Academy · Age group
What are the age categories for fiction?
What are the standard age group categories for fiction?
Beginner
Picture book is age 3-8 (rich illustrations, very short). Early reader is 5-9 (just learning to read). Middle grade is 8-12 (kids as protagonists, no romance, low gore). Young adult is 13-18 (teen protagonists, first love and identity, real stakes). New adult is 18-25 (college / first job, more explicit content). Adult is everyone else. Crossover happens but the dominant audience drives the conventions: word count, vocabulary, what's on the page, and what isn't.
What to try
- Set the audience on your project
Related questions
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