Advice to young writers

The writing market is a difficult one to break into. Sometimes it takes years … or decades to make it happen, but it’s one of the most rewarding accomplishments ever!

Where Should You Start?

LEARN THE CRAFT:

Resource Books/Magazines like Writer’s Market and Writer’s Digest (print and online) help. But also books specifically for young writers:

Release the Novel in You: The go-to fiction writing book for teen authors by Gina Conroy
Teen Writer’s Guide: Your Roadmap to Writing by Jennifer Jenkins
Spilling Ink: A Young Writers Handbook by Ellen Potter and Anne Mazer
101 Story Starters for Teens: Creative writing prompts to kick your imagination into high gear by Maisy Day
So, You Want To Be A Writer by Vicki Hambleton and Cathleen Greenwood
Seize the Story: A Handbook for Teens Who Like to Write by Victoria Hanley

FIND YOUR PEOPLE:

Writing and critique groups are invaluable! Find them through libraries, your school, and local bookstores.

Learn the Business

What's an agent?

What’s an agent? An agent sends your manuscript out to see who would like to bid on it for publication. They’re effective because they have more knowledge of the editors and publishers than most. An agent knows who is on the lookout for the next big historical novel, whose lists are full, who is looking for a new crime writer, and can target their submissions accordingly. Check out the FIND A FICTION AGENT or FIND A NONFICTION AGENT pages at www.writersdigest.com

What does an editor do?

They work for specific publishing houses or magazines and polishes and refines, directs the focus of the story or article or movie along a particular course. He/She/They cuts out what doesn’t fit, what is nonessential to the purpose of the story. He/She/They enhances the major points, drawing attention to places where the audience should focus.

Contests: Testing the Waters

Submit to contests to see how well you are doing and how accepted your work is by people in the industry. Please note that there is often a nominal entry fee for contests in order to pay the judges. Some good contests for kids, teens, and young adults are:

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards -- https://www.artandwriting.org/awards/how-to-enter/categories/#WritingCategories
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Promising Young Writers Program -- https://ncte.org/awards/promising-young-writers/
The National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists Young Arts competition -- https://youngarts.org/apply/
National Youth Foundation I Matter Poetry Contest -- https://www.nationalyouthfoundation.org/i-matter/
Bennington College Young Writers Awards -- https://www.bennington.edu/events/young-writers-awards
The Princeton 10-Minute Play Contest -- https://arts.princeton.edu/about/opportunities/high-school-contests/ten-minute-play-contest/
Princeton University High School Poetry Prize -- https://arts.princeton.edu/about/opportunities/high-school-contests/poetry-contest/
Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers -- https://kenyonreview.org/submit/patricia-grodd/
The Ocean Awareness Contest -- https://bowseat.org/programs/ocean-awareness-contest/contest-overview/
See Us, Support Us Art Contest – For children of incarcerated parents -- https://www.susu-osborne.org/susu-art-contest
Adroit Journal Prizes for Poetry and Prose -- https://theadroitjournal.org/adroit-prizes/
National PTA Reflections Contest -- https://www.pta.org/home/programs/reflections
Narrative High School Writing Contest -- https://www.narrativemagazine.com/narrative-for-schools/ninth-annual-contest
Bluefire.org writing contest -- https://www.bluefire.org/
One Teen Story Contest -- https://one-story.com/write/one-teen-story-contest/

THINK YOU'RE READY TO SUBMIT TO A PUBLICATION?

Here are some great places to publish for kids, teens, and young adults:

