Friday, December 25, 2009

Can teenagers get their books published?

I am writing a childrens story.Can teenagers get their books published?
Yeah anyone can get a book published but it has to be good and you need to strike a deal with a publishing company.Can teenagers get their books published?
Okay ... there's good news and bad, I'm afraid.





The bad news is: Don't just blindly believe the people who say stuff like, ';Yeah ... you just need to believe in yourself and you can do it!'; I'm sorry, but although self-confidence is useful it simply isn't enough. After all, we've all seen those kids who think they can sing on ';The X Factor'; and make utter fools of themselves at the auditions. Not everyone who wants to get their writing published will suceed; only a very small fraction do, and for teen writers the chances are even less. That's the reality - and you might as well accept that right now so you know what you're up against.





Now, the good news: young authors can make it ... sometimes.





Christopher Paolini started writing ';Eragon'; at the age of 15 (published by Doubleday and it's now a major film).





Flavia Bujor wrote ';The Prophecy of the Gems'; at 14 (published by HarperCollins).





And little Daisy Ashford wrote ';The Young Visiters'; at only 9, (published by Chatto %26amp; Windus and dramatized for TV in 2003).





Also at 9, Jayne Fisher wrote and illustrated a series of 12 picture books called ';The Garden Gang'; published by Ladybird.





So by all means give it a go ... but don't be too disappointed if you don't find success straight away; just keep trying ... I'm sure that all of the above needed huge amounts determination to reach their goals! (Although some of them also needed parents in the publishing industry).





Your chances are slim - but it's not impossible ... just very, VERY unlikely! Meanwhile ... I suggest that you read, read, and READ! The more you read the better you're likely to write! That way, even if you don't find success as a teen, you improve your chances of success as an adult.
Actress Ally Sheedy (War Games, Breakfast Club) published a children's book called ';She was nice to mice'; when she was only 12, so it's possible. It helped that her mom was a literary agent, though.
yes they can as long as your dedicated to your writing and to tryong to get it published. The first time I was published was when I was 16.
A good story usually is the criteria, and your age could even be a novelty - IF the story is good. why not try writing short stories or essays where there is a greater market? Writers Market publishes a book of magazine sources. I had my first article published in a small local monthly community paper when I was 17.
Yes. One of my favorite writers Amelia Atwater-Rhodes wrote her first book at 13 or 14 and it was published.
Yes, Christopher Paolini who wrote Eragon did! However, it might be harder to get an agent to take you seriously. Get a writer's guide from the local library or bookstore and read some of the tips. In Canada, there is a guide called the Canadian Writers Guide which lists agents and publishers. There may be a similar guide in your area. If you don't know where to start, go to the reference desk at the library. You may also want to join a writers group for critiques. Best of luck!
on lulu.com anyone can be published. good luck...we need good kids books!

No comments:

Post a Comment