You’ve surely been told that the worst thing someone can say is “no.” It’s true, and useful, but I think it’s a bit unempathetic. No one ever tells you how awful it can be to actually hear “no” then have to move on knowing there’s nothing you can do — and no real reason to feel resentful of that response. As a teen writer, I heard “no” quite a bit, from publishers who didn’t work with minors, agents who weren’t interested in representing me because they “didn’t fall in love with the idea,” and other professionals who passed on the work for some reason or another. I just had to accept this and move on, every single time.
Like I’ve said, I’m self-published. Not traditionally published. It’s definitely a hurdle, as there is no reason for anyone to go looking for my books, and I’m still learning how to market myself. But for any young authors out there looking for accessible ways to put your work out there, I definitely still recommend self-publishing. Try out other things, but this is always an option, not just a last resort.
I started off looking for professionals on Reedsy, where you can hire freelance editors, illustrators, etc. to work on your project remotely. I found an editor based in London who provided a more seasoned perspective on my work, even for a book targeted to teens. Then I found an illustrator, but I actually should have found a formatter first as I needed to send the fully formatted manuscript to the illustrator so that she could size the cover and deliver the proper files. This was a mistake I made, and then I did it right for the second book.
However, the second book had a completely different issue. Due to extenuating circumstances, my illustrator had to drop out of the project. This was mainly an issue because she took months to communicate this to me and didn’t help me find someone else, meaning I couldn’t rely on Reedsy anymore as I needed a quicker response and turnover time.
So I went hunting. I found websites and portfolios that were similar enough to the previous illustrator’s style that they could adapt. I found covers that those artists created that I liked, that would suit the genre of my book. One email I sent didn’t immediately produce a collaboration, but the artist sent profiles of other artists that she thought would be able to work with me. And it was one of those profiles that ended up becoming my illustrator for the second book.
It was a hectic and scary process. Things fall through, and you always have to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. I’m so grateful I managed to secure these collaborations each time, and I pray I’m able to keep them for when I’m finished with this third book.
This whole ordeal reminded me that I’m still responsible for the labor of getting my work out there, since I don’t have a big company investing in my talents to do it for me. If you’re looking to self-publish, send out emails. Find freelancers and professionals that are familiar with young writers and can teach you about the industry. Don’t be afraid to not know everything and everyone immediately.
Since I had to do all this myself at such a young age, I’m truly an expert at cold emailing. I can’t even tell you how many applications I’ve sent out into the void, how many email threads I’ve followed up on weeks after getting completely ghosted, how many reporters and publications I’ve contacted as a marketing intern. It can be tiresome and tedious, but you never know what lifelong connection you’ll forge from a simple email.
Self-ownership is both terrifying and freeing. It’s wonderful to have control over my work and authority over the people I work with, but it creates so much more labor for me, a full-time student, and also has little to no guarantee of profit. Amazon, which hosts Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), takes far more royalties than I do. It’s quite irritating. If you self-publish, be aware that it does more to build your portfolio than build your bank account. It’s still valuable, but you should definitely look into different ways you can use your storytelling skills to make a long-term career.
Until then, cherish the liberty of being creative. You are no less an author if you publish online. You’re just taking the necessary steps to put yourself out there. Always aim for the stars, but it’s also always alright to just aim for an email back.
By Oshmi Ghosh
Oshmi Ghosh is a rising junior at NYU’s College of Arts and Sciences, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in English with minors in Creative Writing, History, and Entertainment Business. You can usually find her appreciating the simple things in life: tea with milk and sugar, a good book, and/or intensely competitive board games.
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