# Can age interfere with publishing?



## AgentZero (Nov 24, 2012)

Hello there, my name is Kris, I'm 13, and my question is, at such a young age am I allowed to get a publisher? Or does it all depend on the story?


----------



## Jagunco (Nov 25, 2012)

I have to be honest I don't know but..... I've not yet been asked for my age by a publisher so I think you'll be ok. Have you tried googling young writers?

I do recall I met a 13 year old lass in Canada who had had some published poetry now I think of it.


----------



## Trilby (Nov 25, 2012)

The content and quality of the ms is what counts; age like they say is just a number, although at thirteen (I imagine) your parents' permission would be needed.


----------



## Bloggsworth (Nov 25, 2012)

Most publishers would love a 13 year old writer if they were really good - Think how much extra publicity it would garner. "*13 year old prodigy publishing sensation!*" It would be newspaper headlines all over the world.


----------



## shadowwalker (Nov 25, 2012)

The only caveat to your getting published is the contract business. In the US, at least, you'd be too young to sign a contract, so your parents/guardian would have to do that on your behalf. Otherwise, your chances of getting published depend entirely on the quality of your work, just like any other writer.


----------



## Jeko (Nov 25, 2012)

Your age won't, but I think your situation might. Being still in the chaos of GCSEs myself, I can't find the time to simply write my novel. It's slow. It may only get slower when I get to A levels and maybe worse if I go to uni.

A publisher might take these things into account, I think. I'm not certain, though.


----------



## AgentZero (Nov 25, 2012)

Thank you all, I am home schooled so I have more time to write than most thirteen year olds, and my parents have all ways been supportive of this. I do remember one author, (Can't remember his name, but he wrote the outsiders.) who wrote a book at 16, so I think I'll be okay.


----------



## Jeko (Nov 25, 2012)

Great to see you have the time on your hands. And great to see more young talent popping up!

Maybe I should start a young writers' group or something. Is there already one?

Edit: just made one.


----------



## AgentZero (Nov 25, 2012)

Cadence said:


> Great to see you have the time on your hands. And great to see more young talent popping up!
> 
> Maybe I should start a young writers' group or something. Is there already one?
> 
> Edit: just made one.



Oh look, I have just joined 8D


----------



## smallmarkbooks (Nov 26, 2012)

Hard to say if age matters or not. Christphoer Paolini was 15 or 16 when he started in on Eragon.
Have you thought about self publishing? There are a number of places that you can self publish for minimal cost. I do myself, with work in print, and in ePub and Kindle formats as well. Takes a little more effort but you don't have to worry about contracts or deadlines.


----------



## AgentZero (Nov 26, 2012)

smallmarkbooks said:


> Hard to say if age matters or not. Christphoer Paolini was 15 or 16 when he started in on Eragon.
> Have you thought about self publishing? There are a number of places that you can self publish for minimal cost. I do myself, with work in print, and in ePub and Kindle formats as well. Takes a little more effort but you don't have to worry about contracts or deadlines.



I did not know about self-publishing. I could do this if worst comes to worst, but I would rather let the professionals decide if it should be published or not.


----------



## sunaynaprasad (Nov 26, 2012)

Age usually shouldn't interfere. However, when I was 16, I submitted a book to American Book Publishing. Not to scare you, but their response was:

"_I'm sorry. We like your book. We cannot contract minors. You are welcome to resubmit to us when you're over 18."

_They rejected me just because of my age. I wasn't the only one, though. I heard of a couple other teenagers who got rejected just because of their ages. Some publishing companies won't even accept manuscript from minors. So to be honest, yes and no. Do research and keep your age confidential until your book is accepted and they give you a contract. I didn't keep my age secret, because I'd assumed that they would know that parents or guardians sign the contract.


----------



## shadowwalker (Nov 26, 2012)

sunaynaprasad said:


> Age usually shouldn't interfere. However, when I was 16, I submitted a book to American Book Publishing. Not to scare you, but their response was:
> 
> "_I'm sorry. We like your book. We cannot contract minors. You are welcome to resubmit to us when you're over 18."_


_

Yeah, probably because ABP is a vanity press which charges its authors to be 'published'. Since minors can't be held to a contract, they wouldn't be able to collect the dough. You lucked out there._


----------



## smallmarkbooks (Nov 26, 2012)

Vanity presses usually don't get you very far, unless you are super lucky like JK Rowling--I think it was westbow press she first publish HP with before getting picked up by Scholastic. Usually they just charge you a pile o cash just get your book printed and maybe in stores. You're lucky to get any marketing out of em as usually you have to do your own legwork. Westbow called me last week just to let me know they have a new ebook deal (for Amazon, B&N, and a few other token outlets) for around $500. Shoot, I have stuff on those for free already. It's just a matter getting your work looking like it professionally done.


----------



## Trilby (Nov 27, 2012)

I thought JK Rowlings first publisher was 'Little Brown' and they are well established publisher's - they're not vanity press.

Edit; just checked 'Bloomsbury Press' was JKs first publisher and they too are traditional publishers.


----------



## smallmarkbooks (Nov 27, 2012)

Yep. I just discovered as much myself. I don't recall where I heard that*. I thought it was her website I read it on years ago, or maybe it was some vanity press making a false claim for the sake of notoriety.
Ah well, I stand corrected.

*but it's true if you read it online, right? :shame:


----------



## Staff Deployment (Nov 27, 2012)

Bringing the discussion back around, do publishers care about age?

In theory, no.

In practice YEEEEEES yes they do. Don't mention your age in a cover letter or query. They'll assume you're not a mature and practiced writer and you'll barely have a chance to prove them wrong.


----------

