New Adult is NOT a new Genre.

It's a CATEGORY.

While some people are still wondering why New Adult needs to be a "thing" those of us WRITING it and READING it are baffled as to why it isn't a given.

But I've been seeing the argument against it being a genre. And this is annoying, because NA is NOT a genre. It's a CATEGORY.

Here's the difference:

Categories are Picture Books, Middle Grade, Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult.

Genres are TYPES of books found WITHIN those categories. Fantasy, Thriller, Romance, Mystery, Historical Fiction etc.

Calling NA a genre is as incorrect as calling YA, or A a genre.  They are categories. Know the difference.

When patrons come to the library and ask for a book, the first thing I ask is what level/ they're at. A twelve-year-old might be twelve, but reading ADULT books. An adult might be forty, but likes the themes and situations in YA.

I find the CATEGORY, then the GENRE.

And for those still arguing that NA isn't needed, or a thing, just remember that it wasn't so long ago that YOUNG ADULT wasn't a category of itself! Would you say that YA isn't a needed category? It doesn't take long for things to pick up steam.

People saying, well, if it's ONLY for the 18-24 year-old readers/ people seeking that experience, it's too narrow, I'd remind you that Middle Grade stretches from about 7-12 year-olds, and YA from 13-18 year-olds.

Those arguments are invalid.

People have been writing NA for a while, calling it cross-over. Now that more people have said, hey! I'd LOVE to write/ read more of THAT, it's growing even more. Having it as a specific category unto itself just makes things that much easier for people seeking it out.

Sure, I could run around the Adult Fiction section of the library, hunting down books that fall into the NA category for patrons who request it, but it would be SO MUCH EASIER for ALL of us, if there was its own little section for people to peruse.

YA is new. NA is newer. Maybe in ten years there will be another classification for a NEW category none of us have thought of.

But why are you against it? There's a need for it, it simplifies things for those seeking it out, and why do you think it *shouldn't* be a category?