How to get published

[kargo]

If you read my essay, you probably figured out that I really want to be published. I know that it's not easy, especially considering I'm a minor. Does anyone have good advice? To read a sample of my stuff, PM me. I write short stories, poems, (two short stories and a poem have been published) songs, and books. I promise that my stuff is not run-of-the mill. I am not saying I am perfect, but I am saying that I've had a lot of people, strangers included, tell me that my writing is good. I am not asking for a big guide, but I'm asking for things like how to know which publishers are reputable, should I consider getting an agent, if so, where could I find a good agent? You get the idea. I'll take any advice, and to get a sample of my books (what I'm trying to get published) please send me a PM. Critques greatly appreciated.

Here are a few of my writings.

This is a short story I wrote about 5 years ago after my dog went missing. This one has been published.

“Roxy!” “Roxy!” the worried family called. Their dog, Roxy, had turned up missing. She was a beautiful Dalmatian, with what was to them one of the most beautiful coats in the world. Each deep black spot sparkled and gleamed in the sun.
“Roxy!” Alexis, the youngest daughter, shouted worriedly. Roxy was everything to her. They played together. They learned together. They were mischievous together. Of course, they did this in varied ways. Roxy would trash the house; Alexis would prank her siblings. Both, of course, got into heaps of trouble. Roxy was her best friend. She was in a frenzy. Her very best friend had disappeared.
“Okay, I guess we’ll go searching now.” Alex, the father, said, heading towards the car, the keys jingling as the swung in his hand. The family got into the car and rode around the neighborhood, searching high and low for their pet.
“I miss Roxy.” Maria, the oldest daughter, said worriedly. “I hope she’s okay, too.” Maria added. The family searched their neighborhood thoroughly. They had stopped at almost every house, but no one had seen Roxy. Every one else was not home, so they certainly couldn’t provide any evidence of what had happened. Maria and Alexis sighed sadly. Tears shone brightly in their eyes. Their loyal dog, who meant everything in the world to them, had gone missing. What a terrible thought it was. If only they could do something to help. They put up posters. They posted pictures of her everywhere. Roxy, however, was still nowhere to be found. They needed her, and right now, she needed them. After all, how would she find food? They had always looked out for each other. Roxy had always been protective. They sometimes referred to her as their guard dog. They tried to remember good times with her to help comfort them as they searched. It was getting too late. They could not possibly search anymore that night. It had gotten too dark. It was dark and the air was filled with rain clouds. Had the weather been better, they may have stayed out and searched with flashlights, but as it was it was simply no use. They decided to go home. Just as they got inside, a huge thunderstorm began. Maria and Alexis sat at the window, sadly looking out. As they watched each drop of rain roll down the window, tears rolled down their cheeks as well, each in harmony. Maria and Alexis hugged. Everyone in the family worried. They all thought she was strong, but none of them were sure if she could survive. They decided to look at pictures of Roxy to keep them entertained. The sadness was a hard blow to them. They missed her. They didn’t want to wait until the next day to search again, but they had to. Sighing, Maria and Alexis went to bed. They had dreams about Roxy. They were happy dreams. Roxy was back home safe and sound. If only it were true.
The next morning, they ate breakfast gloomily. Then they went to search for Roxy again. Yet again, their beloved pet was nowhere to be found. They searched for what seemed like eons longer. They still did not find her. The family stopped for a lunch break, each enjoying their own sandwich. They went home and went to bed late that night.
On the third day, they searched again. Still, they found nothing. When the girls searched the park, they were deeply saddened, and reminded of their beloved pet. Dogs and owners seemed to be everywhere.
The fourth day, Maria and Alexis were at soccer practice. They were playing very poor games. Their heartache took away their focus. Suddenly, they saw something moving in the distance. “No.” they thought, “It can’t be true.” However, it was. Roxy was running towards them. The family reunited.
Maria and Alexis screamed simultaneously, “Roxy! I love you!” Their dog rushed towards them. They gave her gigantic hugs. Everything was back to normal. That is the Lexington’s story of what true love is all about.
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This is an unfinished story about a princess whose parents were ashamed of her and no one knew she existed.

The Forgotten Princess

Staring out of her window, a lonely young teenager looked unhappy. The view wasn’t of much. All she could see below her were a few trees and a grassy lawn. Sighing, the girl drew her pink drapes closed. She reached down to pet her companion, a sleeping mutt. “Jenna, I’m so tired of all of this.” The girl said. Absentmindedly, she reached up to touch the jeweled crown on her head.

The girl was a princess, but she wasn’t treated like one. She only left the castle once every year, and then her parents tried to hide her from the public eye as much as they could. Only the princess knew why they hid her. The peasants had their speculations, but they would never know for sure. The truth was that her parents, the King and Queen, were embarrassed of her. They were hiding from the public that their daughter was different than most princesses. Princess Anna was very delicate. She was often sick. Consequently, the princess stayed in her room almost all of the time. The only time she left, it was to eat. Even then, she was not allowed to eat with the rest of the royal family. They were all afraid that they would catch something from her. They had themselves convinced that they loved her and did everything they could for her, but this wasn’t true. If they had really loved her, they would have allowed her to be around them. Instead of trying to be kind to her, any members of the family, even her brothers, would turn away and drop eye contact quickly. Some of the servants who worked directly for the royal family would do just the same. When the princess was well enough, she grew bored of her neglect and imprisonment in her room. Jenna and her own personal servant, Sarah, who was also her best friend, were her only visitors.

