Marketing To Teen - Teen Panel (Part 2)

Here is part 2 of our Teen Panel Q&A.

Click here to read Part 1

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What fantasy authors do you read and enjoy?

(Austyn) Rick Riorden, Cornelia Funke, Erin Hunter

(Morgan) Oh gosh..there are so many! Hmm..a few? Holly Black,Suzanne Collins, Libba Bray, Michelle Zink,& Lisa Mantchev!

(Viviane) (Not listed in any order) Neil Gaiman, Libba Bray, Tamora Pierce, Kristin Cashore, Michelle Zink, and others I can't Quite think of at the moment :)

(Anon) Any really. I jump around a lot.

(Yan) Stephanie Meyer--as much as the YA blogger community is divided when regarding this author I love her work, both YA and adult. Cassandra Clare--took a while to get into her series, but loved it in the end. Lisa McMann--simple writing but still thought provoking. Richelle Mead, Kristin Cashore, Maria V. Snyder, Alexandra Bracken (a '10 debut author that I plan to stalk for new releases already!), R.J. Anderson, Diana Peterfreund, Kelley Armstrong, Jackson Pearce, Alyxandra Harvey, Gail Carriger (an adult steampunk writer but she has the most captivating narration). Oh gosh this is such a huge answer; I'm going to stop right here before I fill an entire page up with authors.

(Chelsea) It isn't YA, but I really like the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. I really like fantasy books that build an entirely new world for you, and I think that series accomplishes that. For YA, I really, really enjoyed The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima. In it, she mixed history with fantasy, which could be hit or miss, but it ended up being a very engaging read. I'm really excited to read the sequel! I'm always looking for new high-fantasy books. I consider paranormal and fantasy to be very different (while some readers group them together), and it's a lot harder to find good YA fantasy.

(Tirzah) Tamora Pierce is my number-one, all time favorite fantasy author. I started reading her books when I was young, and I've read every single one of them. They are, in my opinion, the epitome of YA fantasy. I also enjoy Shannon Hale's fantasy books, and both of Kristin Cashore's books have really impressed me. Maria V. Snyder's Study series has great YA/Adult crossover appeal. I am also a major sucker for fairy tale retellings, so I love Simon Pulse's Once Upon a Time... series. Those are written primarily by Cameron Dokey, Debbie Viguie, and Nancy Holder.

(Khy) Does Scott Westerfeld count as fantasy? He's closeish? And I lovelovelove Richelle Mead and Vampire Academy. The series is AMAZING and Rose, the main character, is super awesome. Or do you mean like, high fantasy stuff? Because that I don't like as much, unless it's written by JK Rowling.


How do you find out about new authors?

(Austyn) Browsing the library.

(Morgan) Luckily, my best friend is an avid reader, such as myself. Sometimes I get lucky in a bookstore with a really good find, but most of the time, my friend guides me to amazing new authors!

(Viviane) Mainly through browsing the bookstore or if I hear anything through the grapevine about new books

(Anon) Book club, browsing the web, and blogs from other authors. Recommendations from readers also help a lot.

(Yan) Word of mouth, debut author LiveJournal communities, blogging communities, publishers (i.e. catalogs/recommendations/surprise review books).

(Chelsea) Mostly from sites like The Tenners or the Class of 2k10. And from debut author challenges, like the one Kristi from The Story Siren is hosting. If new debut authors reach out to online blogs, etc, it's very easy to find them. They just have to be approachable. If I've talked to a new author, I'll always want to buy their book when it comes out!

(Tirzah) Mainly through Twitter! Occasionally some will email me, or drop me a comment on my website (which I love!), but I hear about a lot of them through other authors on Twitter, retweets, and sometimes on Publisher's Weekly announcements.

(Khy) From other people's blogs, twitter, stuff like that. The Internet in general.


What attracts you to a new author/book?

(Austyn) The cover and the title art, actually, have a lot to do it for me. If that got be hooked and looks like something I might like, I read the summary on the back/inside cover and decide if I want to read it.

(Morgan) Honestly, so many things are important to my interest. A) Do I know the author? B) Is the book's cover appealing? Sometimes, I'll admit, there are GREAT stories that aren't portrayed in their covers, but still.. C) Who's reviewed it, what do they normally like, and what did they think? D) Are there any vampires/werewolves/weird and odd relationships in it? ( If so, it goes back on the shelf.)

(Viviane) Covers, firstly, then title, then summary. I mean, covers are what you first see. I always keep an open mind though, so even if the cover's not great, I keep in mind the title. Lastly, the summary. If it's intriguing enough, I'll give it a go.

(Anon) The summary on the back of the book plays a huge part- if it makes sense, is exciting, and still allows me to ponder a bit on the actual contents of the book, I'm willing to give it a try. My choices for what I read aren't dominated by the cover on the book, but it definitely plays a part in getting me to pick the book up and read the back

(Yan) Cover and summary mostly. Sometimes their personality plays a part as well. If they're friendly, easy to talk to, understanding of the blogging community it just appeals better to me that I feel their book might appeal to me as well.

(Chelsea) Like in the above question, when an author is approachable, I'm more likely to buy their book. Whether it's through blog tours or Twitter or email, I'm always happy to hear about and from a new writer. If they reach out to readers, readers will reach out to them.

(Tirzah) Well, on a very shallow level, usually a cover is the first thing I see, and if it's a good one, I'm hooked. More often than not though, it will be the title, or blurb I find on other websites. However, if the synopsis is well written, that usually sells me on a book. Author buzz also works as well--if I see more than two or three authors talking about a book on Twitter, then I really sit up, pay attention, and get the book!

(Khy) An intriguing premise is always the best, but I have been known to see a pretty cover first and then hunt for more info on the book. (:

Our Panel will be back again in April! Feel free to leave additional questions!