New Adult (NA) fiction is a type of book that focuses on stories with main characters aged 18 to 29. The term "New Adult" was first used in 2009 by St. Martin's Press, who asked for books similar to young adult fiction (YA) that could be published and sold as adult books. These stories often explore topics like moving out of home, learning about relationships, and making choices about school and careers. This genre has become very popular in recent years, especially through books written by self-published authors such as Jennifer L. Armentrout, Cora Carmack, Colleen Hoover, Anna Todd, and Jamie McGuire.
At first, some people criticized the genre, saying it was only a way to sell books or that there were not enough readers for this type of story. Others believed the term "New Adult" was helpful, as it helped parents, bookstores, and readers understand what the books were 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 aimed at young people aged 18 to 29. These books are considered a valuable group because they appeal to both young adults and adult readers.
Controversies
Many agents and large publishing companies did not recognize this category at first because of different problems. Some people thought it was a way to sell more books, while others believed there were not enough readers interested in the material. Because of this, many authors chose to self-publish their books to share their work with the public. The success of these books led to more independent publishing companies and agents becoming interested in the category. Now, many of these books are published by large companies, and some of the most popular books have deals with big publishers.
In 2012, the new adult fiction category became more popular, especially in the romance genre that focuses on real-life situations. Books like Slammed by Colleen Hoover, Easy by Tamarra Webber, and Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire were published by self-publishing authors and later bought by major publishing houses. Some people think the increase in interest in this category came after the release of the popular book Fifty Shades of Grey, which included a college-aged female character. Since new adult fiction often includes topics like relationships and sexuality, and many successful books in this category also focus on these themes, some people say the category is the same as being overly focused on sex. Others argue that the category is about showing how characters grow and live their lives, and that sex is not always a main part of these stories.
2009 to present
After the St. Martin's Press contest ended, the new adult category became more popular. Many authors began publishing their books on their own. Major New York publishers now buy books from these self-published authors to sell to many people. Some authors who have been noticed include: