YA

Arts & Entertainment abbreviation · Publishing and Book

YA
Stands forYoung adult
CategoriesArts & Entertainment

YA stands for Young adult, a publishing and book abbreviation.

Book category written for readers roughly 12 to 18, typically with teenage protagonists and coming-of-age themes. Many YA readers are adults.

Example: The YA fantasy debut spent months on the bestseller lists.

Usage notes

S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders (1967) is often cited as a founding YA novel. Harry Potter, Twilight and The Hunger Games turned YA into a major commercial category in the 2000s. Libraries' YA services are supported by the American Library Association's YALSA division.

More publishing and book abbreviations

  • ARC – Advance reader copy
  • ASIN – Amazon Standard Identification Number
  • BISAC – Book Industry Standards and Communications
  • CGC – Certified Guaranty Company
  • CIP – Cataloging in Publication
  • CMOS – Chicago Manual of Style
  • DC – DC Comics
  • DNF – Did not finish
  • DOI – Digital Object Identifier
  • FCBD – Free Comic Book Day
  • FMC – Female main character
  • HC – Hardcover

See all 42 publishing and book abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.