Home/Award categories/Young Adult Fiction
Young adult fiction book awards
Recognition for novels written for teenage readers rather than about them. Every book is read in full and measured against our published Standard of Excellence.
What this category recognizes
Young adult fiction is defined by who it is written for: readers roughly thirteen and up. It spans every genre, and what unifies it is a teenage protagonist facing something at the scale a teenager actually experiences it.
The category covers contemporary, fantasy, science fiction, romance, thriller, historical, and verse novels for this readership.
The distinction that matters most is between books written for teenagers and books written about adolescence for adults. The second usually belongs in Literary or Contemporary Fiction.
What the standard looks like here
The ten pillars apply to every category. This is how each one is read when the book is young adult fiction.
The Writing
Voice, Tone and Style
Whether the voice is authentically the character’s rather than an adult’s approximation of one.
Craft and Technical Execution
Whether emotional stakes are dramatised at full weight rather than diminished for a young audience.
Structure and Organization
Whether momentum carries a reader who has other things competing for their attention.
The Substance
Originality and Concept Strength
Whether the premise offers something in a crowded and fast-moving field.
Depth of Content and Insight
Whether the reader is trusted with difficulty and with endings that do not resolve neatly.
The Reader
Audience Impact and Purpose Fulfillment
Whether the book serves a teenage reader rather than an adult remembering being one.
Emotional and Psychological Impact
Whether the feeling is taken as seriously as the character takes it.
Overall Impact and Distinction
Whether it is the book a reader presses on a friend.
The Finished Book
Production Quality and Presentation
Trade-standard editing, typesetting, and cover design a teenager would choose.
Category Relevance
Whether the book is genuinely for this readership.
Questions about entering a young adult fiction book
My protagonist is twelve. Which category?
Children's Fiction, unless the subject and register suit an older reader. The reader matters more than the character's age.
Can I enter Young Adult and a genre category?
Yes. Age and genre are assessed separately, and a YA fantasy legitimately sits in both.
Is my book too dark for young adult?
Content is not restricted. What is assessed is whether difficulty is handled with honesty and care for the reader.
Related categories
Submit your young adult fiction book
Entry is $79 for your first category. Your complete manuscript is read in full and measured against the ten pillars.