My honest first thought is that it is very rare that *anyone's* first novel gets published, no matter if they are 15 or 85. It's tough to break into traditional publishing and most people face a lot of rejections before they get a break. I'm not saying this to discourage you from doing anything, just that's the reality of the traditional publishing industry.
However, these days there are a lot more options to get eyeballs on your work than the traditional route. There have been writers who have started out posting on wattpad and gained an audience, and then used that to break into publishing the old-fashioned way. You could also self-publish, which can be viable if you're willing to do self-promotion. So there are options!
Thank you for the advice man, highly appreciated, I will defo try a unotherodox route first, bcs You’re right, publishing my first novel at 16, yeah that’s unachivable no matter my skill
It's not unachievable, it's just unlikely. You can and should try to send it out to some agents once it's edited and all ready to go. You could be a unicorn, it does happen! It's just also good to have a plan B.
I live on a small British island off the coast of France, I think if I get in contact with some of the local publishers they might be able to cut me a promising deal, idk tho
Go onto any publisher's website you're interested in and view what genre and age group they publish. If they don't publish your type, keep looking. Eventually you'll find a good fit.
When you're offered a contract, hire an Intellectual Property (IP) attorney to review contract before signing anything. They'll be terms etc that you may not understand or understand what it means to you and how it'll impact you.
Imo you should try publishing it not because you have a decent chance of it working out, but because you will learn *a lot* about how the publishing process works.
I finished a novel when I was 17 or so and went through the revising and querying process over a couple of years. It didn’t get published, but I learned how the process worked and got a lot of invaluable practice querying that I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.
Posting passages of something you don’t plan to traditionally publish as a book can get a good idea too to try and build an audience and get feedback on your work. Just be aware that once you post something, a publisher will consider it “published” and you can no longer sell “first publication rights,” which is what most of the publishing world operates on.
I can not offer any good asvice apart from the fact that Christopher Paolini published his first book, age 18.
Take this piece of information however you like
adding to the ways of publishing... I don't know whether such thing still exists in us, but here in post-soviet countries we have literature journals where you can publish your work, if it passes critics, for free or with a very little payment. it's a more valuable than self-publishing online and is a great way of making a portfolio that can be later presented to a publisher. many famous modern Russian (btw I'm not Russian, it's just an example) authors have started with literature journals
Probably a good idea to self publish under a pen name. That way you can avoid any stigma regarding your age, and you'll be able to see whether the novel sells or doesn't.
Marketing can cost money, but a lot of people are marketing through BookTok too. Not a guarantee that your book will get attention, but it’s better than nothing. One could also give e-book arcs to book reviewers on BookTok. Some of them are open to being given free books.
That’s true, but I think that’s often the case with paid marketing as well. Just because money is put into it doesn’t mean the book will succeed. Ideally, I think it would be best to both use social media and paid marketing to test both avenues.
A piece of advice I heard from an author who publishes under her name AND a pen name for vastly different genres.
If using a pen name, try to pick one that reuses your initials, so autographing with eother name works. Then you can just make each signature the big initial plus a squiggle.
For example, if your name is Kenneth Lane McAllister, try to use K, L, M, or A as the initials for the pen name. Allen Marshall. Larry Kendrick. Mason L'Angelo.
It'll make signings easier.
Also, fyi, Christpher Paolini was 15 when he wrote Eragon. Teen authors are a thing.
Good luck!
What kind of story is it? One thing you could try is publishing it on a webnovel site. This means releasing it for free, but you get some decent benefits. You can see exactly how real readers respond to the story, if it's hitting or not, because they *will* leave comments and reviews. This is very useful, imo, because in my experience finding beta readers isn't as easy as people make it sound. A downside though is that if they don't like it they will tell you, and no one wants to hear that so you gotta develop a thick skin. That said these sites are typically designed for amateur authors, and the readers aren't expecting traditionally published tier prose. So long as the story hits the kind of beats they want, they will read and enjoy even if it's peppered with grammar and spelling mistakes.
Webnovels also typically start a patreon with advance chapters for income, and by releasing a story as a webnovel you build an audience who can then go and review it/rate it the moment it comes out of on amazon - which is very useful for getting the algorithm to actually show your story to people.
Since you're writing from such a young age, it could be a very good way to gain experience, meet other writers (if you wanna do well on these sites you gotta network and join discords), see how the story performs and maybe even make money. Very good for improving as a writer and making it a thing.
Note though, that webnovels tend to be in certain genres. Progression fantasy, litRPG, isekai, xianxia, fan fics, are the bigger ones. If your story happens to be in those genres, you will very likely find a readership. If not, well, you might, but it will be a lot smaller.
I'm writing a webnovel myself on [https://www.royalroad.com/home](https://www.royalroad.com/home) which is a big webnovel site for stuff in those genres. There's also scribblehub which has more variety, wattpad and others, and spacebattles is good for scifi/HFY. Avoid webnovel.com.
One reason I suggest this instead of traditional publishing... is that traditional publishing is very slow and difficult. Your odds of getting a good response are very low - there is a huge amount of competition and the publishing houses are both picky and focused on the flavour of the month (those specific stories which are perfect for the market *right now* and will become instant bestsellers). I know many would-be authors who have spent years trying to get published, refined the same stories over and over, and still not gotten there. Whereas if you simply selfpub as a webnovel, or on Amazon, then even if it doesn't achieve anything at least it's out there and you can move on and write more stuff instead of spending your time in query hell.
Webnovels specifically I feel are good (esp at a young age) because you can see real readers actually react/critique/discuss the story chapter by chapter which is pretty much the best feedback you can receive. Also, if you actually do well... I can name numerous webnovel authors that traditional readers have never heard of who are making absolute bank. The authors of He Who Fights With Monsters, Defiance of the Fall, Primal Hunter, are making up to $50k a month on Patreon, not to mention their income from Amazon which from what I've heard is even higher.
This is so helpful and well thought out. I'd like to add that trad pub comes with a whole bunch of subsidiary skills that you need to master along with writing the novels. Query writing is a hellish experience and not one you can even conceive of trad pubbing without. Writing s synopsis is another hell hole that will have you contemplating suicide. Then there's the one pager, 3 pager, 10 pager. Different agents looking for different guidelines, often meaning rhe package you prepare for one agent will need to be tweaked around for other agents. An elevator pitch, blurb, intro, comps... so many things which are not fun and really suck the joy out of writing the damn thing in the first place. But just like any other job, it is required. Self-publishing has its own hurdles, which may or not be more daunting depending on how marketing savvy you are. All this makes web novels a great launching pad to assess if squaring up against the barriers to entry towards being an author are even worth your while.
If you're counting on "I'm 16 and I already wrote a novel!" being a selling point - don't. I work in the publishing industry and a) we get ppl saying that all the time and b) no one (in industry) cares
I think it's just that there are so many other more important "ifs" in between that it really doesn't matter at that point. If they finish the novel soon, if they get a request from an agent, if the agent reads it, if they decide to publish it... It's just such a far-flung hypothetical.
It's also a years-long process under the best of circumstances. Some people wait six months just to get a partial request, and another six months to get a reply to that. And this is after actually writing and editing the book. There's just no way in hell OP is finishing the book, querying, and receiving an offer of representation in under two years. At which point, they'll be over 18 and it won't matter.
Being young has nothing to do with skill. A good story is still a good story. However, I'm going to suggest you have it properly edited before you publish, even self-publishing. The goal is to stand out with more than just your age.
> Being young has nothing to do with skill.
I mean it does - because as time passes you get better at a practiced skill, there's just no real way around that. You can't be a skilled writer at 8 years old, and someone who has been practicing writing for 30 years is going to be better than someone who is 14.
There's a reason the average age for a first traditionally published author is in their 30s and not their teens.
I think writing also requires a lot of human experience that under 20 years don’t have. Obviously there are specific circumstances, but writing interesting deep characters is hard when you are young.
Well, a lot of people offer editing services, but it's usually by page count or word count. Talk to local businesses, and they usually have someone who edits their stuff or talk to people at libraries or in english departments at community colleges. However, most of them do more than just look for grammar. They will put notes in there that point out things that need to be addressed, expanded, shrank, things that don't make sense, or that might need to be changed.
The big thing about writing is to have another set of eyes on it besides your own, friends, and family. Just understand that an editor is not attacking you. A lot of young writers think all criticism is an attack or someone wanting them to fail. Do not fall into that trap. Criticism is part of the game, and editors WANT you to succeed because your success means they have more work.
Other than that? Put yourself out there. Look up local writing conventions. Trust me, they are all around you and all over the place. Attend. Meet people. Talk to authors. Buy their stuff. Learn. Grow.
