Writing Resolutions for 2019: Hope’s Hacks
January 9, 2019
25 Trends in Publishing: Longer MG and YA
January 23, 2019
About the column: A handful of agents and interns who work with Cyle have learned the latest and (sometimes so, sometimes not so) greatest trends in publishing right now. Tune in each week to find out what’s trending, ranging from ABA to CBA, children’s to adult. The authors of these columns have included social media tags at the end to keep up with trends they are finding. They can also be found here.
Trend #23 of 25: Graphic Novels
Contributor: Hope Bolinger
What do Scholastic, Random House, HarperCollins, and Penguin all have in common? They just took on graphic novels. In 2019.
That’s right. Only two weeks into the year, and four graphic novels placed at four major imprints.
First off, let’s define a graphic novel:
A novel that basically operates in a comic strip format. Think Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Some popular examples include Maus, Persepolis, and Amulet: The Stonekeeper. Warning, these often feature some intense content unsuitable for younger audiences.
Why the popularity?
In one word: Superheroes
Two words: Online comics
Three words: Smartphone, visual-oriented readers
Of course, a number of other factors contribute to this surge in popularity. Some readers have recognized graphic novels as a literary art form once popular ones received critical acclaim. Others have surmised that graphic novels kept libraries afloat because of their popularity amongst children and teen readers. No matter the reason, graphic novels might usher in a new era of literature. Keep an eye on this trend. It looks like it won’t leave bookstores any time soon.
Hope Bolinger works as a literary agent at C.Y.L.E. IlluminateYA contracted her YA novel Den while she still attended college (to be released June 3, 2019).
More than 250 of her works have been featured in various publications. She has received various writing awards from being a finalist in the Jerry B. Jenkins short story contest to her one-act earning second place in the Searchlight Playwriting Contest. She has served in various publishing capacities from working at newspapers, magazines, and publishing houses.
You can find her at hopebolinger.com.