As she sat on her bed, staring down at her pink sheets decorated with jewels in the shape of hearts, she heard a fanfare. The princess walked over to her window and drew back the shades. She couldn’t see the courtyard from her window, but as she listened hard, she heard cheers and other indistinct talking. Soon she heard the sound of the royal family’s carriage as the wheels hit the brick floor of the courtyard. A few tears escaped from her eyes as she looked out the window. She couldn’t see it, but she knew what was happening. The event had been planned for months. The rest of her family was going to vacation for a week in a remote place. Anna hadn’t even been told the location of their getaway, but she knew it was today that they were leaving. They were leaving her behind again. “Hey.” A soft, familiar voice spoke from behind her, and she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. It was Sarah. Anna turned to look at her best friend. Sarah didn’t have to say anything. Anna knew she meant to comfort her. Sighing, the young princess wondered allowed, “Why did I have to be a little different?” She asked it with a frown. Sarah put an arm around her friend. “I don’t know, but I’m happy with you being the way you are.” She said softly.

With her family gone, Anna left her room. The young princess and her best friend went for a walk along the edge of the castle grounds. As Anna and Sarah walked, they both grew more aware of their beautiful surroundings. “I can’t even remember the last time we did this.” Anna confessed to Sarah. The servant girl nodded. “It’s nice out here, isn’t it?” she said. Anna smiled. “Wonderful.” She agreed, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air for the first time that year. The spring flowers were in bloom, and they added to the beauty of the castle. The walk was leisurely and relaxing. Both girls enjoyed it. Anna especially enjoyed the fresh air.
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[ChickensRCool]

My SIL took a writing class and the "winner" of the class then had his/her work sent to different publishers. My SIL "won" and has had four books published so far.

I think the class explained how to get your works published as well.
Good Luck.

 

[ebwy]

Get an agent, most publishers very rarely read unsolicited work. It might be different over there than here in the UK though.

Make sure the text you send has correct spelling & grammar.

Also, print it on A4, double-spaced.
Only send the first 3 chapters and a synopsis of the rest - if they want more they'll ask fr it.

(that's about all I can remember from the "how to get published" book I read years ago)

 

[Chicken Chaperone]

One thing I would suggest is to look at the books that you like, that have been published, and see who published them. Check out the publishers, see if they have websites and either young writers programs or contests.

There are a lot of small publishing houses out there that might be more interested in starting an unknown that the big firms might be. If you find that a good portion of your witting falls into a particular genre then it might
be worthwhile to look into which small publishers specialize in that genre. For example- Native American Literature... there is a small publishing group called BirchBark Books that helps new writers in that genre get published.
It concentrates on that genre and by doing so is able to keep a finger on the pulse of what is new and interesting out there and is able to see what might otherwise fly right under the radar of some of the bigger publishing
firms. (Sorry about mixing my metaphors so badly back there..)

Another thing to think about is- are there any authors that you admire that are published who are accessible? Anyone you like who keeps a blog or seems to enjoy corresponding with their readers? That might be a
wonderful resource if you could ask questions of them, how they started, what their advice might be, etc.

Another is to never stop writing AND reading. The more you read, the more you learn. Everything from grammar and sentence structure to style, form and content. Learn what you like and why. Sort out what appeals to you
in other people's writing and what doesn't and that alone will help you further clarify your 'voice' as an author.

One thing I would suggest you put some thought to is 'what is it about being published that appeals to you'? Is having a readership, fame or that acknowledgement important to you or do you write because you must- with little regard for
whether or not it is read? I write because the words are there. They just are- whether it be a story or a poem or whatever. The words are there and if I don't get them on paper they just swim around in my noggin ad infinitum which makes
me crazy. I've never been published. It never seemed necessary to my process but when I started throwing my stuff into a blog with a visitor counter and my hits were in the thousands it astounded me! It's nice but doesn't matter much
in the long run of my witting. Your motivations may be similar or may be totally different. I don't pass judgement on either stance. Some folks envy notoriety and fame and that's all good. Some folks like the nods of approval and recognition
of their work. Nuthin' wrong with that. But it might be a question worthwhile for you to look at, think about, chew on, whatever.

best of luck to you and if you ever want to pick my unpublished brain I lay it wide open for you and say welcome, c'mon in!

Meely

 

[DuckyBoys]

Here is the best place to get all the info you could ever want - and some you didn't but will still need!
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/

 

[chinbunny]

Watch repeating your words, and esp names in your paragraphs. Instead of saying roxy all the time, change it up a bit with 'the dog' . A couple of examples.

“Roxy!” “Roxy!” the worried family called. Their dog, Roxy, had turned up missing. She was a beautiful Dalmatian, with what was to them one of the most gorgeous coats in the world. Each deep black spot sparkled and gleamed in the sun.
“Here girl!” Alexis, the youngest daughter, shouted worriedly. Her dog was everything to her. They played, learned, and were mischievous together. Of course, they did this in varied ways. Roxy would trash the house; Alexis would prank her siblings. Both, of course, got into heaps of trouble. The dalmation was her best friend. The young girl was worried with frenzy because she was gone.

Ok you don't have to do it *that way,* but just trying to give you an idea of what I mean.

Sometimes its difficult to edit your own work. i have been interested in getting a story published too. I have learned that the best thing to do is to write, and keep on writing no matter what. Pour your heart and soul into it. Edit it once. Leave it alone for a couple of weeks. then go back and edit it again.

creatspace is a good place to start if you are interested in publishing something yourself. Its free. The advice given on the forums is wonderful. just google it and you will find it. The book section of the amazon.com forums is good too.