I know a lot of you write YA, so you may be interested to know that Noble Romance Publishing is starting a new line of YA romance novels starting in October. They are pretty open when it comes to YA genre. They say, “If the story is great, we don’t care if it’s a historical set on Mars or a contemporary set in the cornfields of Nebraska.” They are offering $1000 advances. **A note from Jill N. Noble, your friendly Senior Editor: Do you have a story that’s completely different? Too dark for other publishers? Too controversial? Too unusual? A mix of so many sub-genres you’re to the point of making up descriptions that defy the imagination? If so, I’d love to see it. Be true to yourself, be true to your characters, be true to your stories. I assure you, I don’t shock easily!
Here are the YA Romance Guidelines :
1. YA Romance stories all involve primary characters between the ages of 16-21.
2. YA Romance stories explore all facets of a young adult’s life — including those some adults/parents might find a bit uncomfortable to examine. KEEP IT REAL.
3. YA Romance stories must address the consequences — or potential consequences — of behavior and choices in a realistic manner. DON’T SUGAR-COAT THE TRUTH, BUT DON’T PREACH, EITHER.
4. YA Romance stories can address any topic (sub-plot to the romance or as part of the romantic thread) a young adult might encounter in their life, including but not limited to, sexual orientation, sexual experimentation, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, drugs, drinking, peer pressure, school, gangs, etc. If you touch on any of these subjects, do not glamorize the consequences or the reality. Alternatively, again, do not “preach.”
5. YA Romance stories . . . let’s talk sex. The question is not how much sex/level of explicitness is appropriate for a YA novel, but rather, how much sex is appropriate for your story and your characters. Our instructions for this are the same as they are for every NRP story: Be true to yourself. Be true to your characters. These stories aren’t about you (necessarily), or what you would want your son/daughter to do. They are about your characters — their choices, their thoughts, their desires, their actions. The sexual content – the action, the language, the reactions – should all accurately and adequately and believably reflect your fully fleshed out characters. *The only caveat to this is no sexual relations between adults and minors.
6. YA Romance authors know their audience. They don’t use language young adults wouldn’t use, they don’t “talk down” to their young adult readers, and they have an intimate knowledge of what it’s like to be a young adult in today’s world.
7. All sub-genres and genre mixes.
8. All story lengths – shorts, novellas, novels.
They’re open to anything…but remember, these are romance novels. The level of passion between the main characters must be authentic and palpable. Other than that, they say to feel free to explore any new, uncharted territory you can imagine, or re-do a well-worn plot in such a way as to make the story uniquely your own.
2 Comments on Looking for YA Romance, last added: 9/3/2010
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You’re one Energizer Bunny! 
Hi, Kathy. Thank you for posting this. One clarification, so your readers don’t get upset. We offer *up to* $1000 advance. We decide what to offer on an author-by-author basis, based on author’s publishing history and Web presence, type of book, length of book, etc.
Now that I see the baby pictures next to the correct adult pictures it seems like it should’ve been a whole lot easier!!! I originally had the correct one for Heather Alexander and then changed it at the last minute (goes to show, you should always stick with your first impulse…) Thanks for the fun contest (especially since I won — yay me!!)