Rachel Caine ([info]rachelcaine) wrote,
@ 2009-07-06 10:11:00
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Current location:Secret Undisclosed yadda
Current mood: curious
Current music:"Get In, Get Out" - Cinder Road
Entry tags:poll

Research poll for YA
Okay, guys, it's homework time! Except it's really easy homework. I have to do all the work.

I'm giving a lecture about young adult literature in late July, so I'm doing research, and I figured I'd go to my lovely flist here and on Myspace for some good data.

Feel free to post elaboration in the comments!



Poll #1425802 Reading Young Adult Literature
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 249

Do you read YA books?

View Answers

Yes
191 (76.7%)

No
0 (0.0%)

Sometimes, if I like the author
31 (12.4%)

Sometimes, if I like the concept
27 (10.8%)

Sometimes, if the cover grabs me
0 (0.0%)

Do you ALSO read "adult literature" -- meaning, books not shelved in the YA section?

View Answers

Yes
226 (90.8%)

No
2 (0.8%)

Sometimes, if I like the author
7 (2.8%)

Sometimes, if I like the concept
13 (5.2%)

Sometimes, if the cover grabs me
1 (0.4%)

If you read YA and you WOULD NOTself-identify as a young adult, why do you read in that section?

View Answers

I'm following authors I like who happen to also write YA
159 (72.6%)

I like the books better in general than adult-oriented fiction
56 (25.6%)

I pre-read for my kids
4 (1.8%)

If you read YA and you WOULD self-identify as being inside that age group, why do you read YA?

View Answers

I connect better with characters my own age group
11 (18.0%)

I like the way the writers tell stories in YA
28 (45.9%)

I'm following authors I like who happen to write YA
21 (34.4%)

My friends read it
1 (1.6%)

My teachers/other adults recommended it
0 (0.0%)

My parents won't allow me to read adult novels
0 (0.0%)

Optional -- demographics! Is your age ...

View Answers

Under 18 (the target YA audience)
22 (8.9%)

18-24
50 (20.2%)

25-34
82 (33.2%)

35-44
58 (23.5%)

45 or older
35 (14.2%)





There. That was painless, right? Walk it off, man. Walk it off.

-- Rachel

ETA: Sorry about some of the questions not being on target. Best I could do on one cuppa Starbucks and off the top of my head. But honestly, "all of the above" doesn't help much when you're trying to parse data, and I can't edit a poll once it's open, so if one reason applies more than another, go with that one, 'k? Thanks!

(48 comments) - (Post a new comment)


[info]madkestrel
2009-07-06 03:21 pm UTC (link)
#3 didn't offer an answer that suited for me - I read YA because I'm a YA librarian! It's not so much prereading as it is reading so I can talk to the students and steer them toward books they'll enjoy.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]rachelcaine
2009-07-06 03:25 pm UTC (link)
Ah, of course! I forgot to put in there a "professional requirement" category. Thank you for adding that.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]penmage
2009-07-06 03:50 pm UTC (link)
Agreed! I read YA because I work in children's publishing. Of course, I got into children's publishing because I never stopped reading YA, so it's kind of circular.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]barbed_whispers
2009-07-06 03:29 pm UTC (link)
There was an interesting discussion on this at Dragon*Con last year, actually. My main reasons for reading YA are habit (I'm 24, but I've been reading YA since I was 11, and the section is smaller so I'm more comfortable browsing and taking chances), better editing, less sex- and relationship-centric plots, and authors who are more involved with their fans. The editing is probably the biggest one for me though- I have a lot of trouble following books that aren't well-edited or well-plotted, and YA editors tend to be more involved in keeping the book tight.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]sumobabe
2009-07-06 11:02 pm UTC (link)
This is similar to my situation. I read YA books for a variety of reasons, not the least is that I like the plots and the less sex. Not that I'm adverse to reading explicit sex. ;)

There are authors whose YA series I follow, like the House of Night Series, and that other Morgantown vampire thing.

I just plain read what I enjoy, and I've found a lot of good books that are YA.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]ladyailith
2009-07-07 06:33 am UTC (link)
I totally agree - I read what I enjoy and what I enjoy are mostly YA books. And I'm 55. :-)

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]edgyauthor
2009-07-06 03:31 pm UTC (link)
I waffled on whether I'd identify myself as a young adult or not, since I'm at that awkward age of 20, then finally went with "not." I adore YA fiction, more-so than adult fiction most of the time, but even in high school I had friends and teachers tell me "you're too old to read YA," so that probably influenced my answer a bit.

