Has publishing abandoned teen boys?

Teen boys can be tempted back to books, but the industry needs to refocus its efforts.

Recently, I asked social media a question—are we ready to have the ‘there is nothing out there for teen boy readers’ discussion yet? What transpired on that thread was authors, booksellers, librarians, readers and parents all chiming in with fascinating responses. By far the most common was that there is a dearth of books for boys in the post-Middle Grade space.

Now, MG is filled with wonderful books for boys, but Teen and YA unquestionably lean towards girl readers. During my school talks all over this country, I’ve heard boys say: "I can never find a book I like" or, "Yours is the first book I’ve read in ages". You might think hearing that is nice, but more than anything it’s frustrating. Because it means publishing isn’t serving them in the way they deserve. And if this industry isn’t serving its young readers, particularly at a time when you either capture them for life or lose them forever, then change is desperately needed.

A crucial point made on the thread was that all Teen publishing is underserved. I agree, and there seems to be two key reasons for this. The first is that there is no industry-accepted term for children 13-16. ’Teen’ is a term that is sometimes used, but it’s by no means universally acknowledged. While some online retailers have a Teen and YA category, most brick-and-mortar bookshops have either a Teen or YA section, not both. Which means that a 15-year-old walking into a bookshop must make their way through countless books that are not written with them in mind before they find one that is. This is particularly true for teen boys, who are increasingly unlikely to find books for them on tables or face-out on shelves. Booksellers are well aware of this, and I’m convinced that it’s only with their knowledge and expertise that that boy would walk away with a book that is for him.

To read the full article on thebookseller.com, click here