I write fictions - how do I catch a publisher's interest at my age?

Question

I'm only sixteen and I love to write original fictions. I'm working on something right now that's going great and I've always wondered about how to go getting it published someday.. I mean I know it's just a dream but I'm being serious about putting out a book eventually.
Where do I start, who do I contact, what do I do to get started?
Thanks!

Answer 1

Aww. So cute.



Authors are made – not born at the first sign of christening and as long as you can write and pull off a manuscript at an early age of what, 6, you can be a published author.



Self-publishing is one venue for authors who wanted to test how their book will fare in the market.



To get into a contract, yes, you must have someone legal to assist you with it. Self-publishing will entail you to make a deposit before going through production and any financial transaction done should be legitimate.



How can you NOT publish? I have known of authors who started as early as 6 to 10- years old.



With parent’s consent, supervision and resources, these children are already raking exposure in the publishing industry as young as they are now.

Answer 2

Get your novel/book finished first. Go through it multiple times, no matter how boring it is. Take a few weeks tweaking, editing, etc. Once you are fully confident you like it, look into some publishers in your area. It doesn't need to be anything fancy or big. If you do want something such as that, look up on Google for some publishers. Everyone has a dream, very few of which is being a big time writer. Take your time in writing, don't rush. Good luck with getting your book finished and accepted by a publisher!

Answer 3

No publisher has the slightest interest in how old you are. You can only catch their interest by writing better than everyone else of all ages.



Once it's finished, I recommend you join a critique site. www.critiquecircle.com is friendly and helpful and has writers of all ages. Get a feel for the place, critique a few other people...and then take a deep breath and put your finished story up for comment. At this point you will discover it isn't finished at all :)



Once you've polished it and edited it and it's as good as you can possibly make it, you probably want to look for an agent. Again, they don't care how old you are. There's no need to even mention your age until someone starts talking about contracts (since you are too young to sign one and would ahve to get a parent to do it). The forums on any critique site will give you lots of more detailed advice.



Good luck!

Answer 4

First of all don't worry about your age. Publishers DO NOT CARE what your age is as long as if you are under 18 you have your parents sign off. I'm fourteen and my book was published when I was twelve. Go online, find a publisher you like and submit your manuscript. Remember, it takes most authors lots of tries submitting their manuscript to different publishers. Let's say you have a publisher that likes your book and gives you a contract to print your book. Now you go through editing which doesn't take a lot on your part. Next (if your book requires this) is illustration. Most of the time the publisher has hired illustrators to work on your book. That step is easy unless you choose to hire someone separately or draw them yourself. Now your book starts the printing process. This is your time to start the hardest part in publishing a book...MARKETING. Most people who dive blindly into publishing a book don't get. Unless you are a famous author YOU the author are expected to do most of the marketing for your book. That means getting a website, contacting book stores, contacting media, and a lot more! This is very hard work. If you a prepared to give up a significant amount of time to promote your book, this is fine. If you expect to sit on your couch and wait for your first paycheck you are sadly mistaken. Put the effort in and it will pay off. I hope I answered your question and If you would like some more specific questions answered about writing and/or publishing please feel free to contact me through my website www.tomatoturtle.com then click "contact". Good luck!



Thomas Strock

Author

Tomato Turtle: A Trip to the Park

www.tomatoturtle.com

Answer 5

Don't worry about any of this until you've gotten something fully written, and then re-written at least twice!



Once that's done, check out the latest issue in your local library of WRITER'S MARKET, and see which publishers produce the kind of book you're writing, e.g. don't go to RANDOM HOUSE with science fiction, don't go to TOR with romances.

Answer 6

fix it up for a while, it may take a year or to and if your still really in to it ask your parents, your friends and any one like relatives to read it and if they all love it tell your parents you want to get it published, like with an agent (the only way for them to look at it) and it will work from then, CHASE UR DREAMS!!!!!!!!