Nonsense-Free Kristin Boys Fiction - Why Teenage Boys Stopped Reading (And How to Fix It)
Where did all the adventure books for teenage boys go? Jeff Putnam—author and father of eight sons—explains why boys stopped reading, what happened to men’s adventure fiction, and how indie authors are bringing it back. We also discuss why manga and LitRPG dominate with young male readers while traditional publishing keeps churning out books boys don’t want.
The Hardy Boys to Hemingway pipeline is broken. Here’s how to fix it.
In This Episode
* Why publishing stopped making books for teenage boys
* What boys actually want to read (vs. what publishing thinks they want)
* The Hardy Boys to Hemingway pipeline (and why it collapsed)
* How masculinity became associated with not reading
* Why manga and LitRPG succeeded where trad pub failed
* What makes the Cole Harper series different
* How to get teenage boys interested in reading
* Leading by example: making reading normal in your household
* The importance of letting kids explore different formats
Guest Links
Jeff Putnam
* Cole Harper Adventure Series: Amazon
Kristin’s Links
Services & Content
* Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
* Newsletter: Fictional Influence on Substack
* YouTube: Nonsense-Free Kristin
Sponsors
LearnWorlds - Turn your expertise into a course. Built-in marketing, interactive features, and your own branded school. Join at get.learnworlds.com/nonsensefree
Timestamps
[00:00] - Introduction: Where are the books for boys?[02:45] - Men’s adventure fiction used to dominate publishing[04:30] - Why boys don’t read anymore (according to Jeff)[07:15] - What happened between 1982-1984 that changed everything[09:30] - Why manga and LitRPG fill the gap[11:45] - The transgressive fiction moment (and why it didn’t last)[13:20] - Making reading an adventure, not homework[15:40] - Leading by example: seven bookcases and no book budget limit[17:25] - Letting kids explore different formats (comics, manga, audiobooks)
About This Podcast
Nonsense-Free Kristin is where independent authors and creators learn to build their platforms, master their craft, and create on their own terms—without begging for permission from gatekeepers who hate them.
New episodes weekly.
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