Please give your honest opinion on this....?

Question

My sister is only sixteen and she has written this amazing science fiction novel during her school holidays. I was dumbfounded after reading it as the idea that she convayed is simply something that we don't really get to see in ordinery science fiction novels. It is indeed very fresh idea.... She is not so keen about it but I am taking this very seriously. I even think it can develop into a full length movie!!!! What can be my first step? Do you think sending the script to various publisher via the internet is reliable? please tell me what can i do...

Answer 1

The business works like this...if you are writing fiction, the manuscript MUST be finished before an agent will even read a quarry letter. If you successfuly get an agent, *congratulations*, then you may have a good shot at getting that story into a meaningful market.

Your first chore is to get permission to write, and don't stop until the masterpiece is completed.

Second chore is to start sending out quarry letters to agents. These letters are a brief introduction of the story. They have a precise format that MUST be followed. The agent's website will give you instructions. They will NOT accept a manuscript without them asking for it. When they do ask for one, they will tell you to "snail mail" it to them. Some agents will allow you to do it online. With the "snail mail", as long as you have included proper postage, the manuscript will be returned to you if it is not suitable for the agency. If you send it online, make sure they belong to the National Agent's Foundation, or they cannot be trusted.

Third chore is waiting and never giving up when the agents start sending you "no thank you's". Keep resubmitting your quarry letters.

Fourth chore is to maintain a strong upper lip. The rejections will hurt!

Fifth chore is to get that agent's ok. and you sign the deal. It will change your life forever.

Answer 2

Be careful who you send it to. You could lose it without having any proof of ownership. First, make a copy of the complete work. Second, seal the original in a box or envelope and mail it (registered or double registered) to yourself. Third, take that package and put it into a safe deposit box. Now, you have proof of ownership, which gives you the copy rights.
Next, take PART of the copy and send it to a reputable publisher (one who deals with that type of material) and have it evaluated. There may be a charge for that. You will find out soon enough if the story is as good as you say it is.
There are a million people in front of you trying to accomplish the same thing, so be prepared to spend a lot of time on this. If you are offered any money for the novel, do some research before you sell. If one person wants it, someone else may want it, more.

Answer 3

If the novel is so good, perhaps you should contact a literary agent who specialises in science fiction and ask them for their opinion. It may be publishable. Look at http://www.aar-online.org/mc/page.do this website to see who may be appropriate. If the novel gets published you could then see if there's any interest in developing a script from it. Agents know what they are doing and can approach the right people for you.

Alternately, you and your sister could work on a script together, or you could, and send that to a similar literary or talent agency. But be careful what agents you use - the above site has a list of trustworthy ones.

Answer 4

I think you should ask her if ou can mail it (or a short story based on part of it) to a Sci Fi magazine. She'll have a more interested audience, than if she just started dealing with random publishers. You might think about looking for an agent. Agents typically specialize and you can find out form the Internet about the breakdown between types of work their clients have published. The first reference will help you understand and look for an agent.
The other two references are sci fi magazine Web pages that might have information that would be helpful to you.

Answer 5

I've written a lot of things for contests and stuff...
First, get her premission, then send it to several publishers. If one of them likes it, sell it to them. If all of them like it, pick the one that offers the most cash. It might be smart to hold back on some things, so that they become a bigger hit later. Or maybe she'll want to split the story in half so that she can make more off of a sequell. As far as movie rights...don't get into that untill you've made it a written hit.
I'd like to see it...what is it about?

Answer 6

first thing you should do is to put a copy into an envelope and mail it to yourself. Keep it sealed in a safe place. The postal stamp on the envelope will be proof of ownership should someone steal the story does the line. Just make sure you don't open the envelope!

Good luck with publishing!

Answer 7

Your first step should be to see what she wants to do with HER work. Some writers want their work to be seen, some don't. Don't jeopardize her gift by pushing her to publish. If she finds the desire to pursue publication, then do some research on writing query letters and finding agents. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creative Writing would be a nice holiday gift. If she does decide to publish, she should steer clear of PublishAmerica.

Answer 8

start with an editor no matter how good you think it is you still need someone who has had years of training under this field...also before it turns into a movie it should be a published book first because it was written as a book not a script

Answer 9

find a good publisher and mail the script to them and they will look at it and send a reply. do not give up on the first try. rejection is part of the game. keep trying, and maybe have it published in a maghazine like readeres digest or something. good luck and merry christmas.
p.s. please dont forget that you send a copy of the script or keep a copy which ever but keep one for yourself.

Answer 10

This may sound old fashioned, but the best place to start would probably be your local public library. Librarians should know all about the process and should be able to guide you through it in the best way possible.