The Sophisticated Australian YA Market: a rising tide lifts all boats

The Australian YA market place differs significantly from international platforms, particularly the USA, where industry practices align with the pursuit of ‘blockbusters’. This focus on identifying, procuring and streamlining the publication of bestsellers and potential franchises to maximise profit return contributes to ‘conservatising factors’ that inhibit publishing opportunities in the YA category, and has resulted in a narrowing of the scope of YA bestsellers in genre and themes over the past decade. Although the Australian YA industry is susceptible to these same industry practices, the current market is proving flexible, and uniquely placed to consider, and publish fiction from a diverse range of genres, themes and styles. This may account for the international bestselling success of many Australian fictions in recent times, particularly those with sophisticated content that cross between YA and adult age-defined categories. This presentation examines the unique features of the Australian YA fiction industry that are conducive to, rather than restrictive of, wider publication opportunities for authors of YA fiction.