How is YA writing different from other genres? What themes are relevant or acceptable to YA writers? Who is
publishing YA in Australia? Who are the gate-keepers and how much influence do they exert in getting your book in front of young readers?

Mark and Miranda will draw on their own experience in navigating the YA market to provide advice and to explore opportunities to get your writing noticed. This presentation will include plenty of time for audience questions.

Miranda Luby is an award-winning fiction writer, journalist and copywriter. Her debut YA Novel Sadie Starr’s Guide to Starting Over will be published in August 2022.

Mark Smith is the author of four novels including his most recent, If Not Us, published in 2021. He was awarded the 2018 Australian Indie Book Award for YA and he is also an award-winning writer of short fiction.

This session is designed for new and emerging writers (16+) who want to write for the Young Adult market.