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[info]gloomybardgirl
2009-07-06 03:37 pm UTC (link)
I'm probably an oddball since I was reading adult books in elementary school so I guess I'm making up for lost time. Also some authors I happen to enjoy write both. So I read what I like since it's kind of silly to put a age range on a book since there are those that can appeal to many ages. For all I know I might be the oldest one answering the poll but maybe not.

(Reply to this)


[info]dragon_crier
2009-07-06 03:38 pm UTC (link)
I'm not sure wether I really fit into the YA category or not. I'm 18, so I would say not, and I haven't really properly looked through the books in the YA category in bookshops for a couple of years. I will browse through occasionally, and some things do catch my eye, but generally if I have my hard-won funds to part with, they're going to go on something that will occupy me for longer.

(Reply to this)


[info]hilleviw
2009-07-06 03:48 pm UTC (link)
I also didn't find a right answer in the options for #3. It's not that I like YA better than adult fiction, but I like it different. A YA book tends to read quickly, so it's a good choice for something like an airline flight. YA books often offer surprising depth without becoming ponderous. Also, in fantasy, whether something is shelved in science fiction or YA seems often to be solely based on the age of the protagonist.

And then there's the sentiment factor. So much of what I read when I was young has become my mental comfort food, and books which are reminiscent of those take on the same quality. I can reread L'Engle's books about the Austins endlessley, and have, and will. I don't even know any more whether they have merit qua merit, I just love them.

(Reply to this)


[info]baronessekat
2009-07-06 03:55 pm UTC (link)
Question Three was hard for me to answer as well. I'm 36 but do read YA books. I read them for a number of reasons.

1. An author I like writes adult and YA books and I like to follow their work (like yourself).

2. Someone has recommended a particular book and/or author

3. While wandering by the YA section in the bookstore to get to the adult literature, something has caught my eye.

4. I'm guaranteed a plot driven story that isn't all about the sex and/or has really graphic sex scenes. Sometimes I want to just read a story for the story's sake and not have to sigh my way through graphic or purple prose. It is getting harder and harder to find adult stories that are not "adult" in nature and would require "Mature Audiences only" warnings were they Movies or Music.

(Reply to this)


[info]mizkit
2009-07-06 03:56 pm UTC (link)
For "If you read YA and you WOULD NOTself-identify as a young adult, why do you read in that section?" I opted not to answer because none of the answers actually quite suited. I read in YA because I think there's a tremendous amount of fantastic fiction written in that area, rather than because I follow any particular authors into it or because I like it *better*...

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]rsheslin
2009-07-06 05:35 pm UTC (link)
Ditto. It's not an either/or.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]willowgreen
2009-07-06 06:48 pm UTC (link)
Yes, exactly. If I find a YA book that looks good, I'll read it, whether or not I'm familiar with the author. Now that my kids are into the YA-reading years, I pass the good ones on to them, of course--but my primary reason for reading YA books is that I like them.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]jilly_mac
2009-07-06 04:04 pm UTC (link)
There was no good answer for #3 for me. Basically, I read YA whenever a) something catches my attention (title, cover, etc.) while walking by the YA shelves at a bookstore or library, b) I see interesting commentary about a YA novel online or in the mainstream press, or c) my daugher (no longer quite in the YA age range at 21) finds something interesting and shares it with me.

Come to think of it, those are all ways in which I find adult fiction to read, as well, though with adult fiction there are more ways I find books, as well.

(Reply to this)

YA Poll
[info]littlemisshugz
2009-07-06 04:17 pm UTC (link)
'I read YA and you WOULD NOT self-identify as a young adult because I'm following authors I like who happen to also write YA' AND I also read books in YA and even the childrens section when I don't know the author too.

I just love reading and at different points in my life (i.e. depending on what books are to hand, current interests, time, attention span, health etc.) different types of reading appeal. It is rare for me to read much aimed below the age of 8 though.

By the age of 7 I was reading books aimed at YA or older and even though I'm in my mid twenties and mainly read adult fiction I do not restrict my reading based on the age it is aimed at. I have really enjoyed reading Stephenie Meyer, Meg Cabot, Jacqueline Smith, Roald Dahl, J.K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman, etc. and look forward to reading your Morganville series.

