Publishers

AryaT92 · Dec 15, 2009

If a publisher has a great idea that has NEVER been done before and is highly marketable sent through an agent to them.

BUT.. This manuscript needs work and a good editor do they reject it because it needs that work or would they make an offer willing to have their editors reconstruct it?

ChaosTitan · Dec 15, 2009

There are no ideas that have never been done before. There are, however, new takes on old ideas that may or may not blow an editor away.

As for the work the manuscript needs, it depends. If it's so poorly written they can't make it past the first chapter, they'll never know how awesome it might be, because they'll stop reading. It isn't enough for writers to have ideas, we also need to know how to write and to use proper grammar/spelling.

An editor may work with a troubled manuscript, but if it comes down to a choice between a well-written one and a poorly-written one, guess which will win?

AryaT92 · Dec 15, 2009

I have never read a gritty account of high school written by a high schooler. [Correct me if I'm wrong.] This publisher sold a book similar to this for College and it was a best seller for 6 years, it also sold over a million copies so it has been proven to sell for that age group. My agent pitched it to them stating that they may be better aquainted with young folks, but not the younger set. High school kids, then told them about this.

The manuscript isn't poorly written but may lack a few things here and there. Because it is an anthology it could be easily patched up though, the grammar should be fine. They will get through it easily as it is an interesting read but they may want to edit things here and there..

Would they pass it up for a bit more then minor editing? For that matter, do published books mirror their older manuscript parts? How much do editors really change on average?

CaroGirl · Dec 15, 2009

AryaT92 said:
I have never read a gritty account of high school written by a high schooler. [Correct me if I'm wrong.]

The Basketball Diaries. This book is based on Jim Carroll's diaries from age 12 to 16.

ChaosTitan · Dec 15, 2009

AryaT92 said:
Would they pass it up for a bit more then minor editing? For that matter, do published books mirror their older manuscript parts? How much do editors really change on average?

There really is no average, and it does just depend.

I've heard from some authors who were surprised at the large amount of edits required by their acquiring editor. Others had fewer changes asked of them. By and large, editors know what will make a book better, and if they're asking for changes, it's for that reason.

Also, just to clarify, editors don't make the changes. They send you a marked-up manuscript and an editorial letter with all the things they think need work. It's ultimately up to you, as the author, the make the corrections as you see fit. The editor isn't going to take it, change it, then hand it back and say "here, it's better now." That's not how it works.

AryaT92 · Dec 15, 2009

CaroGirl said:
The Basketball Diaries. This book is based on Jim Carroll's diaries from age 12 to 16.

Based on and written at the age are pretty different wouldn't you say? Writing about being 16 when your 35-40 isn't the same as writing about it when you were that age.

CaroGirl · Dec 15, 2009

AryaT92 said:
Based on and written at the age are pretty different wouldn't you say? Writing about being 16 when your 35-40 isn't the same as writing about it when you were that age.

He wrote the diaries when he was that age.

sohalt · Dec 15, 2009

I have never read a gritty account of high school written by a high schooler. [Correct me if I'm wrong.]

The Catcher in the Rye. Holden goes to a fancy college preperatory school (don't know whether that counts as "highschool"). At any rate he's fairly young. And very gritty. Lots of cursing....

But of course J.D. Salinger was already older when he wrote it. Can't see why that should matter, however, as long as the voice is authentic. And Holden might be a pain in the neck, but he sounds pretty authentic.

Personally, as a reader, I couldn't care less about the age of the author.

Claudia Gray · Dec 15, 2009

Great idea + bad execution = generally, no publishing contract, because great ideas are a dime a dozen.

Great idea + uneven execution = that's going to be unpredictable. Everything would depend on the idea, the execution, the editor's vision for what would need to happen, the needs of the house and the state of the market.

colealpaugh · Dec 15, 2009

AryaT92 said:
I have never read a gritty account of high school written by a high schooler. [Correct me if I'm wrong.]

The books listed below are recommendations from one library site. Googling "teen novelist" has about 3/4 million hits, for what it's worth. If the story is good, it may sell, but I'm not sure the topic is such a novelty.