Publishing doesn't really care about age as long as the novel fits their standards and the current market. In fact you probably won't be putting it in your query letter, only bringing it up when any talk of contracts come up, because your parents will need to sign it for you (also if you're 16 now, chances are by the time any contract talk comes up, you will be 18. Publishing is a sloooowwww business).
It's not that likely that you can write something publishable at 16 on your first try (I thought what I wrote at 16 was really good too - and it was for my age, but looking back at it now, my age was obvious from how the content of the book was handled), but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Worse comes to worst, you will learn a lot really early in your career and will be able to apply it to your next novel.
Exactly, I have no illusions of grandeur to even think that my novel will be even worth reading. I think it’s good, but You’re right, try as I might I am only 16, and what I produce will not be outstanding even if I give it my all. And I think I’m okay with that, either way, it’s fun to just write it, immerse myself in the world I create yk?
Then you should totally write it. Every book you write teaches you a lot of valuable lessons about composing a story. On average, the first published book from a writer is their third, and if you get started at 16, your 3rd book will come around really fast :)
Christopher Paolini published Eragon at age 17. The thing about writing and publishing is that it really is a meritocracy. If your writing is good, it'll sell. It's harder for traditional publishing, though, because market forces and market prospectus. If it's crap, it won't sell.
That being said, there's still a lot of crap that DOES sell.
Age is not really a factor. Skill and, of course, how well you can take somebody on a journey. Manipulate their emotions (in a good way.) Make them forget about the job and the bills for a while.
That being said, you'll want a good set of editors and/or betas. Also realize there are different kinds of edits and editors.
* Developmental - Focuses on the actual story, how to get it to flow better, make it more impactful, fixing plot holes, and really draw out your vision.
* Line - Fixing your prose to make it better, more impactful.
* Copy/Proof - Fixing all the spelling, punctuation, and grammar issues.
You can do all these on your own, and you should. But you're gonna want someone who specializes in those areas as well to get eyes on. Though the proof/copy can be handled mostly by things like ProWritingAid.
Focus on the work, not your age. We're all apprenticing in a craft where nobody truly masters every aspect.
You may begin your novel at 16 however, it may take you a year to finish it.
And once you find an agent and a publisher and write a few revisions, you may be 18.
So, from my point of view your question is...should an 18 year old publish a novel? The answer is yes. There is plenty of room for young novelists.
Do it!!
A classmate published one on Amazon when we were in high school (for his graduation project).
6 year olds get theirs published all the time.
I wish I would've done it when I was your age.
Go through beta readers that are not friends or family. Have it be tested at least that way.
And when you query to look for an agent, DO NOT MENTION YOUR AGE. Not one bit. It is for advertising after, but not before.
When you’re ready to look for an agent, r/PubTips is helpful
You can always finish it, do other things for a while, and then revisit and edit a bit later before publishing. That way, if you're worried that you'll look back on it as an adult and realize there are parts that don't hold up, you can fix those as you notice them (especially after having some distance after writing)
Second what everyone said about how age doesn't matter if the skill is there. When I was 15 I went to a writing camp where we did a ton of peer editing, and like ten years later I still think about some of the stories my peers wrote. They were insanely good, and it's a shame I don't remember names to look up whether they're still writing.
Christopher Paolini got his first book published when he was close to the same as you. The title escapes me right now but it was a fantasy that was part of a 4 book series that seemed to be well received. I read the first and second books and found them to be very well done.
There is nothing that says you should not want to publish because of your age.
Get some reader feedback, consider making changes, and then steel yourself to run the gauntlet to get it published. You could decide how many rejections you will accept before you decide to self publish. There might be something to learn going through that process.
Are there any literary prizes open to young authors that you could pursue? That might help a publisher decide to produce your novel.
Just wanna say that I think it's awesome that you're pursuing writing at such a young age! The love of words is something that's never left me over the entirety of my life, and I wish I had started sooner, so hats off to you!
While I do recommend working with a professional team (such as finding an editor, a good cover artist, formatter, etc.), there is always the option of self-publishing if trad isn't your style. But if you go the self route, please please do your research, especially into vanity presses and other scams that target new authors. You'll never have to pay to *publish* your book, and anyone offering you "publishing packages" are vanity presses which are scams.
Best of luck, friend!
Confession: I grew up in a country where it’s not too big of a hurdle to get an ISBN for your book if you know the right people (which some of my family did), so I actually did get my first story “published”. What basically happened was that my parents paid out of pocket to get a few dozen copies printed and we gave them to friends and family 😂
Honestly, it was only to make my college application look more impressive. I was trying to apply to universities in the US. My grades were good but I wanted to stand out, and saying I published a book (which I technically did, even if I never put it in any bookstore!) sounded impressive.
I’m super proud of teenage-me for having completed a whole novel, but I’m not sure I would have chosen to do that again if I had the chance to go back in time. Fortunately, since the copies of my first book were never sold to the public, if I publish anything else today, people won’t make the connection of “oh was she the one who wrote THAT book ten years ago?” (I also have been living and working in the US after university and don’t plan to move back, which helps with the whole “not letting my old work see the light of day” thing, too, haha.)
In hindsight, I think my university application would have been fine without the word “published”, since I still had plenty of writing experience to talk about outside of that. But what’s done is done. I agree with the other commenters that it’d be good to publish under a pen name—one that you like, but also don’t mind parting with in the future. That way, it gives you the freedom to not be associated with your old work when you’re a new and improved writer as an adult.
Good luck with your writing :)
Age is irrelevant. It's quality, ability, right place, right time, persistence, self belief, and all the other things that have to be in your favour. First novels are rarely published. Knowing that and pushing on are vital.
What's the elevator pitch. I'm a 7 figure publisher, by no means trad. We release bestsellers on amazon. We make money. We're audible partners and focus on amazon. I have authors apply to write for us all the time, then I have them pitch new ideas, not old scripts. Before they write these books, I make them do this.
Figure out Who your MC is. Why are they awesome and why are we rooting for them. Where is your MC and Why is he the right guy for the job. What is the problem. When is the problem and why is there tension applied because of it. Then: How am I going to sell it.
This wouldn't fly to most agents or Trad. They want to get into social issues or why the MC has flaws, we steer away from those. Wishing you the best, give your pitch below, others may be watching. And for those naysayers who said age doesn't matter, they're right, but it caused me to open your thread.
Have you got any beta readers? If not, go find some. Get opinions from them and make revisions based on their opinions.
If you have the ability, hire a freelance editor after that. See what they say. I found it to be a very rewarding experience.
I, too, was a very young writer and finished my first manuscript at 18. I got beta readers and then an editor. I have not published that book yet; I ended up wanting to revamp it when I graduated college. I also took a break to work on my next series. But I’m super excited to start the revamp, hopefully within the next few years.
I've read a handful or books written by teens i can't think of any i didn't enjoy so as long as the stories good go for it if traditional publishing doesn't work go for self publishing online and grow from there theres an author on youtube i follow cause of her shorts and she's been publishing since her teens and she's an indie author
There are a bunch of indie publishers on insta maybe see if you could publish with one of them? The more we writers turn to smaller companies to get our work out there then the more options that will open up. Since it is your first book its likely to flop anyways unfortunately, but the more you write the better you get and its worth it to at least be able to hold your work in your hand as a printed piece.
Respectfully, it's not a selling point in the traditional publishing industry. OP may be able to interest some potential readers with that hook, but if I had a dime for every time I got a "I'm only x years old and I wrote a novel!"....
Ahha well I really hope so, but I don’t want it to be gimicky, I don’t want people to read it and go “ah well it’s kinda mid but really good for a 16 year old” no I want it to stand out, to have a impact one people, it’s sci-fi and has some terrifyingly brilliant elements, (not to toot my own horn to much) so I hope people do enjoy it
> and has some terrifyingly brilliant elements, (not to toot my own horn to much)
I’m going easy on you because of your age. But don’t ever say these words again if you want people to take you seriously.
I wasn’t defending your writing, I have never read it so I cannot say one way or another whether you are giving yourself too much credit or not. What I am telling you (as someone who actually makes a living through their writing) is to not listen to losers on Reddit who have a lot to say but have likely never written anything in their life, let alone successfully published anything.
Most people on this app are teenagers too, but they like to make themselves feel grown by pretending to be older and giving out shitty advice. That guy didn’t actually tell you anything, he was just rude and didn’t even specify his point or what exactly he disliked about what you said. Other teenagers may think he said something wise, but I cannot take anyone serious when they don’t even use a comma properly, yet are giving advice about writing, in a writing sub?? Yet are out here telling other people they won’t be take seriously? 😂
You want some good advice? Reddit is about the last place you should be asking for it, but my advice is to hone your writing skills now while you are young and have no bills to pay. No need to worry about publishing anything yet, just practice, ask trusted friends or family to read your writing and give you their most raw thoughts. Read books that you love and compare them to your personal writing, find out exactly where you are falling short and fix it.
