BECOMING A FAMOUS WRITER

Dear Jellybean,

This may not be the most complex question you've had, but I find that I need some..well..confidence, I guess is the word I'm looking for. I hope to be an aspiring writer someday and all of my friends- my parents, too- think that this could- should- happen. They say I am amazing and that my work is really good- my stories and my poems. I like to write about realistic things- nonfiction, really. And the poems I write give the impression that I'm the "Queen of Gloom and Doom", as one of my friends said (jokingly, of course). I get a lot of my inspiration from the music I listen to- rock, punk, alternative- and the books I read- many authors I can give credit to. I guess what I'm asking is... do you think I should persue my love for writing to college and then try publishing some of my work? My English teacher said that I should try sending it to Scholastic magazine and see if it could get in there. But what I want to know as well is, do you think that, if it would be possible, to publish my finished work into an actual book? Not necessarily a novel, maybe a short story, perhaps, but a book all the same. My dream is to become a famous, or at least well-know, author and I can't think of anything that I would want to do more than writing; it is my passion and I see it as a possible career opportunity. Does this sound like a crazy aspiration, or simply something that could never happen to a girl like me? I am only 14 but my mom says that I am mature beyond my years, which, not to brag, but seems true sometimes.

If I decide to go on with this dream, do you how to get an agent? I'm not saying I'm going to get all of this accomplished in the next week- or the next six months- but do you also know of any good publishers that might accept my work?

Please and Thank you,
Writing is my Passion

Dear Writing is my Passion,

Becoming a famous writer does not seem like a crazy aspiration. You obviously have a passion for it, which is an excellent starting point. As a professional writer myself, I totally connect with your energy, your enthusiasm, and your eagerness to go from zero to sixty in the writing game! Let me just slow you down for a second though, and give you some practical tips, including how to find - and secure - a good agent. With some hard work, and a good strategy, you could definitely become a published author someday.

Find Your Focus

First, before you can approach a publishing agent, you need to figure out what kind of writer you are. You say that your focus is non-fiction. What categories of non-fiction are you going to specialize in? Do you want to write about music, do historical essays, create in-depth interviews with comtemporary figures, cover politics, write about medical breakthroughs, feminist issues, etc.? Agents have to "pitch" you (basically, sell you as an author, before they sell your works) to publishing houses, so they need a good idea of exactly what you have to offer. Spend some time investigating your writing options. Think about what you like to write, and what you're good at writing. It's critical you write about things which inspire you. Otherwise you can easily become distracted and lose motivation. If you have a hobby or subject that captivates your interest repeatedly, incorporate it into your writing.

Create A Porfolio

Next, you'll need to develop a portfolio. An editor or agent will often ask to see a few writing samples just to get a sense of your writing style. A writing portfolio is a sample collection of your written work. Its purpose is to showcase your writing ability. Having a portfolio demonstrates your professionalism and proves your initiative. It will also boost your confidence. Include your very best writing only - and make sure it's 100% checked for spelling and grammar errors. Your portfolio of samples can be contained in a binder, on a CD, or website.

Commit To Getting Published

Unless your book is truly ground-breaking, you may find it very difficult to get an agent, if you've never published anything. Agents like to see that a writer is great at self-promotion. When you send your portfolio and resume to an agent, you'll need to include some published writing credits on your resume. This could be stories, poems or essays that you've gotten magazines, ezines, websites, newsletters, your school paper, or other publications. So before you attack your book, get working on having your pieces published in shorter form, in different formats.

Submit Your Work

Follow your teacher's advice, which is great, and submit your work to the Scholastic magazine. But don't stop there! Search the web for site and ezines that accept teen writing, such as:
The Myjellybean.com "A Reader Writes" column
Teen Ink
About Teens
Student.com
Merlyn's Pen
The Claremont Review
Kids On the Net, The My Hero Project
Positive Teens

You can also enter the Myjellybean.com Short Fiction contest, for your chance to get a short story published, plus win cash and other great prizes. The 2008 contest will be launched on March 28th - watch the main page of Myjellybean.com for details.

Continue To Learn And Grow

Bust your butt in English class. Do every writing exercise, and do your best work on every assignment. The best training for a budding writer is tons of practice, and tons of constructive criticism from people who know what they're talking about. Pursue every opportunity to do extra training, such as writing labs or clubs, and courses outside-of-school. Trade written pieces with classmates and ask for constructive feedback. Accept criticism gracefully, even if it hurts. The more you learn about what doesn't work, the more you'll learn about what does work. Be ruthless about editing your own work, and making it the best it can possibly be, before adding it to your portfolio, or submitting it to publications.

Also continue to learn about the world. A writer needs to be connected to tons of different ideas, and know what's going on outside of her own narrow life. Be a voracious reader and learner. Get into the habit of reading various books, newspapers, blogs, magazines, websites, etc.

When you're ready to think about college, take classes about writing. Study English, and don't forget to throw a few history courses into the mix - they're gold for writers. Once you've figured out your writing "specialty", you can also join online blog networks and communities of writers who share your same or related interests, to gain more expertise.

Approach Agents

Time to talking about getting that book together. Once you feel that you've begun to master your craft, just for practice, write 20 related pieces on the subject that most interests you. These should be short, about 700 words each. Contact publishing agents to see if you can find one who'll take on your project, and contact publishers about producing the collection as a book. (Never send out an unsolicited manuscript - any decent publisher will just throw it out - they require unpublished books to come through agents).

To find an agent, head to your local reference library and ask the librarian for a copy of "The 2008 Writer's Market". This is a huge guide, updated annually, featuring all the detailed information a writer needs to select the appropriate agent for her work, including the keys to successful query letters, complete contact information for literary agents in every category of writing, how to submit your manuscript to agents (no stapling!), articles from successful writers, and much more.

Once you've selected the agents who you want to "pitch" your book to, submit elegantly written, simple and clear query letters (you'll find great tips for doing this in the book). Keep your letters to one page maximum. Print them on good quality, cream or white colored bond paper. Use only black ink and a 12 point, Times New Roman type - this is no time to get fancy with fonts. Double check for spelling, typos and grammar usage just before you mail your query. Enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope for the agent's reply.