I found something strange. On the registering prices, it says that you have to be 18 years or older to sign up. Most things require that to be the minimum age limit, but I was still surprised considering that a large portion of BEA was young adult fiction. Fiction that has protagonists usually at ages 15-18 years old. Fiction that is usually geared towards readers the same age as said protagonists. Fiction that is placed in the TEEN section of libraries and stores. Do they not realize that readers make up bloggers so therefore, there are teen bloggers out there who might want to attend BEA? I think I might have accepted that disgruntling fact if not for this next part.
"Anyone under the age of 18 (minors and infants) will only be permitted to register to attend if accompanied by a registered industry professional and will have to pay the industry professional rate to receive a badge."
Industry professionals are consultants, manufacturers, book packagers, wholesalers, and venture capital/investment bankers. The BEA 4-day pass, early bird registration, is $349, almost triple the amount of what a regular blogger would pay at $119. Does anyone know an industry professional? I sure don't. I doubt that if I did, they would go and/or let me register with them since it's likely that they won't be a family member. So not only am I dependent on someone else, but I am also restricted to who I sign up with (that means I cannot register with my 23 year old blogging sister) and I have to pay a ridiculous price for someone I am not. I'd have to pay the industry professional price because I'm forced to register with an industry professional, but I'm a blogger.
I'm just a 17 year old girl so I doubted that no one really cared what I thought, but I like to know the whys of everything. Why can't I do this? Why did this happen? Why did you say that? WHY? So true to my nature, I emailed BEA and asked why.
The kind lady told me that it doesn't matter if I'm a few months away from my 18th birthday or a few years, it's about liability since I'm a minor. I quickly waved that off and said I absolutely understood. Like I said, most things operate for people 18 years old or older. I made my questioning more specific: why am I restricted to registering with an industry professional adult instead of, say, another blogger?
She told me she'd have to talk to her manager/supervisor.
During that time, I tried to deal with my annoyance towards BEA and the frustration that started bubbling up inside a few weeks prior. YA books center around teenagers and are geared toward teenage readers, yet adult bloggers are the ones that have the head-start because they're over 18. This coming summer, I will be 18 and and in a few years, I'll be one of those adult bloggers and YA-reading adults. I love all those adult bloggers (remember, one of them is my sister) in their twenties to thirties (or to whatever age, I don't judge). But sometimes in this community, I feel as if the preference and "fun stuff" is geared towards the adults. BEA and ARCs are just two things that I think adult bloggers have in their favor. A lot of blogging duties or perks also rely on money and while I save, I don't have much money as a teenager and that's not because I spend. It's because I'm not allowed to have a job because I'm in school and am involved with extracurriculars. Of course, most twenty to thirty-somethings do have jobs so they do have a wallet to dip into to make their blog more successful. All the more power to them...which is kind of the point.
I'll interrupt my musings to let you know that the BEA lady emailed me back and told me that I can register by myself and pay the blogger fee with a link she provided me and that I wouldn't have a problem getting in underage there because they would give me permission. Victory! Right? Well, I showered her with thanks, but still wondered at the numerous teenage bloggers who won't have the same outcome or won't know to email. And what about my whys? She answered why I have to be 18, but not why the rule was to register with an industry professional.
So here's what this whole post boils down to: why do the preferences seem to be given to adult bloggers in YA rather than actual teenage bloggers? Note the key word: seem. This is purely my pondering and my question. It seems like the most "successful" blogs are the YA ones run by adult bloggers because, yes, they tend to have more mature and better writing, more resources, and I bet publishing contacts like to connect with people their own age more (although I've talked with amazing publicists myself). However, I know there are teenagers running a more "successful" blogs than other blogs run by adults, but it's not the "most successful" if that makes sense. Why does BEA have a rule about who a minor can register with? Why do teenage bloggers have to pay a higher price just because that's who they're forced to register with? Why does it seem like there aren't nearly enough teenage bloggers out there blogging about YA books?
Many of the blogs I read are by twenty-something bloggers who are witty, personable, insightful, and friendly. I like their writing, style, and content. So I know that sometimes, age doesn't factor in with how much someone likes a blog. I guess I wonder why it's this great thing to find another YA blogger under the age of 18 (yes, 18 is still a teen, but considered an adult in most areas and out of high school) when most YA books are centered around under-18 year olds. I do know teenage bloggers and that's great, but why is adults blogging about YA the norm?
Can anyone answer my never-ending whys? I want to hear what YOU think about all of this in the comments below!
Edit: Your comments are awesome, but I realized I caused some confusion. I am now ALLOWED to attend BEA and while I made a big deal out of this, I still might not be able to go because of MY side of things now. Fingers crossed, but it's a very low percentage. But thank you and keep commenting your thoughts! If anyone is possibly interested in rooming together, contact me!
So here's what this whole post boils down to: why do the preferences seem to be given to adult bloggers in YA rather than actual teenage bloggers? Note the key word: seem. This is purely my pondering and my question. It seems like the most "successful" blogs are the YA ones run by adult bloggers because, yes, they tend to have more mature and better writing, more resources, and I bet publishing contacts like to connect with people their own age more (although I've talked with amazing publicists myself). However, I know there are teenagers running a more "successful" blogs than other blogs run by adults, but it's not the "most successful" if that makes sense. Why does BEA have a rule about who a minor can register with? Why do teenage bloggers have to pay a higher price just because that's who they're forced to register with? Why does it seem like there aren't nearly enough teenage bloggers out there blogging about YA books?
Many of the blogs I read are by twenty-something bloggers who are witty, personable, insightful, and friendly. I like their writing, style, and content. So I know that sometimes, age doesn't factor in with how much someone likes a blog. I guess I wonder why it's this great thing to find another YA blogger under the age of 18 (yes, 18 is still a teen, but considered an adult in most areas and out of high school) when most YA books are centered around under-18 year olds. I do know teenage bloggers and that's great, but why is adults blogging about YA the norm?
Can anyone answer my never-ending whys? I want to hear what YOU think about all of this in the comments below!
Edit: Your comments are awesome, but I realized I caused some confusion. I am now ALLOWED to attend BEA and while I made a big deal out of this, I still might not be able to go because of MY side of things now. Fingers crossed, but it's a very low percentage. But thank you and keep commenting your thoughts! If anyone is possibly interested in rooming together, contact me!