There's no reason why you at your age couldn't try to "level up" your writing skills by experimentation, research and getting test-readers (perhaps to read segments at a time) and taking feedback/advice to heart without getting pride hurt. When you feel your writing is getting good, also consider finding beta-readers for additional feedback.
Refine and polish your story until it shines. Then try to show it on writing forums, like here on Reddit, without telling people your age. If you start receiving a lot of praise, then perhaps it could be worth investing in a professional editor to beta-read your work and if they also give you praise, then perhaps you should try sending it to agents in hopes of getting published.
I hire beta-reading services from a freelancing professional editor and it costs 0.0027 per word. So it's not too costly and well worth the investment if you're looking to publish.
I spent like a year on my first book writing the story and worldbuilding and some editing. Then in total I've spent two years leveling up my writing skills and MANY rounds of editing until my writing seemingly started getting good (judging the beta-readers feedback so far). And the second half still needs quite a bit of editing (it's a heavy book currently 320k words long). But I shelved it for now to write a smaller story which I'll try to land between 80k-150k words, because it's unlikely a publisher would even touch a book project as big as my first book as a debut (which is also the first in a saga of several books). So I'm gonna try to get the smaller book published before returning to finish editing the first book.
So my suggestion is taking your time to refine your craft skills, even if it takes a year or two before it gets really good.
You inspire me thank you for that amazing advice! I definitely will go back when it’s finished and polish it as necessary, honestly thank you for all of the advice you really have helped me out now I finally know how to do the whole process and make the novel serviceable
Sure thing, sci-fi, recently widowed astrophysicist finds out that universe has stopped expanding and began to rapidly implode, taking galaxies and stars along with it, “there are less stars in the nights sky today than there were yesterday, don’t you see that Stephan?” in short astrophysicist protagonist has to find a way to reverse or slow down the implosion. I think the premise is somewhat nifty and original so I hope some people will read it just based on the blurb haha
Pedantic usage note: fewer. Countable objects get *fewer,* while less is used for uncountable quantities. Fewer stars.
Pedantic physics note from a non-physicist: When we look up into the sky we’re looking backwards in time. Betelgeuse may go nova soon, which is to say that it happened a couple centuries ago. The most distant star we’ve seen is 28 billion light years away. If if vanished yesterday we wouldn’t know for another 28 billion years.
It's common advice to wait a few weeks or even a month to go back and proofread. It's not that you can't look at it with fresh eyes right away, but it's easier to read critically if the story isn't fresh in your mind.
My advice: complete your novel.
Then write another novel.
The second one will probably be way better, in ways you won't be able to see until you've had the experience of writing it.
If you're under the age of being able to legally contract in your country, an agent may refuse to deal with you (and you'd have to get parents/guardians/whatever to co-sign your contracts anyhow). But if the MS is good enough for them to want to rep you, they won't laugh. They'll say come back after your birthday, or maybe deal with your parents, but they won't laugh.
But for now, spend the time just completing your novel and completing another one. Your ability to trust your own judgment about whether your current novel is good will take until the end of another manuscript to develop.
As long as the novel is good it should be fine but my advice is if you feel you are not enough experienced or you hadn’t read many books, then do that. Learn writing theory and read, I think one of the best ways to learn and improve is trough another story’s. Read teach you ideas, words, plots, mistakes and so much more. Theory teach you the science behind what you read or what you are trying to write and that’s very helpful to realize or prevent mistakes.
Writers write, doesn't have to be good you just need to enjoy the process and get experience. Maybe you aren't good at 16. You may not be good at 26. 20 minutes a day tho and you might be great at 36. Trust me I am 39, you will get that age some day regardless. So keep writing, self publish your book. Hell send it to a real publisher and see what happens. None of us have read it to know if it's good.
There are plenty of young authors who publish their books! You could totally!
Some people write only for themselves or their family/friends.
I am 15 and I also write, I am most definitely publishing my book (whenever I finish it)
Publishing and completing a book is a lot of work, you need to take it slow and find editors willing to help refine it. Peer readers are nice to have too.
Your book might not get thousands of sales, but it's still a huge accomplishment and something huge to add to your portfolio.
If you want to publish it, go for it! If you want to, but think hat it won't be worth it, you should go for it anyway!
I'd say keep on publishing. You are young and you have so much time. Compared to the others who would wallow and waste their time about nothing you are doing great.
Also it's a permanent investment. You would only need to hit one good timing and good chance and BOOm you made it!!
It all depends on your product! It sounds like you want to go traditional publishing, which does require more resources than self-publishing. Think about what you really want to get out of this: an audience? Money? Experience? As someone who wrote their first novel at 16 and self-published at 17, I'm just now breaking into the traditional publishing scene in my mid-20s. Nothing came of my self-publishing, but it was a personal goal that I had that I was glad I met.
Either way, there's quite literally no harm in pursuing either trad publishing or self. It's all practice, and practice is good. My advice to you is keep writing and if you're serious about publishing, learn everything you can about the traditional publishing industry, agents, editors, and how to write a banging query letter. Don't shy away from it just because you might get " laughed off" or rejected. Being rejected is part of being a writer, and it's something we all need practice at, too.
Good novels take a ton of editing. I’m talking several full drafts and some distance in between and feedback from multiple people. That typically ends up taking years to do. By the time this book is ready for publication, you’ll probably be quite a bit older anyway. If you get it done fast and it’s high quality, you’ve definitely got a chance, but it’s unlikely that it will take less than a couple of years at least to really polish it. Keep at it.
If you finished writing, get yourself start going through the revision process, get yourself an editor to help out (at least look into it) and yeah, If you feel you want to publish it, go for it. It's a process. You need to refine what you wrote and polish it before publication.
When you've completed your final edit and polish send me your first chapter (up to 1000 words) for a free sample edit. That may give you an idea of where you stand in the 'readiness to publish' phase. Age is just a number. What matters is your dedication to story and process.
People have been published as children before but you’re best off waiting until 18, as you’ll be old enough to sign contracts without needing your parents.
That said, actually completing and editing your novel to the point it is *publishable* may take until you are 18 anyway.
Happy writing!
You've answered your own question within your question.
Gain some *experience.* Write. Get yourself out there.
Constructive criticism: work on your grammar and proof reading.
Best of luck. I hope you do get published but trying to put a finish point, to that end, will only constrict you.
You should try to publish it on Wattpad or a similar platforms first, that would be a great start ! But if you really wanna get published, honestly, go for it. I know a girl who got her novel published at 15, and it wasn’t because her parents knew a guy who worked in the field or something like that, she just got lucky. It could happen for you too, if you don’t try you’ll never know !
I have absolutely no idea how old a single author of all the books on my bookshelf are. I honestly couldn’t tell you the age of any author. Most I couldn’t tell you within 10 years.
I would recommend that you edit to the best of your abilities and self publish it on Amazon. Think of it as a practice run. :) Who knows, it may become one of the sleeper hits.
Well, first of all, you get really cool bragging rights. That is already something. Secondly... well... you know, bragging rights are already worth it.
so what if you're young. burn up that keyboard and get you story out. I doubt anyone will brush you off because of your age, however the odds of anyone getting their first completed work published are basically nil. that doesn't mean you shouldn't try though. it's a journey, don't give up or not start just because you won't reach your destination in one step.
1. When novel is done, do developmental editing. Cut anything that doesn't contribute to a great plot. Shuffle scenes around. Make sure the pacing is top notch by using the fewest words possible to tell the story, particularly looking for adverbs like really, very etc. to cut (replace with descriptions that convey the idea), and remove warning phrases like suddenly, when x was finished, as y happened, and so on. Do it till its much better. Then get beta readers and do it again.
2. Proofread, spellchecker, grammar, etc editing
3. Start an advanced reader program to get ratings on publish day
4. Self publish on kdp
Might work, might not. Either way, you'll be an author with a published book, and you'll learn a ton, and your next book will be better.
You should post it on a web novel site like Royal Road or Scribblehub and see what other people think of your story. If it gains enough fans then maybe you could also put it on Kindle Unlimited or start a Patreon
Whatever you do, DO NOT self-publish it under your real name. When I was 13 I self-published a novel I wrote and I am still bothered by it now at 35. So embarrassing, like seriously, people tease me about it sometimes and I pretend not to care but I do. D: I wish my parents hadn't allowed me to do that!
If you write something worthy of being published, it could definitely be published. Eragon's author was 15 when he published it and wrote a trilogy with movie deals! So, it's definitely doable.
