Kids and Publishing

How do you get something written by a kid published?

Here are your best options ranked from easiest to hardest:

1. Self-publishing: take it to a printer and pay to have copies made.
2. Write for your school or club newsletter.
3. Send a letter to the editor of your community newspaper.
4. Enter a writing contest where you will be competing with kids your own age. Like the 2010 Junior Authors Short Story Contest.
5. Submit something to a publisher who only wants stuff written by kids. I have a list of publishing markets for young writers on my Web site that I update all the time.

I know that options for writers 18 and under are limited, but think of it this way. You don’t have to worry about writing to pay the bills so use this time to practice, practice, practice.

Realistically, only the top one-percent of submissions that are sent to a publisher have a shot at making it to print.

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