networking site: Goodreads.com, where friends share what books they’re reading and write reviews for books they’ve read. Since I trust the opinion of a few choice friends over even a New York Times book review, I was happy to find a site where my friends and I could share our reading experiences. The site includes lists of the top books that people are actually reading, the books with the highest ratings, and the books with the lowest ratings.

Goodreads is also a great place for authors to network and share their work with readers on a personal level. For one thing, anyone clicking onto the site is almost guaranteed to be an avid reader, and many of them are looking for something new to read.

The Goodreads Author Program is free and is easy to use. Just sign up for a Goodreads account, search for your book, click on your name, and click on the “Is This You?” link to set up your author page. A few of the things you can do with the Goodreads Author Program are:

• create an author bio
• make a list of your published books
• spread the word about your books to friends and fans on your network
• publicize upcoming events such as book signings and readings
• participate in online Q&A sessions with readers
• share excerpts of upcoming publications
• share your favorite books with readers
• set up free giveaways for new titles

Anyone whose published book is available on an online bookseller’s site can be a part of the Author program. If you’re not published yet, you can still add your writing to your personal profile for others to see and comment on. Publishers like writers who have a web presence.

Goodreads.com is an easy, free way to create an author profile or a value-added feature to link to an existing site.

by guest writer, Amanda Taylor

As a Young Adult Editor, I spend a sizeable amount of time watching market reports and trying to figure out industry trends. Some projections come to fruition, some don’t. According to last year’s ICv2 conference on the Graphic Novel, there was a notable shift underway in the young adult graphic novel industry. Industry leaders reported that the 13–18-year-old market was saturated, and that buyers and customers were interested in seeing more graphic novels for readers aged 10 and under.

Milton Griepp, President of ICv2, the news magazine and website that is recognized as a pop-culture authority, stated that those watching the graphic novel industry would notice the “generational transfer” that was underway. Griepp predicted more graphic novels being published for a younger audience. The success of graphic novels for the younger audience, such as the Captain Underpants books, showed publishers the demand did indeed exist, and the shift is definitely in progress.

This year has already produced some notable graphic novels for younger readers, and leaves this YA editor wondering what’s next?

If you’re interested in reading a new graphic novel for ages 9+, I recommend Bowler Hat Comics’ Kid Beowulf and the Blood-Bound Oath by Alexis E. Fajardo.