A Detroit native transplanted to Michigan 30 years ago, Kathy writes for and about young people.  She is the author of over a dozen books for a young audience, and she has been writing guides for young writers since 1986.  She is also a speaker at schools, libraries, and writing conferences.

I'm holding the sixth edition of The Young Writer's Guide To Getting Published, and noticing you mention that you self-published the first one after it was rejected by Writer's Digest Books.  And yet, Writer's Digest is the publisher of this edition.  How did this happen?

While WDB was the first publisher to reject the proposal for first edition of my book in 1986, it wasn't the only one to reject it. (By the way, editions 1 through 5 were titled Market Guide for Young Writers). The proposal was also "nicely" rejected by Harper Collins and McMillan. However, in response to a sample survey of 25 publishers I did while researching the book (to see if magazine editors, contest sponsors and book publishers would even take the time to supply information to me for listings and profiles), one of the publishers expressed interest in publishing it themselves and offered me a contract with generous terms and advance. It was a small youth-oriented publisher from Washington who is no longer in business as far as I know. To make a long story short, just before completing the final draft and entering production stage, the publisher decided not to publish the book because she wanted to use the funds to help her son start a new business instead. 

So there I sat with a draft of a book I had learned over the course of 3 years was very much needed, very much desired by teachers, librarians, parents and other authors who did school visits. Plus, because most of the listing information for the first edition had been completed by then, a LOT of publishers knew about the project and the growing interest in it, including those like Harper Collins, who remember they liked the initial idea but turned it down and could have easily beat me to press with a similar book of their own.

Since you only get one chance in life to be the first to do something, I decided to take a risk and publish the book myself.  I had some experience publishing in local and regional magazines and newspapers but NO book writing or publishing experience.  But I was smart enough to know what I didn't know.  I contacted the local county newspaper editor who had first encouraged me to write and publish by asking me to write a weekly column.  I asked him if he'd copy-edit the manuscript for me, plus help as liaison with the book printing firm we choose to go with. 

I had no money to fund the project but was able to borrow $6300 from my step-father, which was enough to cover a first printing of 2,500 copies plus the fee the editor and I agreed on for his help.  By then I had also learned that many librarians and schools have policies that restrict them from purchasing self-published books. Since I instinctively knew they were key customers, the editor and I agreed to use the name of his company rather than mine as the publisher of record. And I got to work learning what I needed and could do to market the book.

Now here's the most interesting part.  Just about the same time the first edition was published in May 1986, Writer's Digest Books started its Book Club. A voracious reader of how-to books, I became a charter member. Marketing instinct told me that while WDB hadn't been willing to publish the book, it *might* consider acquiring it for resale through its book club. The book was, after all, within the scope of topics it regularly promoted.  I had John Savage, the newspaper editor whom I had worked with to publish the book, contact WDB. But it was a calculated trip I made to Cincinnati (headquarters for WDB) to attend a Lawrence Block "Write for Your Life" workshop that really got my foot in the door with the powers that be at WD Book Club. They immediately picked up the book, even promoting it as a Featured Alternate, while never guessing the book had actually been self-published by me. <g>

The book sold well enough the first year (primarily through my own marketing efforts) that I made enough in 8 months to pay back the entire loan plus reprint another 2,500 copies. A year later, I accepted an offer from Shoe Tree Press to become the publisher for the 2nd edition.  By the 3rd edition, Shoe Tree Press was acquired by Betterway Publications, and by the time I began working on the 4th Edition, Betterway was acquired by F&W Publications which has several imprints including Writer's Digest Books, which was now delighted to add it to its list. And that's how WDB ended up being the current publisher. 

By the way, I've had an excellent working relationship with WDB since they published the 4th edition. And we've all shared many a good laugh over the history of how WDB became the eventual publisher and the fact no one there ever never knew until recently that I had self-published the first edition. Had they known, it would not have been considered for the book club.

A marvelous twist of fate, don't you think? But it took a pairing of knowledge and opportunity.

Why did you write this book?

