I hated children’s fiction, and was overly happy when I discovered that there was more out there.

Though the Pit Dragon Trilogy is not the first fantasy/SF story I was exposed to or read, it is undeniably the first one that made me really love the genre. Eight or so years after reading it (when I was in the seventh grade), I can still remember many plot points, character quirks and setting elements… more than I can say for some of the books I’ve read more recently. Thanks for promoting it, and for reminding me that I’ve been meaning to dig it up for a reread.

Just a thought: you might not want to promote Dragon’s Blood on the grounds that pit fighting dragons are cool. I don’t think the book promotes animal abuse, but putting it that way makes it seem like it could, and that could put off readers who are sensitive to animal rights issues but would appreciate the unique, nuanced, and authentic characters and story.

http://mbarker.livejournal.com/136196.html

First, while many popular manga and anime such as Bleach or Code Geass are set ostensibly in high school, I think it’s important to realize that it’s not necessarily because the readers of those manga are so desirous of high school settings. School provides a convenient shorthand for many writers and readers, but plenty of other shorthand/genres are available. There’s also the issue that most children in our world at the age of manga characters would be in school, so if you’re using and earth based setting, school is going to be a major aspect of that setting.

Pure sci-fi and fantasy manga/anime have been very popular, even set mostly outside of a school setting. To Aru Majutsu no Index and its spinoff take place primarily when the characters are out of school. So do Eureka Seven, One Piece, and Full Metal Alchemist. Yet these are among some of the most popular manga/anime ever. The manga/anime community is just as divided among genres as adult or YA fiction, and I think it’s a mistake to say that the vast majority of manga/anime are school-centric.

Another important factor is the sector of the YA audience to which you are writing. SFF readers are often among the smarter, more mature readers in the YA sector, and they often read up quite a bit more than their peers. Many are also not exactly enjoying the school experience. They may also connect more with adults or older young adults. I think you’d find a lot less need for a school setting when writing for this part of the readership.

Some very popular YA in this genre include Garth Nix, whose “Seventh Tower” and “Old Kingdom”series were not set in school, and yet sold quite well. Similarly with Narnia, Cirque du Freak, The Giver, and other material. Anne McCaffrey’s Pegasus/Talent series, or her PERN or Tower and Hive series. The list goes on.

Now, “relationship stuff” is pretty prevalent across all genres, whether it be moony teenagers or moony middle-agers.

I don’t have quite as much experience in other genres. But it seems like a lot of YA mystery is not necessarily set in school. There’s also a fair amount of non-school horror.

tl;dr: Yes, school is both a common setting and a common theme, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessary or sufficient to attract YA readers.

Speaking of, why “Buy Dan’s Book” all singular-like and just the Amazon link to the first book in the series? I ordered “Mr. Monster” from the UK super-easily with their awesome free international shipping.

Of course that’s not ALL that it’s about. It’s just that in order to cement YA interest, those things are almost always present.