Press release for The Contemps:
Contact: Sara Bennett Wealer,
sbennettwealer@gmail.com
Visit: http://www.thecontemps.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUTHORS TEAM UP TO SPOTLIGHT CONTEMPORARY REALISTIC FICTION FOR TEENS
“The Contemps” are Keeping it Real with Outreach, Resources and New Releases
Twenty-one authors have banded together to put real life in the spotlight and to keep readers up-to-date on the latest in contemporary young adult fiction.
“There are so many wonderful authors writing contemporary realistic fiction,” said Contemps co-founder Lisa Schroeder. “As much as we love other genres, the marketplace can feel dominated by paranormal, fantasy, and dystopian novels. We want to celebrate the unique way that contemporary stories help teens feel they’re not alone in this real world.”
“The Contemps” officially launched on August 17 with a mission to help teens, booksellers, librarians and publishers connect with books that feature real-life settings, characters and situations. The group ranges from debuts to veterans with several titles on the shelves, and all have new releases coming out between September 2010 and August 2011. They hope to not just build buzz for members’ books, but to create excitement and appreciation for the contemporary realistic genre in general.
In an August 6, 2010 article in The NY Times about the rise of young adult fiction, historian Amanda Foreman said, “Good Y.A. is like good television. There’s a freshness there; it’s engaging.” The Contemps write about real teen issues in real-life situations with all the energy and grittiness and passion of that age.
That means that The Contemps’ corner of the web (www.thecontemps.com) will be a little more self-disclosey than others. A number of activities are planned, including sharing from the authors’ own teenage years, giveaways, spotlighting other contemporary realistic authors, and multi-author events. You might find a few naughty words thrown in (right next to the shiny clean ones). There may be stories about hanging out, making out, parents, best friends, sexuality, homework, high school bloopers, teachers, bullies, racism, parties, and pop culture. Look for some odd and lively mash-ups!
“We’re reaching out to a variety of audiences,” said co-founder Lindsey Leavitt. “We want readers to know about the wealth of awesome books out there. And we want the industry to know about the authors who create these books. There’s a strong market for contemporary realistic fiction and we plan to demonstrate that.”
The members are: Brent Crawford, Hannah Harrington, April Henry, Kirsten Hubbard, Denise Jaden, Kody Keplinger, Jo Knowles, Lindsey Leavitt, Sarah Darer Littman, Michael Northrop, Sarah Ockler, Micol Ostow, Lisa Schroeder, Elizabeth Scott, Mindi Scott, Emily Wing Smith, Courtney Summers, Kristen Tracy, Melissa Walker, Sara Bennett Wealer, and Daisy Whitney.
Hi! Thank you SO MUCH for posting this and helping get the word out about the Contemps! Quick favor: could you please remove my phone numbers? I figure people can contact me at my email address and don't want to have the other info floating around. Thanks!!!
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