The idea first occurred to me after my daughter (then 10) and I discovered that no reference guide existed that was specifically targeted to young writers. At the time, she corresponded regularly with a horse-riding pen-pal in Oklahoma named Mike Snyder. At 11, Mike had already written over 200 short science-fiction stories and 3 novels, and was always asking Amy to ask me for publishing advice once he discovered I wrote for the local weekly paper. We wanted to buy him a book as a Christmas present, since, being relatively new to writing and publishing myself, I didn't know the answers to many of his questions. In reality, researching and writing the book was as much for my benefit as Mike's.  

I was delighted when, following the advice I gave him, he had many manuscripts published. He became the first young writer profiled.  In fact, because of his immediate success, I also did a follow-up profile with him in a later edition.

Your foreword author, Kent Brown, talks about the sense of accomplishment he got from his creative work as a child.  As I read this story, it reminded me of the only thing I remember from the second grade: how proud I was when my teacher sent me to all the other elementary school classes to read a short story I wrote about bunnies.  How much of an impact do you think early recognition of our creative efforts has on our perception of our talents?

I think early recognition of our creative efforts most often has a positive effect on us as youngsters. But lack of recognition, and worse, negative recognition (especially undesired), can have even more of an impact. Unfortunately, this impact often serves to thwart any creative desire we might have, bruises our self-esteem and self-confidence, plus can render us unwilling to see criticism as anything but negative. Some writers are challenged by negative recognition -- adopting an "I'll show them" attitude that helps insulate their egos. But many, if not most, of us simply adopt the belief that one is either a good writer or no good at writing.  They forget, or never learn, that writing is a process, and being a writer, either as a hobby or occupation, is a dynamic, not static, endeavor.  

As with any process, our writing can improve with practice.  That's not to say everyone has the talent to become a great writer (a subjective label in itself!), but everyone can learn to write and to improve their written communications.  Being published, having the desire to be published... to reach a broader audience... is a completely different issue.  And it's the existence of this "different issue" that I work hard to convey to teachers and parents eager to see or get their students' work published.

Are young writers able to deal with rejection?  We adults have such trouble with it that I wonder if it's healthy to prepare them for the "real world" early, or if they don't need anything to discourage their budding talents.

It's a fallacy to believe that rejection, in and of itself, serves to discourage a budding talent. I firmly believe that writers, *especially* young writers... those with genuine interest in writing and getting published... are fully capable of dealing with the possibility, even the likelihood, of being rejected.  In my experience, adults have far more problems with rejection!  This is especially true of teachers and parents eager to see and help their child get published, as well as of adult writers who are finally ready to attempt getting published. 

However, essential to a young writer's being able to cope successfully with rejection is the issue that he or she should be properly prepared for it in advance.  By "properly prepared" I mean the issue should NOT be sugar-coated... no looking for blame everywhere but with their own manuscript OR marketing tactics.  A thorough understanding of how and why manuscripts are accepted or rejected by specific publishers is THE key component to being able to cope with rejection.

That's not to say that the egos of young writers aren't hurt by rejection. They are.  Getting hurt is a risk that we as writers take. If the hurt is more than a young writer wants to bear once or even again, then so be it.  As I point out in my book, with the exception of an educational environment where sharing one's work with a teacher and/or others is part of the schooling, no one... and I mean no one... should be forced to share their work with others, which is exactly what getting published means.

It infuriates me when I hear stories of well-meaning teachers, parents and friends who, without consulting and getting approval from the young writer first, take it upon themselves to submit a manuscript. The excuse is always that they wanted to spare the child's feelings if the piece was rejected.  But that excuse, as valid as it sounds, is not the full truth. Worse, it completed ignores the life-long benefits that can be gained from understanding how and why rejection (of any kind) can occur, as well as learning early to cope with it and go on.

It's been my experience that most times these well-meaning adults have misguided notions and faulty assumptions about how the publishing industry works to begin with.  Many end up making marketing submission mistakes that can cause a rejection. What results is that the ego of that adult takes a whipping. And since they never properly understood the process to begin with, they ultimately, consciously or unconsciously, pass on their negative attitudes about this or that editor, this or that method of submission, or the publishing industry in general, to others, including the young writer they hoped to "help" in the first place.

