I'm working on a novel that falls under the young adult category. I wonder which publication should I approach

Answer 1

I second everything Obi_San says, with one further statement: YA fiction is a popular and high-selling market. One way to weed through possible publishers is to look through the selection available at the bookstore, or through your own personal collection. Notice which books sell well and which you enjoy reading, which are packaged to attract a market, which publishers seem to be the best at that market. Focus on the publishers that seem to be putting out the same kind of work you're writing. Most publishers these days have websites, so you can use the internet to sort out which publishers are likely to be in tune with your book.

Remember, writing is an art, but it's also a business. Use the same skills and hard eye when publishing as you would use when sending out your CV to employers. That's the only way you'll be able to treat your own work with the respect it deserves.

Answer 2

You will need to finish writing the novel before approaching any agents or publishers about it. Only a handful of the best known authors can sell a fiction book before it has been completed.

Once you have finished writing and done some editting, check out the latest copies of "Writer's Market" and "Guide to Literary Agents". These will have listings of places you can submit your work, as well as their individual submission guideline. Look for places that publish similar works to yours.

I would also highly suggest starting with an agent instead of a publisher. Most publishers don't accept or read unagented manuscripts, so having an agent will give your book a much better shot. Also, agents negotiate contracts and can get you more money and keep more of your rights than you could (unless you are a contract lawyer).

And remember, agents and publishers should NOT charge you anything up front. They get paid when you do.

Happy writing!