To all, Back over a decade ago, I finished a novel that was a near-future dystopia about two 12-year-old boys in an America poised on the brink of civil war. I wasn't able to get it published in those days. However, the explosion in YA dystopian science fiction the last couple of years has gotten me thinking that it's time to try again. The issues are: 1. This story is very near-term; in fact when I wrote it I figured it taking place in 2004 or 2008. So it's not set safely in the far future to avoid partisan controversy. 2. The story is mostly about boys. The 3rd most important storyline in the novel is about an older teenage girl and her neo-Nazi friends. It seems to me that at some point boys will be reading dystopian SF too, but it will be different in its concerns than the novels I see being marketed to girls right now. Does anyone know of any markets that are going in this direction? What is the best way to get in contact with someone who wants to publish more controversial soft-SF books while exploiting this new demographic?
I'd give it a try, you never know. You can also research what publishers are publishing. Your local library might have the list (in magazine form I believe).
Richard Slay, Go to the local library or bookstore and check out the shelves of fantasy/sf (they're usually combined) and YA. See what's out there that is in someway similar and examine the publisher. Maybe look inside, the dedications or acknowledements, and see if an agent is mentioned. That would be a place to start. Also, places like Ralan and Duotrope are solid sites to search for publishers that might be interested in what you're writing.