Teen Ink: Love and Relationships. 2002.
Stories and poems written by teens about things like first kisses and painful breakups.
Teen Ink: Our Voices and Visions. 2000.
This anthology of musings on teen life was written by teens all over the world. A follow-up collection of teen writings is called Teen Ink: More Voices, More Visions.
Trope, Zoe. Please Don't Kill the Freshman: A Memoir. 2003.
This witty, insightful memoir was written by 15-year-old Zoe during her first year in high school.
Vizzini, Ned. Teen Angst? Naaah—A Quasi-Autobiography. 2000.
You'll laugh out loud at this witty portrayal of teen angst written by an acclaimed teen writer.

ETA: the descriptions are NOT mine 8*)

ChaosTitan · Dec 15, 2009

As for books, anything by S.E. Hinton, but especially "The Outsiders," which she wrote when she was sixteen. The books are not specifically high-school set, but they are about teenagers.

James D. Macdonald · Dec 15, 2009

S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders. Written when she was fifteen, published when she was sixteen.

Who's the agent?

AryaT92 · Dec 15, 2009

ClaudiaGray said:
Great idea + bad execution = generally, no publishing contract, because great ideas are a dime a dozen.

Great idea + uneven execution = that's going to be unpredictable. Everything would depend on the idea, the execution, the editor's vision for what would need to happen, the needs of the house and the state of the market.

This is very helpful, what do you mean by uneven execution?

Cyia · Dec 15, 2009

Don't forget the movie Thirteen - which was co-written by a thirteen-year-old. And the older movie, Kids

AryaT92 · Dec 15, 2009

James D. Macdonald said:
S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders. Written when she was fifteen, published when she was sixteen.

Who's the agent?

Bob Diforio. Also, I feel that it's been awhile since a book like this came out and a lot has changed since then.. This is a generation with middle schoolers holding iPhones and smoking weed.

Cyia · Dec 15, 2009

AryaT92 said:
This is very helpful, what do you mean by uneven execution?

Starts off strong - usually because the writer is aware that the first 50 or so pages need to be polished, but then it falters after the "partial" stage. (What I was talking about on the other thread about why books that got a full request will still get a "pass")

James D. Macdonald · Dec 15, 2009

You're with D4EO?

You'll be okay. He thinks your book is marketable, then it's marketable. Let him do his thing.

Meanwhile, write your next book.

Bubastes · Dec 15, 2009

Twelve by Nick McDonnell (he was 17 when he wrote it). "Twelve" is the name of the fictional drug used by the high schoolers in the story.

AryaT92 · Dec 15, 2009

James D. Macdonald said:
You're with D4EO?

You'll be okay. He thinks your book is marketable, then it's marketable. Let him do his thing.

Meanwhile, write your next book.

This is comforting thanks.

Cyia · Dec 15, 2009

Have you checked out the Teens writing for Teens thread here in the Young Adult area? There are a few published teens who post there. They might be able to give you some pointers on how long it took them to get through the process on their books.

AryaT92 · Dec 15, 2009

Good idea, I'll ask around

Phaeal · Dec 15, 2009

The teen novel or memoir written by a teen seems to have some built-in publicity legs. However, I'm hardly shocked to hear that high schoolers have sex and do drugs. I do sometimes hit "Gossip Girl" while channel-surfing.

As Uncle Jim noted, you have a legitimate agent on the case. He'll let you know if there are problems with the MS.

James D. Macdonald · Dec 15, 2009

I'm hardly shocked to hear that high schoolers have sex and do drugs.

See also: Fast Times at Ridgemont High. (Not exactly a teen, but a young-looking reporter going undercover.)

Cyia · Dec 15, 2009

James D. Macdonald said:
See also: Fast Times at Ridgemont High. (Not exactly a teen, but a young-looking reporter going undercover.)

As is Never Been Kissed.

Publishers

AryaT92

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AryaT92

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ChaosTitan

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AryaT92

CaroGirl

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sohalt

Claudia Gray

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ChaosTitan

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James D. Macdonald

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AryaT92

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AryaT92

Cyia

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James D. Macdonald

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AryaT92

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