(Reply to this)

YA Poll
[info]dorism
2009-07-06 04:28 pm UTC (link)
I had a similar problem with #3 because technically all three choices apply. I do follow several authors who write in both YA and Adult fiction but I also find myself preferring YA because it has more true fantasy books that include characters of all ages...like the Fablehaven series I just picked up Book 4 of or the Nichols Flamel that I just finished book 3 of. I also think that the third answer should be reworded. I wasn't blessed with kids but I do pre-read for my 2 nephews and the kids of a friend to help encourage them to read.

(Reply to this)


[info]fezabel
2009-07-06 04:37 pm UTC (link)
For #3, I wanted to answer with 2 out of the 3 choices. I follow some authors who write YA and I also read some books classified as YA because they are interesting to me.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]darwinstorm
2009-07-06 10:57 pm UTC (link)
I am the same - I read things that interest me or I hear about in the media or from other people without really checking what market they were intended for.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]gloriaoliver
2009-07-06 04:43 pm UTC (link)
Hm, might include that just also read YA because you like it and or following authors. heh heh. Done both.

(Reply to this)


[info]chattycatsmeow
2009-07-06 04:48 pm UTC (link)
Saw you point to this on Twitter so popped over and voted. Like others above, I could have gone with multiple choice on #3. I clicked on "following authors I like" but I also read books recommended by friends and have occasionally seen something that caught my eye in passing.

Hope this helps!

(Reply to this)


[info]getaway_machine
2009-07-06 04:52 pm UTC (link)
If you read YA and you WOULD NOTself-identify as a young adult, why do you read in that section?

I didn't like this question. :x
I chose I like the books better in general than adult-oriented fiction, but it's only semi-true. Sometimes I like them better and sometimes I don't -- sometimes I feel like the stories are more compact and complete, and sometimes I don't. I just like anything that's a good book, regardless of it being classified YA or otherwise.

Still more true than simply following certain authors, though. (I do that, but not always, and it's certainly not the only reason I read YA.)

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]inkbabies
2009-07-06 05:23 pm UTC (link)
yes, this! Sometimes our reasons for reading YA are broader and deeper than following an author or liking the stories better...

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]inkbabies
2009-07-06 05:20 pm UTC (link)
Hi R!
My older two boys and I answered the poll for you (because they both read your books too!)
I answered the age demographic because it's my LJ. They are 15 and 10...
They both read YA because they like the authors. I let them read pretty much whatever they'd like.
The eldest has read both the Weather Wardens' and Morganville books and the 10 year old has just started the Morganville series. He's read two of the Dresden Files books, so I know he'll be great with Morganville. Plus he got really interested when I got the Yearbook and wrist band etc. in the mail! Thank you for that, by the way! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Oh, also...there's not a ticky for it but I pick up YA books by authors I've never heard of because the story looks good all the time. I read Adult and YA interchangeably because I enjoy the stories and have no issues about identifying with the age of the protagonist. If a story is well written (or just really entertaining when we're talking about Stephenie Meyer) I'm there regardless of YA or Adult classification.

(Reply to this)


[info]anaquana
2009-07-06 05:32 pm UTC (link)
Another person who had problems with the choices for #3.

I generally shop for books online and I never look (and sometimes they don't say)to see if it is adult or YA. I read whatever interests me whether it's adult, YA, or even children's books.

(Reply to this)


[info]shartyrant
2009-07-06 05:51 pm UTC (link)
And another one who could say all the responses for #3 covers me. Honestly, I read both YA and Adult fiction because I like reading different stories. I don't see why the age a book is aimed at should be limiting on whether I read it or not. I read both and enjoy both equally. Some YA books I enjoy better or some author's YA books I enjoy better than their adult work. But then again, I have an equal amount of adult books and authors who write in both that this can be held true for. It just depends on the author or story.

Also, I DO pre-read for kids too. So I needed an all above answer. ;)

(Reply to this)


[info]perfectduck
2009-07-06 05:54 pm UTC (link)
#3- I read what I read based on whether I like the concept & execution of a book, not its intended age group, genre or anything else. Not that I don't have favorite genres.

I also work in a bookstore where I get to read a lot of ARC's so I can talk to customers about different types of books.

(Reply to this)


[info]pith
2009-07-06 06:22 pm UTC (link)
For #3, it's a combination of the first two choices. Some of my "adult" authors (you, Kelley Armstrong, etc.) also write YA. Some of the YA just interests me. I find that a lot of the YA has stronger writing and characterization than the "adult" novels these days.