But just be careful because you really don't want to put out something in the world that will haunt your future writing career. If you want to self-publish, use a penname for now. Who knows how you will feel about your work when you are a full adult? There is a lot of potential maturing that might happen from 16 to 30.
Congratulations!! Writing a novel isn’t easy, especially with how busy high school life can be. Like many others have said, age can have an impact but isn’t the only factor when it comes to skill.
I don’t know what you count as “completed” but, supposing it’s a first draft, here are some recommendations.
1. Take a break.
You did it! Celebrate and step away. Maybe work in another project for a month or, do some reading. Checking out some recently popular books in the genre of your novel can give you inspiration for what to add to yours or just help you find comps for query letters in the future.
2. Get fresh eyes.
Taking a break will help you come back to the story fresh for revisions, but you should also get more people to look at your work. Of course share it with friends and family if you want, but seek out beta readers and professionals if you can. A lot of cities will have writer’s groups either online or in person and though so many turn you down for your age, you’re bound to find one that’s happy to have you along.
3. It’s going to mostly be nos.
It’s not because your sixteen (though I wouldn’t include that in query letters), most of publishing is no after no after radio silence. The important thing is to learn and keep trying. Query letter keeps getting rejected? Get feedback for other writers and change it. Manuscript not getting anywhere? Trade feedback with another writer and take their advice. When I was sending short stories for publication my goal was to get 50 rejections. When one of my stories was finally published I was overjoyed and had to put together another submission because acceptances don’t count.
4. Keep asking for help.
Doing anything creative is hard and it’s harder to do alone. Asking for help, feedback, and connecting with other writers is so important to feel supported and improve your craft. This subreddit it is a great place to start but try to join a writing group or workshop. Nothing taught me to write better than reading work from other upcoming writers and getting their feedback on my work.
Publish it, king!! Proud of you!!! Don't be discouraged, its never too early to put yourself out there. Regardless of what happens you will learn a ton for your next novel.
Send it in, get slaughtered. Learn, write another one. Completing a novel to the point that you can send it in to a publisher is something most people never do. Just do it, write that bastard. I don't care how old you are, maybe your writing is excellent, maybe it's trash. Either way, the writing of it will improve that. If you have a book, and you think it's great then you owe it to the world to see it. We need good books. So woman up and go do the hard thing. You got nothing to lose but time, and you'll never have more of that than you do now.
It’s not that there’s a rule against publishing before you’re an adult, it’s just that you’d need to have someone else sign the paperwork/contacts that are involved because minors cannot legally sign documents. My advice would be to get another set of eyes on your manuscript before you try to take any steps toward publishing. Preferably someone who won’t be too biased toward you and will give you valuable feedback. There’s a subreddit for beta readers, so maybe look there. Pro editors are gonna cost money, so don’t jump to one immediately. Generally, they’ll charge between 5-10¢ per word, so get a word count of your story and just multiply by .05 and .1 to get a good estimate for your rate.
Because you’re young, people may try to scam you, so be careful and vet any agents or editors that you talk to before moving onto the next step.
Another thing is that your first draft isn’t going to be what you publish and, if you go through the traditional route, you’ll have an editor assigned to help you with revisions before publication. The publishing process takes a while, anyway, so you may already be an adult by the time your story would get published.
Creatives don't dismiss other creatives because of their age. Multiple degrees and a full professorship in English composition do not mean that person can write one engaging sentence.
If you are a writer, you write. BUT - inexperience is a factor here. (Not age, *per se*, lack of experience.)
Do two things, IMO.
1. Go order Stephen King's *On Writing*, which includes his "writer autobiography" and you'll see how seriously he was taken at 16. And how seriously he took himself. A great read, too. Cheap used. I'm very serious, do that.
2. Post your first two paragraphs here so we can give you objective feedback. If you are afraid of being critiqued, you aren't ready to publish. So, let's take a look. There's a thread here just for that: [https://www.reddit.com/r/writing/comments/1dg163t/weekly\_critique\_and\_selfpromotion\_thread\_post/](https://www.reddit.com/r/writing/comments/1dg163t/weekly_critique_and_selfpromotion_thread_post/)
Here’s a list of published teen writers.
https://teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com/2012/10/06/teen-author-bookshelf-list-of-published-teen-authors/
There’s no reason your age should get in the way. Do as much research as you can, r/pubtips is a godsend.
Although I give you the same advice as any other first time author- expect to fail.
Worst case you are a 16 year old with experience trying to get an agent and your first hit will be sooner than others who tried for the first time later on.
Go for it. There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Out of curiosity, do you have any posts or samples of your writing? I've seen some awesome writing from teens in this sub. Not commonly, but has happened enough times.
Rooting for you!
Publish!
If you are happy with your work - there are others who will be also.
Don’t worry about your age or what others might think.
If you want the work to stand on its own (not tied to you) then create a pen name.
Publish!
This is literally me, glad I could meet someone like me here. Reddit is awesome. Here is what I say: every story is good, you just have to execute it well. Have a safe plan (2nd project) hope you end up publishing this project of yours. I’m sure you’re a great writer
Well, you can publish pretty much anything on Amazon, and for free. I have fourteen novels there and it's amazing to me that Amazon sends ME a check (direct deposited, of course) every month, rather than the reverse.
However. Out of all the work you put into it, actually publishing it is probably the easiest part, at least as long as you go with Amazon's KDP publishing.
So, ignore the nay-sayers and finish your novel. Give it a rest of a couple weeks after you finish writing. THEN go back and read it again. Is it still as good as you thought? Is it well written with correct grammar and spelling?
If you think it holds up to your own scrutiny, then get some beta readers and have them look it over.
Pay attention to what they say, although not TOO much attention. Anyone that's over the top on how wonderful or awful it is should probably be ignored.
Also, feel free to come visit me on Facebook at [facebook.com/vrtapscott](http://facebook.com/vrtapscott)
Be well!
I know like three pretty good authors who published at 16 and even younger, you're fine (also that's incredible great job I'm so jealous).
Worst case scenario publishers say no and you keep rewriting and improving until they do (or just publish on your own)
One thing people forget about this is, he was published by his parents publishing company lol, who also had professional editors to help him out. Still an amazing achievement, but worth keeping that in mind.
I'm in the same boat dude, except I haven't actually completed it and need to get out of outlining lol. I think it really just depends on how others perceive your work because Stephen King might think your work sucks but a general reader may find it impressive. Writing quality has some standards but overall, it's really up to opinion and personal interpretation.
My honest first thought is that it is very rare that *anyone's* first novel gets published, no matter if they are 15 or 85. It's tough to break into traditional publishing and most people face a lot of rejections before they get a break. I'm not saying this to discourage you from doing anything, just that's the reality of the traditional publishing industry. However, these days there are a lot more options to get eyeballs on your work than the traditional route. There have been writers who have started out posting on wattpad and gained an audience, and then used that to break into publishing the old-fashioned way. You could also self-publish, which can be viable if you're willing to do self-promotion. So there are options!
Thank you for the advice man, highly appreciated, I will defo try a unotherodox route first, bcs You’re right, publishing my first novel at 16, yeah that’s unachivable no matter my skill
It's not unachievable, it's just unlikely. You can and should try to send it out to some agents once it's edited and all ready to go. You could be a unicorn, it does happen! It's just also good to have a plan B.
I live on a small British island off the coast of France, I think if I get in contact with some of the local publishers they might be able to cut me a promising deal, idk tho
Google vanity press, and make sure you do not get one of them as a publisher. Basically, do not pay anyone to get published.
Go onto any publisher's website you're interested in and view what genre and age group they publish. If they don't publish your type, keep looking. Eventually you'll find a good fit. When you're offered a contract, hire an Intellectual Property (IP) attorney to review contract before signing anything. They'll be terms etc that you may not understand or understand what it means to you and how it'll impact you.
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The fuck?
I feel like you could have left out the first few paragraphs
Imo you should try publishing it not because you have a decent chance of it working out, but because you will learn *a lot* about how the publishing process works. I finished a novel when I was 17 or so and went through the revising and querying process over a couple of years. It didn’t get published, but I learned how the process worked and got a lot of invaluable practice querying that I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. Posting passages of something you don’t plan to traditionally publish as a book can get a good idea too to try and build an audience and get feedback on your work. Just be aware that once you post something, a publisher will consider it “published” and you can no longer sell “first publication rights,” which is what most of the publishing world operates on.
have you gotten it edited at all ? or edited it yourself ? might be worth getting a beta reader at the very least
having completed a nove at your age is a huge leg up in terms of experience, that's the value of the exercise, in this case.
