Sep 16, 2026 · 54 min · 11 segments
Abrams Children’s editor Claire Stetzer joins us for a podcast conversation about genre-bending, publishing diverse stories, the trope-ification of YA, and more! **Good Story Company:** If you have a…
Claire StetzerGuest
Mary KoleHost
I feel like, I think it was just one of those categories that when I was coming up as an editor, everyone was like, "Oh, superhero YA can be hard.

Sports YA can be hard." And it's just, I think sometimes, like, sales teams just get these things in their head, and you ...

And I find it frustrating as an editor because it's like, well, this book is really good, though.

Like, can we, like, try to think outside the box here and let's see how we can make this happen? So I think there just, like, hasn't been a really strong, like, YA sports book, at least that I can think of.

But I think without having such a clear, like, comp to point to, it's hard to, to fight for something like that.

Oh gosh, is his name Tommy Greenwald? In middle grade, but he does, like, very sports-driven middle grade.

So there's definitely a space for that in, in that age group, but I feel like it can be a little harder, um, in YA.

Although I am remembering there was a book that hit the list, um, about, from a trans author about, um, a football player, I think.

... maybe that is kind of a way in, is to pull in those, like, timely social issues, and from a creator who is speaking from their, their background, and, um, talking about sports that way.

I feel like, I think it was just one of those categories that when I was coming up as an editor, everyone was like, "Oh, superhero YA can be hard.

Sports YA can be hard." And it's just, I think sometimes, like, sales teams just get these things in their head, and you ...

And I find it frustrating as an editor because it's like, well, this book is really good, though.

Like, can we, like, try to think outside the box here and let's see how we can make this happen? So I think there just, like, hasn't been a really strong, like, YA sports book, at least that I can think of.

But I think without having such a clear, like, comp to point to, it's hard to, to fight for something like that.

Oh gosh, is his name Tommy Greenwald? In middle grade, but he does, like, very sports-driven middle grade.

So there's definitely a space for that in, in that age group, but I feel like it can be a little harder, um, in YA.

Although I am remembering there was a book that hit the list, um, about, from a trans author about, um, a football player, I think.

... maybe that is kind of a way in, is to pull in those, like, timely social issues, and from a creator who is speaking from their, their background, and, um, talking about sports that way.
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