Plus, a good book is a good book. "Suggested age range" won't stop me from reading anything.

(Reply to this)


[info]ruggedo
2009-07-06 06:55 pm UTC (link)
Good writing is good writing. I often read short story collections to find people I think can write, as well as tell a story I can enjoy. I will then try their long form fiction not matter if its YA or adult.
Actually I came to your writing from a short story you did in a recent collection, and have never regretted the choice.(well maybe a little when you leave me hanging waiting for the next book :) )

(Reply to this)


[info]telaryn
2009-07-06 07:06 pm UTC (link)
Particularly in the past five years, the writing in YA fiction - especially speculative fiction - has been every bit as good, and oftentimes better, than anything you can find on the adult shelf. A perfect example is that given a choice between Morganville and the Sookie Stackhouse books I'll go with Morganville every day of the week.

Is that because I'm a bigger fan of your overall body of work than Charlaine Harris? Possibly.

Is it because Morganville is a better read? Maybe yes, maybe no - but it is every bit the *equal* of the Stackhouse novels. It is in no way an inferior story just because it's supposedly aimed at a younger demographic.

Is it because I can read Morganville with my teenager, where I really still can't read the Stackhouse books with her? Definitely.

It all comes into play - just in varying degrees.

(By the way - we just got to Shane and Clare's *big* moment in Carpe Corpus. Robin wants me to buy you a cookie from her next time I see you because of how beautifully dead-on accurate Clare's "I'm a girl" speech was.)

So yeah - add me to the pack where "all of the above" works for number three (even though I did pick the one answer that seemed to be a little more pertinent).

(Reply to this)


[info]spiderorchid81
2009-07-06 07:31 pm UTC (link)
Interesting poll - I never thought about why I read YA books...

The long answer:
Some books I read as a teenager and I re-read them now and then because I still love them.
Sometimes there are authors who I read as a child and later I discovered that they also wrote for adults. Now I read simply everything they wrote(Erich Kästner would be my favourite example).
Or I buy a book because it sounds like fun and later I discover that it's actually YA (like with the "Morganville Vampires"... ^_^ ).

And then there are books that are often described as 'for children' or YA but I think they're interesting for every age group, depending on what aspect of the book you focus on (like "Watership Down" or "The Jungle Books").

Good Luck for your lecture!

(Reply to this)


[info]syrenemyst
2009-07-06 07:33 pm UTC (link)
I am not part of the YA demo, haven't been for a while. But, I have read YA books because sometimes a good book is just a good book. A lot of times, I am following an author I enjoy and just don't realize it's YA. Like others have mentioned, sometimes I just want a good story with out all the extras that come with adult fiction.

(Reply to this)


[info]tabby333
2009-07-06 07:36 pm UTC (link)
For number three, none of the answers was quite right, though I did choose one. I read YA because I like to read all types of literature and much of what I've discovered in YA of late has been far more engaging than adult literature. I've discovered some authors there that I now follow.

(Reply to this)


[info]keysotosoto129
2009-07-06 08:38 pm UTC (link)
Wow. Seeing the age results is a little startling. Mhm, didn't like question 3; my answer is more of, "I like the teenage plots that I can still connect with and enjoy" etc. Adult books are nice and I like them, but YA books just have that extra little spark that makes me enjoy them a whole lot more.

(Reply to this)

Poll
[info]chastity1977
2009-07-06 08:43 pm UTC (link)
Question 3 also didn't really have an answer that suited me either. To be honest, I read YA fiction because the concept grabs me. For example, I started reading your Morganville series because it was about Vampires in Texas and then I fell in love with the characters. I now own the whole series and have Fade Out pre-ordered. It's the same for me with Harry Potter, House of Night, Twilight and the Vampire Academy. All considered YA and I love them all.

(Reply to this)


[info]harmonyfb
2009-07-06 08:52 pm UTC (link)
I wanted to select all three reasons for why I read YA: there are authors I like, all the good plots have gone there, and I also pre-read for the kids.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]txvoodoo
2009-07-06 09:53 pm UTC (link)
"all the good plots have gone there"

True, in a way! I mean, I like a good sex scene as much as the next person, but I want a plot around it, and a lot of books seem to forget that.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]axisor
2009-07-06 09:17 pm UTC (link)
I read YA if I like the author and like the concept. Sometimes, even though I'm older than 18, I just want a nice YA so I don't have to feel like an adult that pays bills and deals w/ responsibilities. I've also been known to pick up a book because of the title or the cover, but I'll flip through it before buy it.