Teach young writers the process, the standard procedures and why they exist.  Provide them with criteria and tips for when it might be wise to do things differently. Share with them the truths and risks, the opportunities and potential rewards.  Encourage them and nudge them and even challenge them, but at the end of the day, leave it to them to decide when they are ready to open themselves and their work to the challenges, opportunities, and risks involved. Just as some children have little or no interest in pursuing a particular sport or musical instrument, some young writers may never develop the urge to be published enough to want to pursue it.  And in my opinion, that's a perfectly healthy and okay position to take.

By the way, this is exactly the same advice I give, regardless of the age of the writer in question.  Interestingly, I've found young writers far more receptive than adults to learning the nuances involved in getting published.  Adult writers are way too quick to adopt the mindset that all this sounds like to much work; there must be an easier way.  And all those successfully published writers dispensing advice on how to get published are just hording the "secret."

If I'm a parent, and I think my child has an interest in writing, should I encourage him or her to submit to publications and contests?

Yes, definitely.  But please consider all that I've said above. Encouragement is wonderful. Nudging, and even challenging, a reluctant-to-share young writer is appropriate. But don't confuse "encouragement" with action.  Don't fall prey to the misguided thinking and tactics of many well-meaning adults.

How has the publishing climate for young authors changed since you wrote the first edition in 1986?

The publishing climate is both broader and better known than before the first edition was published in 1986. In some regards, the first edition was ahead of its time. In 1986, the "process writing" approach, developed by and for educational purposes, was in its infancy, still in its research and development stage by those now well known as pioneers (such as Nancy Atwater and Dr. Donald Graves).  Now it's a standard component of school curriculums nationwide, and has even gained promoters within schools worldwide. The fifth step of the process writing approach deals with the concept of "publishing." Especially in the beginning, it focused primarily on self and school-sponsored opportunities.

Unfortunately, the academically-oriented advice gave many teachers and parents a misconstrued image of how the professional publishing industry operates. For example, many teachers believe that writers (again, any age writer) with manuscripts that would normally be published with illustrations are responsible for arranging with an illustrator to create the art so that it can be submitted along with the manuscript to a potential publisher. The reality is that almost nothing more readily flags a submission as being from an amateur. And while editors are usually eager to find new talent, they are hesitant to work with individuals who haven't at least demonstrated that they've taken the time to learn basic submission procedures. The underlying fear is that such an individual will also not understand the standard authority and responsibilities of how an editor works. Few editors want to subject themselves to working with writers who may whine at every cut of the editorial pen or suggestion meant to improve the manuscript.

Overall however, far more opportunities to be published exist for young writers than ever before. Unfortunately, "more" does not equal "better." As I point out in my book, and to writers of all ages when I do seminars and workshops, each writer must decide for himself the quality of the publishing opportunities that exist. If one just "wants to be published" and really has no burning desire to further develop and possibly improve one's writing ability, then there are plenty of markets and contests available that offer "guaranteed" acceptance and publication.  For anyone with a true interest in writing, then it's the writing that matters, not whether or not a particular manuscript "got published."

Incidentally, my guide was the first marketing guide, even among those targeted to adults and professionals, that specifically solicited and featured information and guidelines for online publishing opportunities. This was still when the Internet was just being developed and the World Wide Web (WWW) just an idea. 

How did you get your start as a writer?

Seems most writers say they *knew* they wanted to be a writer by about third grade. Although, looking back, I realize I had always relied on writing writing as a way to express myself or share my feelings, I never considered being or becoming a writer. In fact, I backed into it completely by accident one day when I wrote a letter to the editor because I disagreed with an editorial that had run in the brand new local rural weekly county newspaper.  I wrote the letter to get the issue off my chest. However, unbeknownst to me, my husband mailed the letter along with the rest of the outgoing mail that day. 

The next day the editor called me, said he had received the letter, was going to publish it, liked my style (I didn't comprehend what he meant at the time), and would I consider taking over The Farmer's Wife column?  I've been writing and publishing ever since.

You found some mighty impressive young writers to continued their stories to this book.  How do you find out about these writers?