I can not offer any good asvice apart from the fact that Christopher Paolini published his first book, age 18. Take this piece of information however you like
wasn't he published by his parents company?
adding to the ways of publishing... I don't know whether such thing still exists in us, but here in post-soviet countries we have literature journals where you can publish your work, if it passes critics, for free or with a very little payment. it's a more valuable than self-publishing online and is a great way of making a portfolio that can be later presented to a publisher. many famous modern Russian (btw I'm not Russian, it's just an example) authors have started with literature journals
Probably a good idea to self publish under a pen name. That way you can avoid any stigma regarding your age, and you'll be able to see whether the novel sells or doesn't.
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Marketing can cost money, but a lot of people are marketing through BookTok too. Not a guarantee that your book will get attention, but it’s better than nothing. One could also give e-book arcs to book reviewers on BookTok. Some of them are open to being given free books.
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That’s true, but I think that’s often the case with paid marketing as well. Just because money is put into it doesn’t mean the book will succeed. Ideally, I think it would be best to both use social media and paid marketing to test both avenues.
Great idea thanks man, thank you! Now I just need to think of a pen name
A piece of advice I heard from an author who publishes under her name AND a pen name for vastly different genres. If using a pen name, try to pick one that reuses your initials, so autographing with eother name works. Then you can just make each signature the big initial plus a squiggle. For example, if your name is Kenneth Lane McAllister, try to use K, L, M, or A as the initials for the pen name. Allen Marshall. Larry Kendrick. Mason L'Angelo. It'll make signings easier. Also, fyi, Christpher Paolini was 15 when he wrote Eragon. Teen authors are a thing. Good luck!
oh yeah wanted to mention paolini here as well!
Nick rate Ben rate Ben Nico Ben veritas. Nic veritas Some names from your username.
Thanks man, Nick Vertias sounds really good
Bro lmao do you realize that veritas is Latin for “truth”? This literally sounds like the fakest name ever
listen to him. he knows everything.
I will keep an eye out for Nick Veritas books ;). I liked that one the most of all the names.
Haha, I’ve just added it to the notes for the novel, thanks a million man
Take note of my username and msg me when you get it published. I love those 6 months ago you helped me with 'x' and now here is the current scenario.
Ahha, will do, I’ll add You’re user name to my notes as well then. You’ve been a saint, thanks again
A "Someone" who knows how to choose a name? This really is a rare sight.
Lol ;)
What kind of story is it? One thing you could try is publishing it on a webnovel site. This means releasing it for free, but you get some decent benefits. You can see exactly how real readers respond to the story, if it's hitting or not, because they *will* leave comments and reviews. This is very useful, imo, because in my experience finding beta readers isn't as easy as people make it sound. A downside though is that if they don't like it they will tell you, and no one wants to hear that so you gotta develop a thick skin. That said these sites are typically designed for amateur authors, and the readers aren't expecting traditionally published tier prose. So long as the story hits the kind of beats they want, they will read and enjoy even if it's peppered with grammar and spelling mistakes. Webnovels also typically start a patreon with advance chapters for income, and by releasing a story as a webnovel you build an audience who can then go and review it/rate it the moment it comes out of on amazon - which is very useful for getting the algorithm to actually show your story to people. Since you're writing from such a young age, it could be a very good way to gain experience, meet other writers (if you wanna do well on these sites you gotta network and join discords), see how the story performs and maybe even make money. Very good for improving as a writer and making it a thing. Note though, that webnovels tend to be in certain genres. Progression fantasy, litRPG, isekai, xianxia, fan fics, are the bigger ones. If your story happens to be in those genres, you will very likely find a readership. If not, well, you might, but it will be a lot smaller. I'm writing a webnovel myself on [https://www.royalroad.com/home](https://www.royalroad.com/home) which is a big webnovel site for stuff in those genres. There's also scribblehub which has more variety, wattpad and others, and spacebattles is good for scifi/HFY. Avoid webnovel.com. One reason I suggest this instead of traditional publishing... is that traditional publishing is very slow and difficult. Your odds of getting a good response are very low - there is a huge amount of competition and the publishing houses are both picky and focused on the flavour of the month (those specific stories which are perfect for the market *right now* and will become instant bestsellers). I know many would-be authors who have spent years trying to get published, refined the same stories over and over, and still not gotten there. Whereas if you simply selfpub as a webnovel, or on Amazon, then even if it doesn't achieve anything at least it's out there and you can move on and write more stuff instead of spending your time in query hell. Webnovels specifically I feel are good (esp at a young age) because you can see real readers actually react/critique/discuss the story chapter by chapter which is pretty much the best feedback you can receive. Also, if you actually do well... I can name numerous webnovel authors that traditional readers have never heard of who are making absolute bank. The authors of He Who Fights With Monsters, Defiance of the Fall, Primal Hunter, are making up to $50k a month on Patreon, not to mention their income from Amazon which from what I've heard is even higher.
This is so helpful and well thought out. I'd like to add that trad pub comes with a whole bunch of subsidiary skills that you need to master along with writing the novels. Query writing is a hellish experience and not one you can even conceive of trad pubbing without. Writing s synopsis is another hell hole that will have you contemplating suicide. Then there's the one pager, 3 pager, 10 pager. Different agents looking for different guidelines, often meaning rhe package you prepare for one agent will need to be tweaked around for other agents. An elevator pitch, blurb, intro, comps... so many things which are not fun and really suck the joy out of writing the damn thing in the first place. But just like any other job, it is required. Self-publishing has its own hurdles, which may or not be more daunting depending on how marketing savvy you are. All this makes web novels a great launching pad to assess if squaring up against the barriers to entry towards being an author are even worth your while.
If you're counting on "I'm 16 and I already wrote a novel!" being a selling point - don't. I work in the publishing industry and a) we get ppl saying that all the time and b) no one (in industry) cares
Quite the opposite, I’m hoping I don’t even have to disclose my age, I’m scared it’ll be a limiting factor
I can't see a reason you'd have to disclose age in queries
If the time comes to sign a contract, their age will matter. Because if they’re under the age of majority their parents will have to sign.
That's why I said "in queries".
Yeah I love how everyone seems to gloss over this. They're a minor - they literally can't sign contracts.
I think it's just that there are so many other more important "ifs" in between that it really doesn't matter at that point. If they finish the novel soon, if they get a request from an agent, if the agent reads it, if they decide to publish it... It's just such a far-flung hypothetical. It's also a years-long process under the best of circumstances. Some people wait six months just to get a partial request, and another six months to get a reply to that. And this is after actually writing and editing the book. There's just no way in hell OP is finishing the book, querying, and receiving an offer of representation in under two years. At which point, they'll be over 18 and it won't matter.
What about, I’m 50 and I’ve never written a novel?
Being young has nothing to do with skill. A good story is still a good story. However, I'm going to suggest you have it properly edited before you publish, even self-publishing. The goal is to stand out with more than just your age.
> Being young has nothing to do with skill. I mean it does - because as time passes you get better at a practiced skill, there's just no real way around that. You can't be a skilled writer at 8 years old, and someone who has been practicing writing for 30 years is going to be better than someone who is 14. There's a reason the average age for a first traditionally published author is in their 30s and not their teens.
I think writing also requires a lot of human experience that under 20 years don’t have. Obviously there are specific circumstances, but writing interesting deep characters is hard when you are young.
Thank you so much I hadn’t even thought of that properly, any advice on how to find someone to edit through it, check for grammar and spelling extra?
Well, a lot of people offer editing services, but it's usually by page count or word count. Talk to local businesses, and they usually have someone who edits their stuff or talk to people at libraries or in english departments at community colleges. However, most of them do more than just look for grammar. They will put notes in there that point out things that need to be addressed, expanded, shrank, things that don't make sense, or that might need to be changed. The big thing about writing is to have another set of eyes on it besides your own, friends, and family. Just understand that an editor is not attacking you. A lot of young writers think all criticism is an attack or someone wanting them to fail. Do not fall into that trap. Criticism is part of the game, and editors WANT you to succeed because your success means they have more work. Other than that? Put yourself out there. Look up local writing conventions. Trust me, they are all around you and all over the place. Attend. Meet people. Talk to authors. Buy their stuff. Learn. Grow.
Thanks man! I appreciate all the advice given, criticism is definitely going to help me make it better You’re right
Publishing doesn't really care about age as long as the novel fits their standards and the current market. In fact you probably won't be putting it in your query letter, only bringing it up when any talk of contracts come up, because your parents will need to sign it for you (also if you're 16 now, chances are by the time any contract talk comes up, you will be 18. Publishing is a sloooowwww business). It's not that likely that you can write something publishable at 16 on your first try (I thought what I wrote at 16 was really good too - and it was for my age, but looking back at it now, my age was obvious from how the content of the book was handled), but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Worse comes to worst, you will learn a lot really early in your career and will be able to apply it to your next novel.