(Reply to this)


[info]boneist
2009-07-06 09:29 pm UTC (link)
I have to say I don't browse the YA sections of the bookshops very often, but I have this feeling that there are books from there that make it onto the Horror/"Lady and the Vamp"(*)/Sci-fi&fantasy shelves... I just read the books I like; if they've got an interesting plot line, are easy to read and are entertaining, then great! That ticks all the boxes I like books I read to have!

(*) I kid you not, this is (unless they've renamed it since I last looked at the sign!) an honest-to-goodness section in my local Waterstones...

(Reply to this)


[info]txvoodoo
2009-07-06 09:52 pm UTC (link)
I read YA because I don't limit to books for a certain age, and never have. I read "adult" literature as a child, and read YA now. If it's good, I read it :)

(Reply to this)

Poll comment
[info]belinda3
2009-07-06 09:52 pm UTC (link)
I'm at the high end of the demographics range but even so, the books being written for YA are so much better than the ones that fell in that category when I was in school. The topics are more intriguing, the problems more thought-provoking, and the solutions/actions/consequences for those actions are much more realistic.

In other words, it's more like adult fiction.

With all that being said, there's also some mighty fine writing going on in the field of YA. I read 2-4 books a week, and I'd estimate that 1/3 to 1/2 of all the books I read is YA.

(Reply to this)


[info]avengangle
2009-07-06 09:59 pm UTC (link)
Actually, I mostly read adult books because I've found someone's YA and I liked it enough to read their adult books, too. :)

Well, with f/sf.

(Reply to this)


[info]landrews
2009-07-07 01:57 am UTC (link)
For #3, I put pre-read because I do sometimes pre-read (Twilight) but also because I neither choose YA by following authors into it or because I generally like them better than Adult Fiction. I browse the book store for interesting books and well-told stories and quite often, I find those qualities in the YA section. I've read tons of YA that my daughter has no interest in :-)

(Reply to this)


[info]saynotoinertia
2009-07-07 03:26 am UTC (link)
I will add that I started getting "back into" YA a few years ago because I felt the market for non-YA Urban Fantasy was getting really stale (oh look, another vampire hunter/detective/sassy young woman who falls for the sexy, rakish vampire/shapeshifter despite herself).

I also felt that in a lot of cases, the market was flooded with so-so books that lacked character development or good narrative, but were published just for the sake of the steamy monster-sex scenes. To be honest, I was getting a bit bored. I delved back into the YA market to find stories that were about the characters, not just about the sex. Don't get me wrong, I love a good steamy scene as long as it's part of a good story... but the "good story" part is where I felt many books were lacking.

I think that the non-YA market has started stepping up its game recently though, so now I read both.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]jshillingford
2009-07-07 01:57 pm UTC (link)
LOL! I almost fell off my chair at that comment ("oh look, another vampire hunter/detective/sassy young woman who falls for the sexy, rakish vampire/shapeshifter despite herself"). I felt exactly the same way and so started actively searching out urban fantasy with male protagonists just to get away from that for a while!

(Reply to this) (Parent)
I like a good story
[info]jshillingford
2009-07-07 01:56 pm UTC (link)
For #3, I read YA because I like a good story, no matter the packaging or age description. I also still read children's books on occasion for the same reason. My entire family has read the Twilight saga and Harry Potter, from the 14 year old (who is legitimately YA) through to my 61 year old mom (like the rest of us, YA at heart).

And I agree with saynotoinertia - YA has good, character drive stories, especially in urban fantasy, that recent adult fiction is lacking. However, I still read way more adult fiction than YA.

(Reply to this)


[info]iyamvixenbooks
2009-07-07 09:35 pm UTC (link)
Just went with the flow of the questions.....

(Reply to this)


[info]honu_369
2009-07-29 08:10 am UTC (link)
YA has an innocent essence to it.... also, it brings back feelings of those Young days (Granted I'm only 24 but still)!!! I love YA!!!
But I mainly read Adult books with a whole lotta steam... well, not too much but you know....
I really just love reading and I read whatever sounds great via synopsis or excerpt....

(Reply to this)

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