So I heard you want to get published. Do you want the sugar coated truth or the hard truth?

If you choose sugar coated, nothing in the literary world is covered in sugar, especially their rejections. So, I’ll just give you the hard truth.

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The Traditional Way

Depending on the area you want to publish in, the journey can look a little different, but nonetheless similar. I am still on my journey, but the information I have now compared to the beginning has definitely grown over the years.

Research, Research, Research

The first thing I had to learn was that a LOT of research goes into publishing. Whether you are trying to publish a book, music, art, etc., the main thing is to find someone who can represent you. You don’t want just anyone to represent you for many reasons, because publishing is a commitment.

Which means your agent will be like your right-hand man. You do not want to work with somebody who doesn’t see your work for what it is, who doesn't get along with your personality, values, ideas, and so forth.

Of course, you and your agent won’t agree on everything, but if there is no foundation, it is bound to crumple at some point. And trust me, your agent won’t have any issue with it crumpling because although you put your heart and soul into this project and it's like your baby, you cannot forget that at the end of the day, this is a business. So, an agent will have no issue adopting another baby.

Write a Query Letter That Stands Out

In addition to doing research for yourself, you also should be researching to write your query letter.

Your query letter should not be a copy and paste for every agent. Believe me, I know it’s tempting, but you want to show each agent that you know why you chose them and why they are the best match for you and your project.

Brace Yourself For Rejections

Even after all this effort of researching and drafting personal letters, you might get no reply at all. I’ve probably sent 50 query letters out and only got 15 replies. Of course, they were all rejections, but getting a reply is better than nothing at all.

Most times, they will say in their bio that they take months to reply. Which is also true because I would get a reply from a query I sent in October back on a random evening in May. It is more or less the same for querying talent managers because they usually work in the same circuit.

Know Your Genre

Now, as for my literary people, whether you want to publish non-fiction or fiction makes a huge difference. The difference?

Well, besides the effort, for non-fiction, if you do not have a large enough platform, the agent will not care. If you do not have credentials such as a degree, published journals, connections, or anything to back up what you are writing, they will not take you. Totally reasonable, but soul-crushing as a teen who wants to get published.

However, you do not need a finished manuscript… Sounds good, right? But, you do need to have a complete book proposal. So, it’s a bit unfair but understandable. But if you take into account all the things required to publish non-fiction, it would be much simpler to self-publish.

As for fiction, it is a bit easier because you don’t need a huge platform; having a platform and credentials is just a bonus. For fiction, you just need to have a perfect query letter and a finished manuscript.

Though I do wish I could give an insight into what happens when you get an agent… I have yet to pass the querying stage! Don’t lose hope yet, though, because it takes even adults months to query all the agents they want and get the perfect query.

However, once you do get a reply from an agent not rejecting you but asking to see the rest of your work, you will have a call with them to see if you will be the right client for them.

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The Self-Publishing Way

I do have my fair share in self-publishing. When I self-published my first book, fireworks were everywhere! In my eyes, heart, maybe even brain.

But then the fireworks got a little out of hand, and I kept getting hit with the aftermath. In other words, my joy exceeded reality, and I had to take it down.

When self-publishing, whether it is fiction or non-fiction, the hard part of querying is out of the way, but the challenges of advertising and marketing arise. How will you get people to buy your book? How will they even know to look it up?

You'll Need Lots of Networking

That's why most people would rather have an agent, because they usually take care of this part. So once again, credentials, connections, and platforms play a huge role in the publishing industry, and I'm sure this goes for musicians and artists, too.

It's Harder to Find In Person

Another major thing is finding somewhere to hold and see your books in person. Which means you need to contact local bookstores, indie bookstores, or libraries to sell your books.

In other words, this is where the legal matters of contracts and business play a role. Even if you were to traditionally publish, you’d still have to go over contracts and legal matters. This makes it a less favorable playing field for teens.

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Conclusion

All in all, do not stop writing or creating. YOU ARE STILL YOUNG! You have many years ahead of you to be a New York Bestselling Author or number one on Spotify.

A lot of work goes into getting your creation into the hands of people, and that's okay. I am not only saying this to you but to myself. As someone who has been at this for years, I've given up 50 times and probably cried over 100 times.

Even so, the journey is even more memorable because hard work goes a long way and attracts way more people. So from me to you, keep on going!