New adult (NA) fiction is a growing type of fiction that features main characters aged 18 to 29. In 2009, St. Martin's Press first used the term when they asked for stories similar to young adult fiction (YA) that could be published and sold as adult books—often called "older YA" or "new adult." This genre often explores topics such as leaving home, learning about relationships, and making choices about school and careers. Over the past few years, the genre has become more popular, especially through books written by self-published authors like Jennifer L. Armentrout, Cora Carmack, Colleen Hoover, Anna Todd, and Jamie McGuire.
At first, some people criticized the genre, believing it was a way to sell more books or arguing that not enough readers were interested in this type of fiction. Others said the term was needed to help parents, bookstores, and readers understand what the books are about. Examples of new adult books include A Court of Thorns and Roses and Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Wait for You and the Blood and Ash series by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire, Slammed by Colleen Hoover, Losing It by Cora Carmack, The Impact of You by Kendall Ryan, and Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.
Marketing
This category is designed for individuals aged 18 to 29, who are often referred to as post-adolescents or young adults. This group is seen as a valuable market segment because books in this category can attract both young adults and older adults who enjoy similar types of stories.
Controversies
Many agents and large publishing companies have not yet fully recognized the new adult fiction category because of different challenges. Some believe it is a marketing strategy, while others say there are not enough readers interested in this type of book. Because of this, many authors have chosen to self-publish their work to share their stories with the public. The success of these authors has encouraged more independent publishing companies and agents to support the category. Now, many of these books are being published by large publishers, and some of the most popular titles have deals with major companies.
In 2012, the new adult fiction category grew in popularity, especially within the romance subgenre of contemporary stories. Books like Slammed by Colleen Hoover, Easy by Tamarra Webber, and Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire were bought by large publishers after being self-published. Some people think this increase in attention came after the release of the popular book Fifty Shades of Grey, which included a college-aged female character. Because new adult fiction often deals with topics like sex and relationships, and many successful books in this category also address these themes, the category and the topic of sex have been linked. Some people say the category is seen as an over-sexualized version of young adult fiction. However, in 2012 and 2013, both readers and authors of new adult fiction argued that the category focuses on exploring a character’s life and that sex is not a common theme in most books within this category.
2009 to present
After the St. Martin's Press contest ended, the new adult category became more popular because of self-publishing. Major New York publishers are now buying these self-published books for large-scale sales. Some authors include:
- Cora Carmack for Losing It
- Sylvia Day for Reflected in You
- Colleen Hoover for Slammed and Point of Retreat
- Jamie McGuire for Beautiful Disaster
- Tammara Webber for Easy