What are some publishing companies for teens?

Nick: What are some publishing companies for teens?
I am in the middle of writing a fiction book with adventure and I guess Sci-Fi too. I want to get some information about publishers, editors, etc. Mostly anything would be helpful. And from what I read, most publishers are not big fans of publishing books written by teens. So it would be nice if they were teen friendly publishers. Thanks for the help!

Answers and Views:

Answer by oh shucks!
I don’t think there are any. Any adult publisher will probably take your book if it’s good.

Answer by michele
Purchase a copy of the 2010 Writer’s Market. You’ll find a comprehensive list of publishers there, including what types of books they prefer (e.g., sci-fi). Avoid mentioning your age in your query letter (there is no need to mention it). If it gets to the point where you are actually offered a contract, your parents (if you are a minor) will simply sign on your behalf.

Best of luck,
~Dr. B.~

Answer by Allusionary
I recommend writing communities for writing answers.

SFWA has a website on scams directed at writers.

I recommend finding an agent. But Writers’ Market (a book,) if you’re in the United States, has publishers and what their requirements are.

Answer by redhedstepchyld
Arsenal Pulp Press, Black Market Press, Scopecraeft (sp??) Press

Also, don’t buy the Writer’s Market: check it out from the library or read it in any bookstore.

One last thing: get an agent. I know it might seem soon, but many authors have lost the rights to their work and then others majorly capitalized on it, e.g. JG Ballard’s novella Crash, which was made into a film in 1996 but then later someone reused the title for another film and TV series. Just an example on how common and overlooked intellectual property infringement is in our society.

Answer by X
Magazines are definitely more friendly. I don’t think there would be a publishing company or agents devoted to searching for teen writers (and if there were any, they’d probably be some of the most discouraged people ever).

I recently read a blog about an author’s journey from publishing on fictionpress.com to gaining an awesome contract with a major publishing company. Here’s a basic summary of what she had to go through:

Sent her “final draft” of one story to around 20 agents
First round of rejections arrived. Some agents gave suggestions.
Sent revised story, plus another story, to more agents
Some sent back with changes, other agents request different storylines
Scrapped one story, changed half the characters of her second story, sent to more agents
One agent accepted.
Sent to some publishers.
Round of rejections, some publishers mildly interested.
Revised and sent to more publishers.
A few publishers gain interest, but don’t accept for specific reasons (not targeted at right age group, not sci-fi, etc.)
Rewrote entire story, sent again
Two publishers willing to accept
Agent worked out and negotiated for best contract
Book accepted and published

So I might have left out a few crucial things or made a few things up, but that’s basically the gist of it. This author is a FULL-TIME ADULT writer, yet she still has this much trouble getting her book published. Maybe a better idea for you would be to write the book now and keep on editing it until you’re out of school. Who knows how much your writing can still develop? Maybe in ten years you’ll look back on the story you’re writing now and wonder why you ever thought it was good enough to be published.

Answer by Alice
https://www.inkpop.com/

This site is HarperCollins’ new teen-targeted interactive writing platform designed to provide a social network for literate youngsters as well as a place for publishers to rummage around for future talent. Users vote up projects they like to point Editorial Board members in the direction of quality writing. Authors of the site’s top five monthly selections will receive feedback and mentorship opportunities, while the best work will be considered for publication. Such a platform could offer a glimpse into what the future of publishing may look like, when young and old readers alike have access to interactive devices that provide a two-way conduit between author and publisher. Since its soft launch Q4 2009, inkpop has attracted more than 10,000 members and nearly 11,000 submissions, including novels, poems, essays, and short stories.

Answer by ExPubCon
Congrats! Authors are made – not born at the first sign of christening and as long as you can write and pull off a manuscript at an early age of what, 6, you can be a published author.

Self-publishing is one venue for authors who wanted to test how their book will fare in the market.

To get into a contract, yes, you must have someone legal to assist you with it. Self-publishing will entail you to make a deposit before going through production and any financial transaction done should be legitimate.

How can you NOT publish? I have known of authors who started as early as 6 to 10- years old.

With parent’s consent, supervision and resources, these children are already raking exposure in the publishing industry as young as they are now.

Good luck! 🙂