Publish a Book at a Young Age

Tons of kids want to write their own storybooks, but there are certain steps you should follow while writing. Writing a book can be hard, and many people are disappointed when they do not achieve their goals. With the correct advice, your dream may become reality!

Steps

Finding Ideas

  1. Brainstorm. Watch a favorite film, read a book or write down a dream that inspired you. Think about things that motivate you or spark your passion––these can be great topics for a book and you'll be enthusiastic about putting it together.
    • Take notice of how an author of a favorite book of yours describes things and the balance between description and action.
    • Make a list of possible topics for your novel, and pick the one that suits you best. Sometimes when people want to write a book, the first thing they do is choose a title. Well, that's not how it should be! The best way to choose a title is to write the story first, and then choose a title to match your story. Don't write your story to match your title.

Planning and Writing Your Book

  1. Choose a way to write your book. You can type it on the computer, or write it in your journal. Whatever makes you more comfortable. Either way, you're going to end up typing it.
  2. Think before you write. Don't just write down the first words that pop into your head. Put a short plan together that describes the book and what direction you want to take it in. If it has characters, develop them on paper first. If it's a novel, what is your plot or story line?
    • Thesauruses can be a great help when trying to avoid simple or repetitive words.
    • Never write a word you do not know the meaning of, check it through a dictionary first. Nothing will happen if you write the first chapter with words you don't know what they mean!
  3. Write the story. Set aside a regular time for writing the book and stick to this so that it gets finished. If you need to do research, set aside extra time for this too.
    • Research can be done online, via real-life interviews with people you know or with experts, and by visiting the library and reading books on your topic.
  4. Do not rush. Writing a book is not a competition for who can write the fastest. Take your time, especially when thinking of your ideas for the next paragraph.
    • If you get stuck, it is good to take a break from the writing and come back to it when you feel refreshed. A few days, even a week, might be helpful sometimes.
  5. Once you've started writing, the worst thing you can do is procrastinate (put it off to another day). You may start the book at age 15 and end it at age 45 if you let this happen! Sometimes it's easy to get sick of working on the book that you're editing, and then want to jump into writing another, but don't! Instead, persevere and continue your first project. It will feel amazing once you get it done,and you will actually feel accomplished (unlike how you would feel if you put it off....)

Editing

  1. Once you have finished, edit the book and make any changes needed. The story you write first will not be what ends up being published––now is the time to "polish" your work and remove anything that doesn't enhance the story or book, fix grammatical errors and ensure consistency.
    • Read your work out loud. This is better than reading in your head for noticing any mistakes or rooms for improvement can be found faster and more efficiently.
    • Try to balance long sentences amongst the short ones.This will avoid boredom and create a smooth rhythm in your writing. Do this often, until it is close, or even is, perfect!

Asking for Reviews

  1. Get a teacher or adult to edit it and make sure everything is accurate. You might want to do this with several people you know, to get a well-rounded amount of feedback on your work. Ask for advice and suggestions and correction for your story or work.
    • If someone doesn't like something you've written, chances are, a lot of people won't. Take it in your stride and follow their advice to make changes. Sometimes it's frustrating when you've just worked extremely hard on writing something, and then have all your friends and family tell you that you did a million things wrong, but see this as constructive criticism. Use it to improve your work.
  2. Make final decisions about what stays in and what is taken out. After considering the comments and suggestions of other people, you're still the author, and you have the final decision on what goes in your book and what doesn't.

Making Copies of the Book

  1. Add any pictures, backgrounds, colors, etc. to your story. Use your favorite word processing program and image-fixing program.
  2. Use a colored printer to print out your story.
    • You might like to use a printer with two-sided printing; that way the book will have text at the back of the page, like a real book. That said, check with publisher requirements first, as they may prefer single pages (not bound).
  3. If you want a copy for yourself, make a hard covered book (you can make it with cardboard). Put the book together by sewing or stapling it. (Sewing is recommended).
  4. Make a PDF or eBook for emailing to publishers. If you're sending printed hard copies, check with the publisher for the correct format and any other requirements.

Getting the Book Published

  1. Follow all guidelines of agents/publishers before querying.
  2. Keep sending your book to publishers until it works out. You will probably get lots of rejections. But persevere––it only takes one "yes" to get through and be published.

Tips

  • Persistence is a virtue! J.K Rowling's first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, was rejected twelve times before she found a publisher that loved it.
  • All authors make mistakes, don't get upset if you do.
  • When deciding on your title it is okay to change it and take suggestions from other people. Also, it is good to finish the book, then decide on a title, for this gives an idea of the story line.
  • If you are really young chances are there aren't many openings for you, but don't get discouraged! Try talking to someone like your literary teacher at school and if your teacher likes it chances are others will too.
  • Publishers usually end up choosing title and book covers, so don't fret about those.
  • Always flex your mind, you may have a great idea but there may be something better in your head!
  • Be prepared for a let-down. Some things in life don't go smoothly. It could be a publisher rejects your book, it doesn't sell, etc.
  • Be sure to have an interesting beginning that will make the reader want to continue reading. If you're a little-known author, odds are, publishers won't have much interest in you in the first place. The key to getting a book published is having an interesting beginning that will compel your editors to read further.
  • Be very creative and don't say in your mind "my story is bad"; things always happen.
  • Get into the habit of writing and reading. This will help you get to know great words and ideas to get you started in writing a new story.
  • Read your story to your friends! They will certainly love it, give you some advice, but in the end say it was great and that your book should be published. This will give you a lot more confidence in your book.
  • Read other books that you like and get inspired by them!
  • Once you have your storyline planned out and then begin writing. You don't need to think very hard -- you edit it later!
  • Ask your parents to help you with publishing the final product.
  • Be sure to create interesting and unique characters for your story. People are more likely to enjoy a story with memorable characters.
  • Incorporate vivid verbs to express the story's main point. Also, the verbs can help to include details and will keep the reader interested.
  • Remember even if others don't like the book you are still the author; you can choose to still publish it.
  • Whenever you are somewhere that you believe might look like a setting in your book, pay attention! It's always best - and more realistic - to base at least part of your setting off somewhere you can see.
  • Be descriptive! It helps your reader envision the current scene.
  • Watch movies and read other books to get inspired!
  • Don't go for the titles you're not passionate about. If you enjoy the topic you're writing on, your readers will too.
  • Be positive and creative. You probably want to write a book thinking that if this wasn't yours, you would still read it.
  • Try to make it as interesting as possible . Best if it includes humour,suspense, along with a gripping storyline.

Warnings

  • Don't rely on Google to find publishers! The first results that pop up are usually scams. Find an agent on the AAR (Association of Author Representatives) and query them.
  • Always research your concept, book name etc. If you don't, you might end up with a bad copyright lawsuit on your hands.
  • Writing a book takes time. If you are a procrastinator, this is the perfect time to work on this nasty little habit.
  • Do not expect to have a best-seller on your first go. 99% of writers do not do this. It does not mean you're a failure, it just means your getting better.
  • Make sure you understand that after you publish your book the money won't come raking in. It takes time for these things to happen - publishers and bookstores keep a percentage of the profit.
  • Don't rush your book just to get it published at a young age; you'll end up with a half-baked book. Take the time to perfect it; this may take years, but you'll sell more books this way, even without the free publicity of being a 15-year-old published author.

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