publisher who publish a book written by a teen?

Question

an actual book not a dumb short story thats like two paragraphs long. i just got turned down by a publisher because they only accept 18 yr olds and up...

so no agents, no self publishing. plz help!!!!

Answer 1

Have you tried looking in the Writer's Market?

Also, you may want to start with writing some short stories or articles for magazines to gain some experience and credibility. That can help you make an argument for a publisher to take a chance on you.

Good luck!

Answer 2

I think you're reading the wrong books... or hanging out in the wrong bookshop(s). There is no right way or wrong way for a novel to be structured. Readers are impatient these days, possibly because of the influence of television and movies, possibly because their lifestyles don't allow long blocks of time for reading. They don't want to read pages and pages before something actually happens. They might have half an hour every day to read something, say while commuting or while having lunch. The author feels they have to give the reader a reason to keep reading during that time, which is why modern books tend to be written in shorter chapters, with a cliffhanger or page-turner at the end of each one. The publishing industry, like most others these days, is run by bean counters and marketing drones. They're all engaged in pissing contests to see who can sell the most copies, or who can spend the most weeks on the bestseller lists. To their way of thinking, it's much better to have one book that sells a million copies than ten books that each sell 100,000. There are economies of scale, so the former doesn't cost as much. Marketing people aren't good at coming up with new ideas. Most of their thinking amounts to "My competitor did X and was successful. Therefore if I do X, I'll be successful too." But often they don't understand what made X a success, and only copy the superficial similarities. And I'm rambling and missing the point, so I'll shut up now.

Answer 3

I'm amazed at all the people who seem to be anti-agent lately. You do know that they work on commission so you don't have to pay them, right? And that they can get your work through the slush pile and onto the right editors desk? And that they can negotiate contracts and understand all the legal jargon you are going to have to deal with?

Also, why did you mention your age up front? I hope that it's not in your query letter, because there is no reason for it!

I hope that you have found a copy of the newest edition of Writer's Market and perused it thoroughly for publishers. We cannot tell you where to submit your book because every publisher handles different genres and styles. You didn't tell us ANYTHING about your book! What if I were to recommend a romance publisher to you, only to find out you wrote fantasy? Obviously it would be a waste of time.

Lastly, here are some websites that can help. Read them thoroughly and research, research, research! Pay special attention to Miss Snark, because her archives can answer any question you ever have about publishing:
http://www.publishersmarketplace.com
http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/
http://www.agentquery.com/
http://www.misssnark.blogspot.com

Answer 4

If you find out, email me at [e-mail]

I'm 15 years old and I have written a 244 page book, but can't find any publishers either

♥

Answer 5

Sadly, im facing the same problem. I'm 15, which seems young, but I've written one too. I cant seem to find a publisher though..

Answer 6

I would look for this book:
The Young Writer's Guide to Getting Published. by Kathy Henderson. It is tailored specifically to young writers and will have the information you need.

http://www.amazon.com/Young-Writers-Guide-Getting-Published/dp/1582970572/ref=sr_1_3/102-9055896-6859345?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182377499&sr=8-3

There are others like it as well:
http://www.amazon.com/Market-Guide-Young-Writers-Where/dp/0898797217/ref=pd_sim_b_3/102-9055896-6859345?ie=UTF8&qid=1182377499&sr=8-3

http://www.amazon.com/Teens-Guide-Getting-Published-Recognition/dp/1593631820/ref=pd_sim_b_1/102-9055896-6859345?ie=UTF8&qid=1182377499&sr=8-3

http://www.amazon.com/Teens-Guide-Getting-Published-Jessica/dp/1882664221/ref=sr_1_1/102-9055896-6859345?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182377499&sr=8-1

Another option is to look at which companies have previously published young authors. Recently Nancy Yi Fan ( a 13 year old) published "Swordbird" (a novel) with HarperCollins.


Good Luck!