“There’s No Such Thing as Too Many Books”: How Exclusive Editions of Books Cause FOMO in the YA Community

Kelly Ann Beestone

doi:10.24877/ijyal.38

Abstract

<p class="first-line-indent-western">This article looks at how identities within the YA community are established and maintained through the affirmational practice of collecting, and how discussions about YA on social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube stem from social aspects of collecting. In addition, this article also examines the negative aspects of collecting. The rising popularity of YA book subscription boxes and Advanced Reader Copies highlights the increasing demand from collectors for limited, exclusive editions of novels. Fear of missing out is a significant driving force behind compulsive collecting habits within the YA community. This fear is exacerbated by the way in which some YA fans grant ‘authority’ to those who build the biggest collections and perceive large collections as a symbol of devotion to a particular author or series. Drawing upon a mixture of ethnographic experiences, analysis of social media posts, and Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital, this article argues that collecting can be a positive way of bringing YA fans together on an international basis, while also unintentionally creating barriers for entry which may exclude others from the YA community.

Highlights

In May 2020, UK YA subscription box FairyLoot announced they were selling signed, exclusive editions of American author S.A
These editions were unique to FairyLoot and featured several design changes that made them highly collectible to many YA book collectors, including a signature from the author, unique endpapers, a “darker and more dramatic” design for the book jackets, artwork on the inside of the jackets, and stencil designs sprayed onto the edges of the pages to create a mosaic pattern (Sammer n.p.)
The affirmational act of collecting within the YA community has helped individuals to form and shape their own identities as fans. Through their passion for YA, many collectors have become content creators on sites such as Instagram and YouTube. While these individuals may not have turned to social media in order to increase their collections, it is clear that maintaining social media platforms allows content creators access to Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs), enabling them to build their collections

Summary

INTRODUCTION

In May 2020, UK YA subscription box FairyLoot announced they were selling signed, exclusive editions of American author S.A. Since adolescents are the intended audience of YA novels, it is unsurprising that the publishing industry and content creators have shifted their attention to social media sites Such as Instagram and YouTube in order to connect with fans and create networks of YA audiences. In contrast to terror management, fear of missing out has received very little attention in the academic fields of fandom studies and collecting Addressing this critical lacuna, this article argues that FOMO has a significant impact on both the YA community, and on the way in which the publishing industry markets and promotes YA literature. Those who miss out on items may make compulsive purchasing decisions in the future to avoid further disappointment and a fear of missing out on similar opportunities.

TASTEMAKING ON BOOKTUBE

ISSUES OF ACCESS

ARC BOOK COLLECTING

CONCLUSION