Week 14: I’ve been diving deep into books like mine.
If you would like to follow from the beginning, start here.
Finding books like mine was really challenging, so I asked my local librarian for help.
What I Did Last Week
I have been looking for books like mine on the market. It’s hard work. So, I emailed a librarian and asked for their suggestions. Then, I put all the books they recommended on hold at my local library. Plus, I started some online research.
Getting Help Finding Books Like Mine
Is it cheating to email a librarian and have them send you a list of similar books? It felt too easy.
This is what I sent:
“I am looking for YA memoirs about growing up in abusive and/or dysfunctional families. I would specifically like to find them written in the first person and which take the reader on a journey in present time, rather than reflecting back on life from an adult’s perspective.
Any help you can give me in finding memoirs like this would be much appreciated.”
Librarians Know Everything
The amazing YA librarians sent me six titles to look at, each with the link in the library catalogue. So, I put all of them on hold and I will pick them up this week. I am going to have so much reading to do! At least two of them are award winning books so I had better up my game. Reading them will help me understand the market and what has been appealing to YA readers in the past few years.
Common Sense Media
I then looked up all of the titles to see what reviews were done, what categories they might have been listed in, and if they had an entry on Common Sense Media.
Common Sense Media provides expert reviews, objective advice, and ratings of material to help teachers, parents, and advocates choose material for kids and students.
It is not about censoring material. It gives the information people need to decide whether to include the book or movie on the list of things their kids or students can interact with.
For example, one of the books I have put on hold is Ordinary Hazards by Nikki Grimes. Common Sense Media has a ‘What Parents Need to Know’ section that mentions the book awards it received and lets parents know what parts might be considered graphic. It slates this book for 14+ based on content.
For YA novels or memoir, this is a great guide.
Reviews and Featured Articles
I also check for reviews or feature articles about each book. I looked at nominations and awards as well.
I will read these as well as reading each book.
Some of the books are prose, one is in free verse, another one is a graphic novel, so I will have lots to read and think about over the next few weeks.
What Am I Doing This Week?
This week, I will pick up the books and look at one of them. I’ll probably pick the easiest one to compare and contrast with my book first. I’ll let you know how it goes next Monday.
– Keep writing
Melody Ann
Author Nation is your go-to resource for becoming a successful nonfiction author, from planning to promotion and everything in between.