The gopd news is that if your daughter wants to be a writer, she totally can be.
The news you might not want to hear is that at 14, she is too young. About the youngest I’ve seen get a deal is 16. That’s because once a book is acquired, the author will need to work with the editor for 18 months to two years, and that would be a huge gamble that the 14-year-old would be committed and mature enough to do the work, including perhaps making huge revisions.
There are basically two routes to getting published: finding an agent (who then sells the book to the publisher), or self-publishing. I would not recommend self-publishing. It’s very hard to make money, and you are responsible for everything (and paying for it), from editing to cover to distribution. For the most part, self-published books don’t get in bookstores or reviewed or win awards.
One thing you need to be wary of is googling “how to get published.” You will find a lot of companies that are eager to help you - for a price. They are basically selling you something similar to self-publishing. Something that you could do yourself cheaper and better (with a lot of work).
I have seen several parents spend thousands to get their books published, and one family in particular did not have the money at all, but they still did it.
In traditional publishing, there rule is “Money flows to the writer.” You don’t pay an agent upfront - just 15% if they make a sale.
So whatever you do, think twice or three times before you give anyone any money. Google their name and the word “scam” or something similar. If it’s an online writing class, that’s different. That can be worth paying for. It it’s someone saying they will publish her book, be very wary.
What your daughter should be doing now is reading a lot (and thinking critically about the choices the author made), writing a lot, going to bookstore events to see writers (once the pandemic is over), and reading books about writing.
More info about getting published:
https://www.janefriedman.com/start-here-how-to-get-your-book-published/
The news you might not want to hear is that at 14, she is too young. About the youngest I’ve seen get a deal is 16. That’s because once a book is acquired, the author will need to work with the editor for 18 months to two years, and that would be a huge gamble that the 14-year-old would be committed and mature enough to do the work, including perhaps making huge revisions.
There are basically two routes to getting published: finding an agent (who then sells the book to the publisher), or self-publishing. I would not recommend self-publishing. It’s very hard to make money, and you are responsible for everything (and paying for it), from editing to cover to distribution. For the most part, self-published books don’t get in bookstores or reviewed or win awards.
One thing you need to be wary of is googling “how to get published.” You will find a lot of companies that are eager to help you - for a price. They are basically selling you something similar to self-publishing. Something that you could do yourself cheaper and better (with a lot of work).
I have seen several parents spend thousands to get their books published, and one family in particular did not have the money at all, but they still did it.
In traditional publishing, there rule is “Money flows to the writer.” You don’t pay an agent upfront - just 15% if they make a sale.
So whatever you do, think twice or three times before you give anyone any money. Google their name and the word “scam” or something similar. If it’s an online writing class, that’s different. That can be worth paying for. It it’s someone saying they will publish her book, be very wary.
What your daughter should be doing now is reading a lot (and thinking critically about the choices the author made), writing a lot, going to bookstore events to see writers (once the pandemic is over), and reading books about writing.
More info about getting published:
https://www.janefriedman.com/start-here-how-to-get-your-book-published/