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Getting Published Tips For Young Writers
Getting Syndicated > > >
The task of getting published is one of the daunting aspects of writing. This can be difficult, if you want to get published by a traditional publishing house. It's not as difficult if you want to self-publish. In this article I will share with you the steps involved in getting your work published either traditionally or through self-publishing.
Mainstream publishers are often reluctant to accept work from young writers as anyone under 18 cannot sign a contract on their own and will require parental involvement. That is not to say you cannot submit to them but make sure your work is of high quality as you will be competing with adult writers. There are also several publishers that cater specifically to young writers, for a list of these, check out the book THE YOUNG WRITER'S GUIDE TO GETTING PUBLISHED. There are also several sites on the web that accept work from young writers such as http://stonesoup.com and Merlyn's pen. Make sure you edit your work thoroughly and follow the submission guidelines for publishers carefully. Some publishers prefer that you send a query letter only at first describing your project. The query letter should be only one page long. If it is longer than that a busy editor will likely just throw it to one side. Think of the back cover summary you see on most books you buy, try to summarize what your book is about in a few words. This can be difficult but it must be done and done in a way that grabs an editor's attention. Some publishers will allow you to submit a query letter and a few chapters of your work or your entire book. It is important that you use the correct font, you can't go wrong with courier new 12 pt and a double spaced manuscript. The query letter can use the same font but there is no need to double space it.
Let's now take a look at self publishing. Self publishing has become quite easy with the advent of self publishers like Lulu. At http://lulu.com you can publish your work for free. However lulu does take a small commission of anything you sell. Lulu also sells ISBN's for around $100 U.S. dollars. An ISBN will make your book available for international sale. It will become available to places like http://Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and hundreds of other distributors worldwide. When you self publish you set your own price and your age never becomes a factor as it will be with some traditional publishers. If you decide to self publish everything falls into your hands, from editing to formatting. Lulu provides several services for these publishing details, however the costs can add up for young writers. The good news is that with patience and determination you can do it yourself. Lulu provides templates for formatting your book. If you can find a teacher, friend or parent to help you with editing you are well on your way without breaking the bank. Lulu makes making your book cover as easy as possible although you are responsible for finding your own image if you do not wish to use their images.
Finally, there is nothing like seeing your work in print and the opportunities for young writers are greater than ever.
Getting Syndicated > > >
BONUS : Getting Syndicated
Over the years Ive spoken to a number of authors who say they aspire to write a syndicated column. Getting syndicated is a great idea, albeit a challenging one. If youve thought of this no doubt most (if not all) of your competition has too. But dont let this discourage you; while syndication may take a while, its still worth pursuing.
There are a number of tried and true ways you can enter this market, there are also a few back door methods that might work equally as good. The first thing youll need to do however is get to know your competition. For this I recommend that you get a copy of The Editor & Publisher Annual Directory of Syndication. Sometimes you can get this in bookstores but Id recommend just ordering it online at http://www.editorandpublisher.com. Explore this book carefully and youll find that syndicated columns are listed by both the syndicated service that offers them as well as their topic. This will give you a good starting point in your research and since most newspapers now have on-line archives, youll be able to explore past articles and see how these topics differ from your own.
Once youve explored this, define for yourself how your topic/angle is different from the ones you found during your research. Then once youve defined this, you can start targeting papers or syndication services with your query letter and sample articles. This is the traditional way of entering this market. For most it can be long and tedious and you might find that without prior clippings to offer them, the process takes even longer. In that vein, Id recommend that you try offering your column locally first or to one paper at a time but not in a syndication deal but as a filler; newspapers will be a lot quicker to take filler items than to explore syndication options with you. By offering them consistent filler content (and saving those valuable clippings) youll start to grow your level of experience, youll build a reputation with the editor or editorial staff and youll begin to get a sense of what does and doesnt work with printed media. An associate of mine did this, not with a local paper but with a paper shed been offering her articles to, and after about two years of consistent submission she may be in line to fill the shoes of their in-house syndicated columnist who is retiring.
Once you have built some exposure for yourself and gathered clippings of your work, then its time to start pitching your topic to syndicated services (some of them are listed below) or regional newspapers. For this youll need a great query letter establishing your credentials and explaining why your idea is different from the others they might be considering, youll need some sample articles (other than your clippings) and perhaps some letters of reference from some papers youve worked for. Submit this packet to newspapers or syndicated services that might be appropriate to your topic and then keep good records and do your follow-up just like you would if you were pitching the media on anything else. The same rules apply really, pitch and follow-up and stay on their radar screen.