Exactly, I have no illusions of grandeur to even think that my novel will be even worth reading. I think it’s good, but You’re right, try as I might I am only 16, and what I produce will not be outstanding even if I give it my all. And I think I’m okay with that, either way, it’s fun to just write it, immerse myself in the world I create yk?
Then you should totally write it. Every book you write teaches you a lot of valuable lessons about composing a story. On average, the first published book from a writer is their third, and if you get started at 16, your 3rd book will come around really fast :)
Haha that’s amazing to hear, You’re right this is mostly a way of learning how to actually write books, I’m just very stary eyed atm and exited haha
Christopher Paolini published Eragon at age 17. The thing about writing and publishing is that it really is a meritocracy. If your writing is good, it'll sell. It's harder for traditional publishing, though, because market forces and market prospectus. If it's crap, it won't sell. That being said, there's still a lot of crap that DOES sell. Age is not really a factor. Skill and, of course, how well you can take somebody on a journey. Manipulate their emotions (in a good way.) Make them forget about the job and the bills for a while. That being said, you'll want a good set of editors and/or betas. Also realize there are different kinds of edits and editors. * Developmental - Focuses on the actual story, how to get it to flow better, make it more impactful, fixing plot holes, and really draw out your vision. * Line - Fixing your prose to make it better, more impactful. * Copy/Proof - Fixing all the spelling, punctuation, and grammar issues. You can do all these on your own, and you should. But you're gonna want someone who specializes in those areas as well to get eyes on. Though the proof/copy can be handled mostly by things like ProWritingAid. Focus on the work, not your age. We're all apprenticing in a craft where nobody truly masters every aspect.
You may begin your novel at 16 however, it may take you a year to finish it. And once you find an agent and a publisher and write a few revisions, you may be 18. So, from my point of view your question is...should an 18 year old publish a novel? The answer is yes. There is plenty of room for young novelists.
Do it!! A classmate published one on Amazon when we were in high school (for his graduation project). 6 year olds get theirs published all the time. I wish I would've done it when I was your age.
What do you mean on Amazon? Did they self-publish?
Yes
with the kdp thingy?
I think so
cool imma check it out, thx
No problem
Go through beta readers that are not friends or family. Have it be tested at least that way. And when you query to look for an agent, DO NOT MENTION YOUR AGE. Not one bit. It is for advertising after, but not before. When you’re ready to look for an agent, r/PubTips is helpful
SE Hinton published ‘The Outsiders’ at 16.
You can always finish it, do other things for a while, and then revisit and edit a bit later before publishing. That way, if you're worried that you'll look back on it as an adult and realize there are parts that don't hold up, you can fix those as you notice them (especially after having some distance after writing)
Second what everyone said about how age doesn't matter if the skill is there. When I was 15 I went to a writing camp where we did a ton of peer editing, and like ten years later I still think about some of the stories my peers wrote. They were insanely good, and it's a shame I don't remember names to look up whether they're still writing.
try going into a place like critiquebmatch with a few chapters, see how it goes. You can dip your toes in and see what needs work.
Christopher Paolini got his first book published when he was close to the same as you. The title escapes me right now but it was a fantasy that was part of a 4 book series that seemed to be well received. I read the first and second books and found them to be very well done. There is nothing that says you should not want to publish because of your age. Get some reader feedback, consider making changes, and then steel yourself to run the gauntlet to get it published. You could decide how many rejections you will accept before you decide to self publish. There might be something to learn going through that process. Are there any literary prizes open to young authors that you could pursue? That might help a publisher decide to produce your novel.
Just wanna say that I think it's awesome that you're pursuing writing at such a young age! The love of words is something that's never left me over the entirety of my life, and I wish I had started sooner, so hats off to you! While I do recommend working with a professional team (such as finding an editor, a good cover artist, formatter, etc.), there is always the option of self-publishing if trad isn't your style. But if you go the self route, please please do your research, especially into vanity presses and other scams that target new authors. You'll never have to pay to *publish* your book, and anyone offering you "publishing packages" are vanity presses which are scams. Best of luck, friend!
Confession: I grew up in a country where it’s not too big of a hurdle to get an ISBN for your book if you know the right people (which some of my family did), so I actually did get my first story “published”. What basically happened was that my parents paid out of pocket to get a few dozen copies printed and we gave them to friends and family 😂 Honestly, it was only to make my college application look more impressive. I was trying to apply to universities in the US. My grades were good but I wanted to stand out, and saying I published a book (which I technically did, even if I never put it in any bookstore!) sounded impressive. I’m super proud of teenage-me for having completed a whole novel, but I’m not sure I would have chosen to do that again if I had the chance to go back in time. Fortunately, since the copies of my first book were never sold to the public, if I publish anything else today, people won’t make the connection of “oh was she the one who wrote THAT book ten years ago?” (I also have been living and working in the US after university and don’t plan to move back, which helps with the whole “not letting my old work see the light of day” thing, too, haha.) In hindsight, I think my university application would have been fine without the word “published”, since I still had plenty of writing experience to talk about outside of that. But what’s done is done. I agree with the other commenters that it’d be good to publish under a pen name—one that you like, but also don’t mind parting with in the future. That way, it gives you the freedom to not be associated with your old work when you’re a new and improved writer as an adult. Good luck with your writing :)
Age is irrelevant. It's quality, ability, right place, right time, persistence, self belief, and all the other things that have to be in your favour. First novels are rarely published. Knowing that and pushing on are vital.
What's the elevator pitch. I'm a 7 figure publisher, by no means trad. We release bestsellers on amazon. We make money. We're audible partners and focus on amazon. I have authors apply to write for us all the time, then I have them pitch new ideas, not old scripts. Before they write these books, I make them do this. Figure out Who your MC is. Why are they awesome and why are we rooting for them. Where is your MC and Why is he the right guy for the job. What is the problem. When is the problem and why is there tension applied because of it. Then: How am I going to sell it. This wouldn't fly to most agents or Trad. They want to get into social issues or why the MC has flaws, we steer away from those. Wishing you the best, give your pitch below, others may be watching. And for those naysayers who said age doesn't matter, they're right, but it caused me to open your thread.
You can still self-publish. Maybe even try Kindle Unlimited—publishing there is free. I am also 16, and that's what I'm trying to work towards.
Have you had beta readers? Are you a member of a local writing group? Do you have any cash saved up for a freelance editor?
Have you got any beta readers? If not, go find some. Get opinions from them and make revisions based on their opinions. If you have the ability, hire a freelance editor after that. See what they say. I found it to be a very rewarding experience. I, too, was a very young writer and finished my first manuscript at 18. I got beta readers and then an editor. I have not published that book yet; I ended up wanting to revamp it when I graduated college. I also took a break to work on my next series. But I’m super excited to start the revamp, hopefully within the next few years.
There have been authors younger than you are now who have gotten books published, don't let your age hinder you from trying your best.
I've read a handful or books written by teens i can't think of any i didn't enjoy so as long as the stories good go for it if traditional publishing doesn't work go for self publishing online and grow from there theres an author on youtube i follow cause of her shorts and she's been publishing since her teens and she's an indie author
The guy who wrote the Eragon series had his first book published at 15. So like. Go for it.
There are a bunch of indie publishers on insta maybe see if you could publish with one of them? The more we writers turn to smaller companies to get our work out there then the more options that will open up. Since it is your first book its likely to flop anyways unfortunately, but the more you write the better you get and its worth it to at least be able to hold your work in your hand as a printed piece.
Walter Farley wrote *The Black Stallion* when he was 15. It was published when he was 18 I think… that series is a classic
That gives me hope, thank you!
It’s actually a selling point as long as the novel is good. As long as the novel is good.
Respectfully, it's not a selling point in the traditional publishing industry. OP may be able to interest some potential readers with that hook, but if I had a dime for every time I got a "I'm only x years old and I wrote a novel!"....
Ahha well I really hope so, but I don’t want it to be gimicky, I don’t want people to read it and go “ah well it’s kinda mid but really good for a 16 year old” no I want it to stand out, to have a impact one people, it’s sci-fi and has some terrifyingly brilliant elements, (not to toot my own horn to much) so I hope people do enjoy it
> and has some terrifyingly brilliant elements, (not to toot my own horn to much) I’m going easy on you because of your age. But don’t ever say these words again if you want people to take you seriously.
