by Dan Gibson

Mary Kole isn't just an associate agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (a solid gig by itself), but an author, and a blogger who extensively covers the wide world of children's literature on her site, Kidlit.com.  We appreciate her willingness to share some of her expertise and perspective on the young adult industry at the end of 2009.

Mary Kole:  YA characters are universally appealing because they tap into a time that everyone remembers and maybe even sometimes longs for. When you're a teen, everything feels huge, significant. Those moments are less frequent in adult life but they're the ones that shaped us into who we are. Lots and lots of stories written for the adult audience also have characters who are going through their childhoods and young adulthoods, but I find that books intended for adult readers have distance from that time. They're more of a "looking back with all the knowledge and experience I have now" thing. YA books are right there in it. They're more immediate and visceral.

DG:  As an agent, what would you say is the state of YA today? What are you seeing too much of? What aren't you seeing enough of?

MK:  YA and children's books in general are doing very well, even in today's market. I see queries for manuscripts about two years before they turn into a book, if sold. In my slush now, I'm seeing a lot of paranormal and that's because it's still selling really well. But vampires are out. We had a brush with zombies and now werewolves are hot, but the next big thing is angels, mostly fallen ones. Still, those books are already coming out, so we're all waiting for the next big thing. I do have to caution writers reading this answer, though. Chasing trends is dangerous because publishing has a long lag time. So don't start writing a vampire, zombie, werewolf or fallen angel book right now. Those trends will be long gone before yours could ever see publication. The only enduring trend is that all agents and editors are looking for unique stories and fresh voices. Write the story you're most passionate about, that you can't stop writing. That's better than any trend and that's what I could always see more of. I'd also love a great, completely realistic story, set in this world. People going to school. Having family, friendship and relationship problems. No magic, no mysterious, blood-sucking boys, no angels dropping from the sky. There's still a huge market for everyday stories, so it doesn't all have to be paranormal.

DG:  If an author is thinking of taking on the YA genre, what would be your first piece of advice? Are there authors you would steer away from the field?

MK:  I see a lot of writers trying their hand at YA because "it's hot" and the market is doing well. Their stories are usually wooden, boring, full of morals and condescending to readers. Teens aren't stupider versions of adults. They're their own complex, multi-faceted people, they just don't have the benefit of as much life experience. So if writers are looking forward to teaching readers a lesson or writing a story just like they read as a child, they shouldn't bother. Huge changes have happened with children's books, in the last ten years especially, and this literature is as imaginative, complex, sophisticated, edgy and diverse as it's ever been. It's not "easier" to write for kids and teens. In fact, it's harder, in a lot of ways. Teen readers don't do well with pretension, with authors pulling rank, with anything that doesn't read as 200% genuine. Successful YA writers have honest, authentic voices and they still have many vivid memories of their own young adulthoods. Anything less won't cut it in today's competitive marketplace.

DG:  Is there language or subject matter that will kill a YA query letter for you?

MK:  As I mentioned above, anyone who sets out to "teach today's children a moral lesson" or "harken back to the good old days of children's literature" might not meet with a lot of success, so those queries are less exciting to me. It really is all about voice for teens, so if an author can make their unique writing voice come through in their query, which is difficult to do, they've got my attention. As for subject matter, there is less emphasis on the sweet, slow, old-fashioned type of children's story these days, so those are getting harder to represent. I'm looking for plots, tensions, conflicts and situations I've never heard of before. And I read a TON of YA and children's books. Even so, authors manage to surprise me all the time. That's what I'm looking for in the slush, the surprises, the stories that beg to be read.

DG:  You've written quite a bit on your blog about rejection...is there a few bulletpoints of advice you'd give an author having trouble finding an audience for their work?

MK:  It's not often the case that a writer struggles finding an audience for their work, it's honestly that their writing or voice or story premise needs improvement. If it's a stunningly-written story with real characters, a comeplling voice and a fresh plot, it will be published and an audience will find it. That's the easy part for an exceptional book. Learning to write well and to write for publication is a long, hard process. It takes time and daily practice. There's a very high barrier to entry but those people who do make it, those are the people who tried, fell flat on their faces, then tried again hundreds and hundreds of times. If that sounds too hard, there are many easier things that prospective authors could aim for, like publication in literary magazines or local newspapers. If they want to publish with a reputable house, though, it'll take nothing less.

DG:  What are your top five YA novels of all time? Top five recent releases?

MK:  This is an insanely difficult question. Since YA evolves all the time, I'm constantly amazed by what I'm reading and those are the things that tend to become my new loves. In no particular order, my favorite YA books right now and of all time are: Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner, Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, Boy Toy by Barry Lyga, How To Say Goodbye In Robot by Natalie Standiford, Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan, Feed by M.T. Anderson, If I Stay by Gayle Forman and Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. And my clients' manuscripts, of course!

Making Fantasy Less Fantastic | An Interview With Agent/Blogger Mary Kole | Know Your (Copy)Rights: An Introduction to Copyright for Authors | Ratha's Creature, by Clare Bell | Is Your Book A Movie? part 2 | Behind The Bestsellers Front Page