So, at the end of the day when you find yourself successfully syndicated will you get paid for all your hard work absolutely! What youll get paid varies depending on how many papers feature you and whether you are working through a syndication service. Syndication services are great but they will typically take 40 to 50 percent of your sales. If you self-syndicate you get all the proceeds. While its great to do this, keep in mind that youll need to have good tracking systems in place once your column takes off.
As an already published author, syndication can be another great way to promote you and your book. Your book will lend you the credibility you need to get that column and from this ongoing printed exposure some lucrative publishing deals could follow suit. Syndication may not be an easy road but if tackled correctly, can be a great way to boost your promotion, expand your platform and get the kind of exposure you only ever dreamed of!
Major syndicates check online for their submission guidelines
Copley News Service
http://www.copleynews.com
King Features
http://www.kingfeatures.com
Universal Press Syndicate
http://www.amuniversal.com/ups/index.htm
BONUS TIP: If youre trying to follow the comings and goings of syndicated writers, Editor and Publisher (http://www.editorandpublisher) is a great resource for that. Check out the Departments tab on their web site for the latest news on columns that might be coming available!
Over the years Ive spoken to a number of authors who say they aspire to write a syndicated column. Getting syndicated is a great idea, albeit a challenging one. If youve thought of this no doubt most (if not all) of your competition has too. But dont let this discourage you; while syndication may take a while, its still worth pursuing.
There are a number of tried and true ways you can enter this market, there are also a few back door methods that might work equally as good. The first thing youll need to do however is get to know your competition. For this I recommend that you get a copy of The Editor & Publisher Annual Directory of Syndication. Sometimes you can get this in bookstores but Id recommend just ordering it online at http://www.editorandpublisher.com. Explore this book carefully and youll find that syndicated columns are listed by both the syndicated service that offers them as well as their topic. This will give you a good starting point in your research and since most newspapers now have on-line archives, youll be able to explore past articles and see how these topics differ from your own.
Once youve explored this, define for yourself how your topic/angle is different from the ones you found during your research. Then once youve defined this, you can start targeting papers or syndication services with your query letter and sample articles. This is the traditional way of entering this market. For most it can be long and tedious and you might find that without prior clippings to offer them, the process takes even longer. In that vein, Id recommend that you try offering your column locally first or to one paper at a time but not in a syndication deal but as a filler; newspapers will be a lot quicker to take filler items than to explore syndication options with you. By offering them consistent filler content (and saving those valuable clippings) youll start to grow your level of experience, youll build a reputation with the editor or editorial staff and youll begin to get a sense of what does and doesnt work with printed media. An associate of mine did this, not with a local paper but with a paper shed been offering her articles to, and after about two years of consistent submission she may be in line to fill the shoes of their in-house syndicated columnist who is retiring.
Once you have built some exposure for yourself and gathered clippings of your work, then its time to start pitching your topic to syndicated services (some of them are listed below) or regional newspapers. For this youll need a great query letter establishing your credentials and explaining why your idea is different from the others they might be considering, youll need some sample articles (other than your clippings) and perhaps some letters of reference from some papers youve worked for. Submit this packet to newspapers or syndicated services that might be appropriate to your topic and then keep good records and do your follow-up just like you would if you were pitching the media on anything else. The same rules apply really, pitch and follow-up and stay on their radar screen.
So, at the end of the day when you find yourself successfully syndicated will you get paid for all your hard work absolutely! What youll get paid varies depending on how many papers feature you and whether you are working through a syndication service. Syndication services are great but they will typically take 40 to 50 percent of your sales. If you self-syndicate you get all the proceeds. While its great to do this, keep in mind that youll need to have good tracking systems in place once your column takes off.
As an already published author, syndication can be another great way to promote you and your book. Your book will lend you the credibility you need to get that column and from this ongoing printed exposure some lucrative publishing deals could follow suit. Syndication may not be an easy road but if tackled correctly, can be a great way to boost your promotion, expand your platform and get the kind of exposure you only ever dreamed of!
Major syndicates check online for their submission guidelines
Copley News Service
http://www.copleynews.com
King Features
http://www.kingfeatures.com
Universal Press Syndicate
http://www.amuniversal.com/ups/index.htm
BONUS TIP: If youre trying to follow the comings and goings of syndicated writers, Editor and Publisher (http://www.editorandpublisher) is a great resource for that. Check out the Departments tab on their web site for the latest news on columns that might be coming available!
