…for a wonderfully thought-provoking guest post from Ashley Hope P\u00e9rez, author of What Can’t Wait<\/i> and The Knife and the Butterfly<\/i>. If you’ve got an opinion on “edgy” YA and what the term means, or if you’re even wondering what the heck it DOES mean in the first place, please stop by and check it out. <\/p>\n
In the meantime, a quick tidbit of news that should be heartening to hardworking authors everywhere, via Cynthia Leitich Smith<\/a>:<\/p>\n Together with The Society of Children\u2019s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)<\/a>, beloved author Jane Yolen<\/a> has created a new grant<\/a> to honor an oft-overlooked group: Midlist authors. These are authors who have consistently sold work but are not bestsellers.<\/p>\n According to Jane, “In these difficult book times, well-reviewed and honored authors often find themselves stalled in their writing lives and find they are having trouble selling new work. In our attention to up-and-coming authors, we, the reading public, often ignore these mid-list writers who struggle to remain true to their personal vision and craft. This grant is to say: SCBWI honors you, we recognize you, we are paying attention to your work.”<\/i> <\/p><\/blockquote>\n