Tina P. Schwartz - Writing and Publishing: The Ultimate Teen Guide

It Happened to Me

Series Editor: Arlene Hirschfelder

Books in the It Happened to Me series are designed for inquisitive teens digging for answers about certain illnesses, social issues, or lifestyle interests. Whether you are deep into your teen years or just entering them, these books are gold mines of up-to-date information, riveting teen views, and great visuals to help you figure out stuff. Besides special boxes highlighting singular facts, each book is enhanced with the latest reading lists, websites, and an index. Perfect for browsing, they have loads of expert information by acclaimed writers to help parents, guardians, and librarians understand teen illness, tough situations, and lifestyle choices.

1. Epilepsy: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay and Sean McGarrahan, 2002.

2. Stress Relief: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Mark Powell, 2002.

3. Learning Disabilities: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny Hutchins Paquette and Cheryl Gerson Tuttle, 2003.

4. Making Sexual Decisions: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by
L. Kris Gowen, 2003.

5. Asthma: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny Hutchins Paquette, 2003.

6. Cultural DiversityConflicts and Challenges: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2003.

7. Diabetes: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Katherine J. Moran, 2004.

8. When Will I Stop Hurting? Teens, Loss, and Grief: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Dealing with Grief, by Ed Myers, 2004.

9. Volunteering: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2004.

10. Organ TransplantsA Survival Guide for the Entire Family: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Tina P. Schwartz, 2005.

11. Medications: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Cheryl Gerson Tuttle, 2005.

12. Image and IdentityBecoming the Person You Are: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by L. Kris Gowen and Molly C. McKenna, 2005.

13. Apprenticeship: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny Hutchins Paquette, 2005.

14. Cystic Fibrosis: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Melanie Ann Apel, 2006.

15. Religion and Spirituality in America: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2006.

16. Gender Identity: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Cynthia L. Winfield, 2007.

17. Physical Disabilities: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Denise Thornton, 2007.

18. MoneyGetting It, Using It, and Avoiding the Traps: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Robin F. Brancato, 2007.

19. Self-Advocacy: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Cheryl Gerson Tuttle and JoAnn Augeri Silva, 2007.

20. Adopted: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Suzanne Buckingham Slade, 2007.

21. The Military and Teens: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2008.

22. Animals and Teens: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Gail Green, 2009.

23. Reaching Your Goals: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Anne Courtright, 2009.

24. Juvenile Arthritis: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kelly Rouba, 2009.

25. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Natalie Rompella, 2009.

26. Body Image and Appearance: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2009.

27. Writing and Publishing: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by
Tina P. Schwartz, 2010.

28. Food Choices: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Robin F. Brancato, 2010.

Writing and Publishing

The Ultimate Teen Guide

Tina P. Schwartz

Illustrated by
Conrad Locander

It Happened to Me, No. 27

The Scarecrow Press, Inc.

Lanham Toronto Plymouth, UK

2010

Published by Scarecrow Press, Inc.

A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.

4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706

http://www.scarecrowpress.com

Estover Road, Plymouth PL6 7PY, United Kingdom

Copyright 2010 by Tina P. Schwartz

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Schwartz, Tina P., 1969

Writing and publishing : the ultimate teen guide / Tina P. Schwartz ; Illustrated by Conrad Locander.

p. cm. (It happened to me ; No. 27)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-8108-5647-9 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN 978-0-8108-6936-3 (ebook)

1. AuthorshipJuvenile literature. 2. Occupational trainingUnited StatesJuvenile literature.

3. Vocational guidanceUnited StatesJuvenile literature. I. Locander, Conrad. II. Title.

PN159.S39 2010

808'.02dc22 2009026079

` The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper
for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

For my mother, Diane Purcell,

who believes in me always, no matter

what I attempt. Your support means

everything to me.

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

Reading 1

Careers and Schooling 17

Beginner Basics 63

Fiction Basics 81

Nonfiction Basics 113

Poetry and Songwriting Basics 131

Mentors, Professional Organizations, and
Critique Groups 153

Publishing Information and Marketing Basics 167

Emotional and Gritty Realism 215

Contests, Awards, and Grants 235

Glossary 249

Resources and Contests 255

Suggested Reading 259

Index 261

About the Author and Illustrator 269

Contents

There are so many people to help bring a book to fruition. (To those whose names Ive forgotten to include, my sincerest apologies!) Id like to start with the patience of my family most of all. They had to be without me night after night while I camped out at my local Dunkin Donuts to write this book. Many, many thanks go to my husband, Marc, and to my three wonderful children, Cameron, Heather, and Brandon.

Next, Id like to thank my good friend Conrad Locander for his gorgeous artwork for this project. I love it, and I loved working together! Youre the best, Professor Whimsey!

I would like to thank my other family members: Mom and Dad (Diane and Jim Purcell); my in-laws, Bob and Linda Schwartz; and many siblings with spouses, nieces, and nephews who continue to ask how the project is going.

It sounds funny, but I want to give sincere thanks to those late-night employees at the local Grayslake Dunkin Donuts who kept my coffee mug full, even when all I had to offer was some linty change from the bottom of my purse. They always asked how it was going and listened sincerely, so thanks to the gang there, too!

Also, a huge thank you to my Ready Writers critique groupfriends whose opinions, insights, and words of encouragement kept me going throughout this incredibly long project. They helped me through the yucky/boring phases of permissions, footnotes, and indexing (especially Lorijo Metz, Anne Courtright, and Roger Peckthanks for your endless hours of help!) Without you all Id surely go mad.

Id like to thank all those who submitted works for the book (whether they made the final cut or not), along with those who granted interviews: Brent Runyon, Suzanne Firestone, Heidi Bee Roemer, Amy Palace, Stacy Chudwin, Eugene Fertelmeyer, Mary Wu, Sonya Kitchell, Jeni Stepanek (on behalf of Mattie Stepanek), Kevin Luthardt, Christopher Paolini, Farah Ahmedi, Shawn Wickersheim, Scott Bae, Boyd Herrin, and the many teens who gave their poetry and answered questionnaires for this book.