Becoming a writer and getting your hard work in print is a very exciting thought. In order to make this happen, young writers will need to work hard to hone their skills. Perseverance, practice and plain old hard work will eventually pay off for a young writer wanting to get their foot in the door of a very competitive industry. The secret to getting work published is never to give up. If your work is rejected, don’t take it personally, just try even harder next time.
Can Young Writers Get Published?
Young writers can get published. There are young writers’ markets out there that cater to writers that are under the age of 18 or 21. Additionally, a young writer can attempt to get their work published by a mainstream agency, although they will be competing with adults, many of whom are professional writers.
It is important for young writers to pay attention to their grammar, punctuation and the look of their work in order to have a chance of getting published. All work should be typed and have a professional looking layout. Young writers can sometimes benefit by getting people like parents, friends or relatives to critique the work to help to see how your progress is coming along.
There are many young writers who have been published before and many more to come. Young writers should apply themselves and, who knows, they could have their work featured in a book or magazine in no time at all.
Where to submit your work for publication?
There are books and magazines that will only allow young writer submissions. To find information on these markets, the book 2007 Children’s Writer’s & Illustrators Market, which is available online, in regular bookstores and in some libraries, is packed full of helpful information and places to submit work. There is a whole chapter in the book dedicated to paying markets. The book also contains information and helpful hints on how to make work look professional and tips from other writers who have had their work published before.
There are also many online communities for young writers that you can join and, as a member, you will be sent newsletters on the latest paying markets. These online communities also offer helpful tips for getting published and the opportunity to have work critiqued by other writers their own age and professional writers.