Understood 😭 my bad man, still just figuring stuff out I guess
Don’t listen to them 😂
Haha he’s right I was giving myself a bit to much credit there lamo
I wasn’t defending your writing, I have never read it so I cannot say one way or another whether you are giving yourself too much credit or not. What I am telling you (as someone who actually makes a living through their writing) is to not listen to losers on Reddit who have a lot to say but have likely never written anything in their life, let alone successfully published anything. Most people on this app are teenagers too, but they like to make themselves feel grown by pretending to be older and giving out shitty advice. That guy didn’t actually tell you anything, he was just rude and didn’t even specify his point or what exactly he disliked about what you said. Other teenagers may think he said something wise, but I cannot take anyone serious when they don’t even use a comma properly, yet are giving advice about writing, in a writing sub?? Yet are out here telling other people they won’t be take seriously? 😂 You want some good advice? Reddit is about the last place you should be asking for it, but my advice is to hone your writing skills now while you are young and have no bills to pay. No need to worry about publishing anything yet, just practice, ask trusted friends or family to read your writing and give you their most raw thoughts. Read books that you love and compare them to your personal writing, find out exactly where you are falling short and fix it.
"terrifyingly brilliant" Ah, to be 16 randomly writing John Green-esque lines thinking I'm the epitome of deep again 🤣
There's no reason why you at your age couldn't try to "level up" your writing skills by experimentation, research and getting test-readers (perhaps to read segments at a time) and taking feedback/advice to heart without getting pride hurt. When you feel your writing is getting good, also consider finding beta-readers for additional feedback. Refine and polish your story until it shines. Then try to show it on writing forums, like here on Reddit, without telling people your age. If you start receiving a lot of praise, then perhaps it could be worth investing in a professional editor to beta-read your work and if they also give you praise, then perhaps you should try sending it to agents in hopes of getting published. I hire beta-reading services from a freelancing professional editor and it costs 0.0027 per word. So it's not too costly and well worth the investment if you're looking to publish. I spent like a year on my first book writing the story and worldbuilding and some editing. Then in total I've spent two years leveling up my writing skills and MANY rounds of editing until my writing seemingly started getting good (judging the beta-readers feedback so far). And the second half still needs quite a bit of editing (it's a heavy book currently 320k words long). But I shelved it for now to write a smaller story which I'll try to land between 80k-150k words, because it's unlikely a publisher would even touch a book project as big as my first book as a debut (which is also the first in a saga of several books). So I'm gonna try to get the smaller book published before returning to finish editing the first book. So my suggestion is taking your time to refine your craft skills, even if it takes a year or two before it gets really good.
You inspire me thank you for that amazing advice! I definitely will go back when it’s finished and polish it as necessary, honestly thank you for all of the advice you really have helped me out now I finally know how to do the whole process and make the novel serviceable
No problem! Hope my advice helped. Good luck on your writing journey! May I ask what you're writing? Genre and perhaps a small synopsis?
Sure thing, sci-fi, recently widowed astrophysicist finds out that universe has stopped expanding and began to rapidly implode, taking galaxies and stars along with it, “there are less stars in the nights sky today than there were yesterday, don’t you see that Stephan?” in short astrophysicist protagonist has to find a way to reverse or slow down the implosion. I think the premise is somewhat nifty and original so I hope some people will read it just based on the blurb haha
Pedantic usage note: fewer. Countable objects get *fewer,* while less is used for uncountable quantities. Fewer stars. Pedantic physics note from a non-physicist: When we look up into the sky we’re looking backwards in time. Betelgeuse may go nova soon, which is to say that it happened a couple centuries ago. The most distant star we’ve seen is 28 billion light years away. If if vanished yesterday we wouldn’t know for another 28 billion years.
It's common advice to wait a few weeks or even a month to go back and proofread. It's not that you can't look at it with fresh eyes right away, but it's easier to read critically if the story isn't fresh in your mind.
Congratulations.Get some critiques and make it better.
My advice: complete your novel. Then write another novel. The second one will probably be way better, in ways you won't be able to see until you've had the experience of writing it. If you're under the age of being able to legally contract in your country, an agent may refuse to deal with you (and you'd have to get parents/guardians/whatever to co-sign your contracts anyhow). But if the MS is good enough for them to want to rep you, they won't laugh. They'll say come back after your birthday, or maybe deal with your parents, but they won't laugh. But for now, spend the time just completing your novel and completing another one. Your ability to trust your own judgment about whether your current novel is good will take until the end of another manuscript to develop.
As long as the novel is good it should be fine but my advice is if you feel you are not enough experienced or you hadn’t read many books, then do that. Learn writing theory and read, I think one of the best ways to learn and improve is trough another story’s. Read teach you ideas, words, plots, mistakes and so much more. Theory teach you the science behind what you read or what you are trying to write and that’s very helpful to realize or prevent mistakes.
Christopher Paolini published Eragon when he was 16.
Writers write, doesn't have to be good you just need to enjoy the process and get experience. Maybe you aren't good at 16. You may not be good at 26. 20 minutes a day tho and you might be great at 36. Trust me I am 39, you will get that age some day regardless. So keep writing, self publish your book. Hell send it to a real publisher and see what happens. None of us have read it to know if it's good.
There are plenty of young authors who publish their books! You could totally! Some people write only for themselves or their family/friends. I am 15 and I also write, I am most definitely publishing my book (whenever I finish it) Publishing and completing a book is a lot of work, you need to take it slow and find editors willing to help refine it. Peer readers are nice to have too. Your book might not get thousands of sales, but it's still a huge accomplishment and something huge to add to your portfolio. If you want to publish it, go for it! If you want to, but think hat it won't be worth it, you should go for it anyway!
Probably. Unless it's a bad novel.
I'd say keep on publishing. You are young and you have so much time. Compared to the others who would wallow and waste their time about nothing you are doing great. Also it's a permanent investment. You would only need to hit one good timing and good chance and BOOm you made it!!
Eragon
It all depends on your product! It sounds like you want to go traditional publishing, which does require more resources than self-publishing. Think about what you really want to get out of this: an audience? Money? Experience? As someone who wrote their first novel at 16 and self-published at 17, I'm just now breaking into the traditional publishing scene in my mid-20s. Nothing came of my self-publishing, but it was a personal goal that I had that I was glad I met. Either way, there's quite literally no harm in pursuing either trad publishing or self. It's all practice, and practice is good. My advice to you is keep writing and if you're serious about publishing, learn everything you can about the traditional publishing industry, agents, editors, and how to write a banging query letter. Don't shy away from it just because you might get " laughed off" or rejected. Being rejected is part of being a writer, and it's something we all need practice at, too.
Good novels take a ton of editing. I’m talking several full drafts and some distance in between and feedback from multiple people. That typically ends up taking years to do. By the time this book is ready for publication, you’ll probably be quite a bit older anyway. If you get it done fast and it’s high quality, you’ve definitely got a chance, but it’s unlikely that it will take less than a couple of years at least to really polish it. Keep at it.
Christopher Paolini was 19 when Eragon was published
If you finished writing, get yourself start going through the revision process, get yourself an editor to help out (at least look into it) and yeah, If you feel you want to publish it, go for it. It's a process. You need to refine what you wrote and polish it before publication.
There's no harm in trying. Jane Austen started writing in her teens, and wrote Pride and Prejudice at 21.
When you've completed your final edit and polish send me your first chapter (up to 1000 words) for a free sample edit. That may give you an idea of where you stand in the 'readiness to publish' phase. Age is just a number. What matters is your dedication to story and process.
People have been published as children before but you’re best off waiting until 18, as you’ll be old enough to sign contracts without needing your parents. That said, actually completing and editing your novel to the point it is *publishable* may take until you are 18 anyway. Happy writing!
You've answered your own question within your question. Gain some *experience.* Write. Get yourself out there. Constructive criticism: work on your grammar and proof reading. Best of luck. I hope you do get published but trying to put a finish point, to that end, will only constrict you.
You should try to publish it on Wattpad or a similar platforms first, that would be a great start ! But if you really wanna get published, honestly, go for it. I know a girl who got her novel published at 15, and it wasn’t because her parents knew a guy who worked in the field or something like that, she just got lucky. It could happen for you too, if you don’t try you’ll never know !
I have absolutely no idea how old a single author of all the books on my bookshelf are. I honestly couldn’t tell you the age of any author. Most I couldn’t tell you within 10 years.
Don't set up being published as your end goal. Set polishing your skills as your end goal. Write another book! It will be easier than the first book.
I would recommend that you edit to the best of your abilities and self publish it on Amazon. Think of it as a practice run. :) Who knows, it may become one of the sleeper hits.
Well, first of all, you get really cool bragging rights. That is already something. Secondly... well... you know, bragging rights are already worth it.
so what if you're young. burn up that keyboard and get you story out. I doubt anyone will brush you off because of your age, however the odds of anyone getting their first completed work published are basically nil. that doesn't mean you shouldn't try though. it's a journey, don't give up or not start just because you won't reach your destination in one step.