Ooooo, that's my very favorite aspect of working on each new edition.  I've never found a lack of successful young writers to choose from. I learn about some from the letters and email they send, others are recommended by parents, teachers or others in the publishing industry. Still others come as a direct request from me once I've decided which particular markets and contests I'd like to showcase in the two profile chapters of the next edition.

As much as possible, I like to profile both an editor or contest sponsor as well as a young writer with ties to the same market or contest. That provides readers with two unique perspectives, and hopefully prompts young writers to think more about differences within each publishing opportunity. By doing so, writers are better equipped to make realistic choices about where they should consider submitting each individual manuscript or proposal that they write. The bottom line is that writers of any age can dramatically up the odds of getting their work accepted *if* they are first willing to take the time and effort needed to do this sort of comparative research.  If there is a secret to getting published, this is it!

Are young writers expected to follow the same protocol for submissions as adult writers, or are they given more leeway?

Yes... and no.  It depends entirely upon the particular market or contest in question.  Most will say right out that the only thing judged is the value of the manuscript itself.  Good writing is good writing, no matter what the age of the writer. More importantly, a manuscript is judged by whether it *meets the needs* of the publication.  If leeway is given, it's more likely to be with regard to how a manuscript is formatted.  For instance, some markets and contests will accept handwritten work from children (some even insist on it!).

However, anytime a writer can demonstrate a respect for the submission process and the role of editors by following the guidelines for properly formatting and mailing a manuscript, they immediately increase the odds of having their manuscript considered for publication. 

Many unpublished writers will argue that it should be the writing that matters, not the format. However, if it's true (and I believe it is) that it is the writing that matters, why would any writer want to have something so easily fixed as a sloppily formatted manuscript detract from an editor's impression of the words on the page before him? If a writer doesn't respect his or her writing enough to present it in the best way possible, why should an editor care about it?  And if the editor doesn't care, the writing may not get a reading at all. The result is a rejected manuscript.

Are there many paying markets for young writers?

Since very few markets prohibit submissions from young writers, theoretically young writers have access to as many paying markets as do adult writers. More realistically, however, since 1986 I've found fewer paying markets specifically interested in submissions by young writers.

This decline can be attributed on one hand to the many publishing opportunities afforded by the Internet these days, and on the other hand to the increasing costs faced by traditional publishers. The good news is that the number of contests with substantial monetary prizes for students has increased. Many of these contests, such as Voice of Democracy Scholarships, are not specifically designed to attract and reward young writers per se. But an opportunity is an opportunity in my book. 

In your book, you mention several well-known writers who began their careers young.  What are some of your favorite stories of young writers who became successful?

My all-time favorite is about Gordon Korman, who published his first five novels (with Scholastic, no less!) before graduating high school. Gordon was one of the "celebrity young writers" profiled in the 5th edition. (Stephen King was the other.) He's a portion of how Gordon described what occurred:

"I owe my whole career to my seventh grade English teacher. He was actually the track and field coach. I think the main reason he gave us the assignment to write a book was that he didn't have much prior experience teaching English, and so he had no file of assignments from which to draw ideas to keep us busy. He gave us four months, forty-five minutes a day to work on the story of our choice. The average kid wrote about twenty-five pages total. My finished manuscript was eighty-five!

"My project was This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall, which became my first published book. (It was published with very little editing, except that my original chapter twelve was split into two chapters.) I happened to be the class monitor for the Scholastic TAB Book Club, so I figured I was practically a Scholastic employee already! I sent my novel to the address on the TAB flyer, and a few days after my thirteenth birthday, I had a book contract with Scholastic (Canadian division)."

Incidentally, in school, Gordon's book project only earned him a B+. When people ask me if that was a fair grade my answer is always yes.  Folks have to remember that the purpose and the audience for whom one writes in school is a different "market" than that of a publisher.

When considering manuscripts, a publisher's first responsibility is to acquire manuscripts that he feels would appeal to the publication's readers. The value of a manuscript must always be judged that way. Remembering that helps writers understand why what may seem a lesser quality manuscript is accepted when their well-written one was rejected.

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Visit Kathy's young writers' website at http://www.youngwriternetwork.com. 

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