Stone Soup: https://stonesoup.com/how-to-submit-writing-and-art-to-stone-soup/#who– for kids not yet in high school
Rattle Young Poets Anthology: https://www.rattle.com/children/guidelines/-- for ages 15 and younger
Teen Ink: http://www.teenink.com/ -- journalism articles, fiction, poetry, art, and videos by ages 13 to 19.
Stone Soup: https://stonesoup.com/-- stories, poems, and art by kids 8-13 years old.
The Incandescent Review: https://www.theincandescentreview.org/-- ages 13-24
Young Writers Project: https://youngwritersproject.org/explore/writing-- for teen writers
Blue Marble Review: https://bluemarblereview.com/submit/-- for writer’s ages 13-22
Girls’ Life -- http://www.girlslife.com/faq -- features articles by girls
KidSpirit Magazine – https://kidspiritonline.com/get-involved/-- Online magazine that publishes review, articles, fiction, poetry, and artwork from kids ages 11 to 17 years old.
New Moon Girls – https://newmoongirls.com/girls-get-published/-- by girls for girls ages 8 to 14.
Skipping Stones – http://www.skippingstones.org/submissions.htm-- A magazine features stories and articles about different cultures for ages 8 to 16.
Teen Voices -- http://womensenews.org/teen-voices/submission-guidelines/-- Journalism and articles on activism by writers ages 13 to 19 years old.
The Milking Cat: https://www.themilkingcat.com/contact-- online comedy magazine for teens
Polyphony Lit: https://www.polyphonylit.org/copy-of-submit
WhisperSHOUT online magazine: https://www.whispershoutwritingworkshop.net/magazine/heading-b2pxd-3x23t-yzk5l-y49ex-la4nd-ndtm9-yj6rw?fbclid=IwAR3zy5lVGkHCTWvl3nMO2x7Ml6kmtJzZynnuiMCMaAwG2z-J9jqSHLsj2Wo for kids ages 4-12

THINK YOU'RE READY TO SUBMIT TO A PUBLICATION?

Traditional publishing vs. self-publishing

Source: http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/the-pros-and-cons-of-self-publishing-traditional-publishing

Traditional Publishing Pros

· Wide distribution and more exposure

· Most offer an advance, sometimes a large one

· They do the editing, formatting, cover art

· Marketing power

Traditional Publishing Cons

· Takes six to eighteen months before publication

· Price ebooks waaaaaay too high

· They have power over cover art and title

· Don’t use the marketing power they wield effectively

· Pay royalties twice a year

· Don’t involve you in many of the decisions regarding your book

· Difficult to implement changes

· Lousy royalty rates, between 6% and 25%

· Very hard to break into

Self Publishing Pros

· Paid once a month

· You control price and cover

· Publication is almost instant

· Easy to implement changes

· Every decision is yours

· Great royalty rates

· Anyone can do it

Self Publishing Cons

· No free professional editing, formatting, or cover art

· Fewer sales

· Less than 10% of current book market

· Greater potential to publish crappy books

Some Writing Advice for Young Writers by THE PROS as found on Debbie Ridpath Ohi’s inkygirl.com

The First Rule Of Writing is: Butt In Chair. This is the rule from which all careers stem. - Kevin Sands
Let everything else go and write with great joy...and a pen. A pen definitely helps. - Donna Gephart
· Write what you'd want to read. - Josh Funk
Write every day. Revise your work. Be patient. Don't give up. - Laura Boldin-Fournier
Let people critique your work (and I don't just mean your mom). - Chelsea Pitcher.
No matter how good you think your idea is—the next one could be better. - Hélène Boudreau
Turn off the modern world and go outside. There are stories outside your house and studio waiting to be heard and told. - Russ Cox
Get your first draft done. Accept that it's a process. It's okay that it's not perfect. You're making building blocks and you don't know what pieces you need yet. - Arree Chung
Write the emotional truth of what you want to know. - Donna Gephart
Get through English class but know that the real world just wants a good story, and isn't as worried about brilliantly placed semi-colons and properly argued theses. - Tim Federle
Get out there and meet other writers and creators. The camaraderie and support of a network of peers is invaluable. - Lisa Dalrymple
Write with emotional honesty, hope and respect. - Stephanie Burgis
You positively, absolutely have to be a reader to be a writer. - Claire M. Caterer.

Advice to young writers

Where Should You Start?

Learn the Business

What's an agent?

What does an editor do?

Contests: Testing the Waters

THINK YOU'RE READY TO SUBMIT TO A PUBLICATION?

THINK YOU'RE READY TO SUBMIT TO A PUBLICATION?

THINK YOU'RE READY TO SUBMIT TO A PUBLICATION?

THINK YOU'RE READY TO SUBMIT TO A PUBLICATION?

THINK YOU'RE READY TO SUBMIT TO A PUBLICATION?

Traditional publishing vs. self-publishing

Some Writing Advice for Young Writers by THE PROS as found on Debbie Ridpath Ohi’s inkygirl.com

HELPFUL RESOURCES

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