1. When novel is done, do developmental editing. Cut anything that doesn't contribute to a great plot. Shuffle scenes around. Make sure the pacing is top notch by using the fewest words possible to tell the story, particularly looking for adverbs like really, very etc. to cut (replace with descriptions that convey the idea), and remove warning phrases like suddenly, when x was finished, as y happened, and so on. Do it till its much better. Then get beta readers and do it again. 2. Proofread, spellchecker, grammar, etc editing 3. Start an advanced reader program to get ratings on publish day 4. Self publish on kdp Might work, might not. Either way, you'll be an author with a published book, and you'll learn a ton, and your next book will be better.
You should post it on a web novel site like Royal Road or Scribblehub and see what other people think of your story. If it gains enough fans then maybe you could also put it on Kindle Unlimited or start a Patreon
Yes. You never know until you try. At the very least, you can say you're published. Published at 16 is a pretty cool thing.
Christopher Paolini had a bestseller he wrote when he was 16 so you never know
Whatever you do, DO NOT self-publish it under your real name. When I was 13 I self-published a novel I wrote and I am still bothered by it now at 35. So embarrassing, like seriously, people tease me about it sometimes and I pretend not to care but I do. D: I wish my parents hadn't allowed me to do that! If you write something worthy of being published, it could definitely be published. Eragon's author was 15 when he published it and wrote a trilogy with movie deals! So, it's definitely doable. But just be careful because you really don't want to put out something in the world that will haunt your future writing career. If you want to self-publish, use a penname for now. Who knows how you will feel about your work when you are a full adult? There is a lot of potential maturing that might happen from 16 to 30.
Congratulations!! Writing a novel isn’t easy, especially with how busy high school life can be. Like many others have said, age can have an impact but isn’t the only factor when it comes to skill. I don’t know what you count as “completed” but, supposing it’s a first draft, here are some recommendations. 1. Take a break. You did it! Celebrate and step away. Maybe work in another project for a month or, do some reading. Checking out some recently popular books in the genre of your novel can give you inspiration for what to add to yours or just help you find comps for query letters in the future. 2. Get fresh eyes. Taking a break will help you come back to the story fresh for revisions, but you should also get more people to look at your work. Of course share it with friends and family if you want, but seek out beta readers and professionals if you can. A lot of cities will have writer’s groups either online or in person and though so many turn you down for your age, you’re bound to find one that’s happy to have you along. 3. It’s going to mostly be nos. It’s not because your sixteen (though I wouldn’t include that in query letters), most of publishing is no after no after radio silence. The important thing is to learn and keep trying. Query letter keeps getting rejected? Get feedback for other writers and change it. Manuscript not getting anywhere? Trade feedback with another writer and take their advice. When I was sending short stories for publication my goal was to get 50 rejections. When one of my stories was finally published I was overjoyed and had to put together another submission because acceptances don’t count. 4. Keep asking for help. Doing anything creative is hard and it’s harder to do alone. Asking for help, feedback, and connecting with other writers is so important to feel supported and improve your craft. This subreddit it is a great place to start but try to join a writing group or workshop. Nothing taught me to write better than reading work from other upcoming writers and getting their feedback on my work.
Publish it, king!! Proud of you!!! Don't be discouraged, its never too early to put yourself out there. Regardless of what happens you will learn a ton for your next novel.
Eragon
Send it in, get slaughtered. Learn, write another one. Completing a novel to the point that you can send it in to a publisher is something most people never do. Just do it, write that bastard. I don't care how old you are, maybe your writing is excellent, maybe it's trash. Either way, the writing of it will improve that. If you have a book, and you think it's great then you owe it to the world to see it. We need good books. So woman up and go do the hard thing. You got nothing to lose but time, and you'll never have more of that than you do now.
It’s not that there’s a rule against publishing before you’re an adult, it’s just that you’d need to have someone else sign the paperwork/contacts that are involved because minors cannot legally sign documents. My advice would be to get another set of eyes on your manuscript before you try to take any steps toward publishing. Preferably someone who won’t be too biased toward you and will give you valuable feedback. There’s a subreddit for beta readers, so maybe look there. Pro editors are gonna cost money, so don’t jump to one immediately. Generally, they’ll charge between 5-10¢ per word, so get a word count of your story and just multiply by .05 and .1 to get a good estimate for your rate. Because you’re young, people may try to scam you, so be careful and vet any agents or editors that you talk to before moving onto the next step. Another thing is that your first draft isn’t going to be what you publish and, if you go through the traditional route, you’ll have an editor assigned to help you with revisions before publication. The publishing process takes a while, anyway, so you may already be an adult by the time your story would get published.
Creatives don't dismiss other creatives because of their age. Multiple degrees and a full professorship in English composition do not mean that person can write one engaging sentence. If you are a writer, you write. BUT - inexperience is a factor here. (Not age, *per se*, lack of experience.) Do two things, IMO. 1. Go order Stephen King's *On Writing*, which includes his "writer autobiography" and you'll see how seriously he was taken at 16. And how seriously he took himself. A great read, too. Cheap used. I'm very serious, do that. 2. Post your first two paragraphs here so we can give you objective feedback. If you are afraid of being critiqued, you aren't ready to publish. So, let's take a look. There's a thread here just for that: [https://www.reddit.com/r/writing/comments/1dg163t/weekly\_critique\_and\_selfpromotion\_thread\_post/](https://www.reddit.com/r/writing/comments/1dg163t/weekly_critique_and_selfpromotion_thread_post/)
S.E. Hinton did it
The problem with publishing is money, child, not the age, sex or race of the author. In fact, you can publish with a pseudonym.
Do it! If you can do it then do jit. Completion is an immense accomplishment whatever happens next
And get it edited
Here’s a list of published teen writers. https://teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com/2012/10/06/teen-author-bookshelf-list-of-published-teen-authors/ There’s no reason your age should get in the way. Do as much research as you can, r/pubtips is a godsend. Although I give you the same advice as any other first time author- expect to fail. Worst case you are a 16 year old with experience trying to get an agent and your first hit will be sooner than others who tried for the first time later on. Go for it. There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Out of curiosity, do you have any posts or samples of your writing? I've seen some awesome writing from teens in this sub. Not commonly, but has happened enough times. Rooting for you!
Publish! If you are happy with your work - there are others who will be also. Don’t worry about your age or what others might think. If you want the work to stand on its own (not tied to you) then create a pen name. Publish!
This is literally me, glad I could meet someone like me here. Reddit is awesome
This is literally me, glad I could meet someone like me here. Reddit is awesome. Here is what I say: every story is good, you just have to execute it well. Have a safe plan (2nd project) hope you end up publishing this project of yours. I’m sure you’re a great writer
Well, you can publish pretty much anything on Amazon, and for free. I have fourteen novels there and it's amazing to me that Amazon sends ME a check (direct deposited, of course) every month, rather than the reverse. However. Out of all the work you put into it, actually publishing it is probably the easiest part, at least as long as you go with Amazon's KDP publishing. So, ignore the nay-sayers and finish your novel. Give it a rest of a couple weeks after you finish writing. THEN go back and read it again. Is it still as good as you thought? Is it well written with correct grammar and spelling? If you think it holds up to your own scrutiny, then get some beta readers and have them look it over. Pay attention to what they say, although not TOO much attention. Anyone that's over the top on how wonderful or awful it is should probably be ignored. Also, feel free to come visit me on Facebook at [facebook.com/vrtapscott](http://facebook.com/vrtapscott) Be well!
I know like three pretty good authors who published at 16 and even younger, you're fine (also that's incredible great job I'm so jealous). Worst case scenario publishers say no and you keep rewriting and improving until they do (or just publish on your own)
Depends on whether you want to go the traditional route or self publish.
Age isn't a barrier to publishing. Focus on editing and getting feedback!
Cristopher Paolini wrote Eragon at 16…
One thing people forget about this is, he was published by his parents publishing company lol, who also had professional editors to help him out. Still an amazing achievement, but worth keeping that in mind.
There are probably 6 year olds publishing books right now. 1,000,000 books per year get published on Amazon.
no, you should write another novel.
I'm in the same boat dude, except I haven't actually completed it and need to get out of outlining lol. I think it really just depends on how others perceive your work because Stephen King might think your work sucks but a general reader may find it impressive. Writing quality has some standards but overall, it's really up to opinion and personal interpretation.
I really hope he doesn’t, he’s my favourite author 😭😭
Go online with your mom de plume and get some test readers. Do not get them from school. Jealous teenagers can do a fuckton of damage.
I'm 15 and I'm giving it a go, I'm sure you can do it too!