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Opportunities for Publishing
For Students and Teens

 

 

 

 

Why
Publish as a
Teen?

 

How to
Publish as a
Teen

 

How to
Publish on
Write the World

 

Tips for
Teachers and
Parents

 

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“You shouldn’t feel limited or hindered by your age. Toni Morrison started writing her first novel at age 31 and published The Bluest Eye at 39. S.E. Hinton wrote The Outsiders at age 16! One of the most beautiful things about writing is that it doesn’t have an age, race, gender, or background. Great stories can and do come from everywhere.”
- Tomi Adeyemi

Why Publish as a Teen?

Think of your favorite book, story, or movie. That creative work started as an idea. An idea that might have never been shared if the writer hadn't taken action to publish it. Publishing is an avenue to share your ideas and make your voice heard.
Publishing your work allows you to:
  • Share your work with a wider audience
  • Build your portfolio 
  • Show how hard you’ve worked to improve your craft and skills
  • Get external validation that you are a writer
  • Learn from the experience
  • Advocate for social causes you care about and/or make change
  • Receive feedback to improve your writing
What can I learn from the publishing process? 
 
  • Skills that can help you in school, college, and beyond, including goal setting, research, communication, collaboration, meeting deadlines, negotiation, and more.
  • How to develop persistence and growth mindset after facing rejection (which is extremely common when publishing writing!).
  • How to improve your writing and editing skills.
  • If you would enjoy a career in the writing, editing and/or publishing fields (or adjacent fields like marketing and other media).
  • Self-expression and the power of sharing your story.
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But how do I know if I’m ready to publish?
 
Every writer is different. Even if you feel your work is not yet ready for publication, others may have a different opinion! Your message, story, and/or voice can have an impact on others.
 
So why not submit to that journal, enter that competition, or pitch to that publisher? The worst that can happen is they say no (or nothing), and sometimes publications will even give you feedback on why your piece wasn’t a good match or what you can work to improve for your next submission. In the best case, you become a published writer!
I'm ready to learn more about publishing!

How to Publish Your Work (as a Teen or Student)

So how can you get published? There are many ways to share your writing and work toward publication. Here are a few of the main methods and some resources to get you started:
Submitting to journals and magazines that have open submissions:

  • There are many journals and magazines looking for submissions on a seasonal or ongoing basis. Many do not have age requirements, and others are specifically looking to publish student writing.
Pitching to publications:

  • Identify publications that accept the type of piece that you wrote. Then read the guidelines at those publications (usually found online or in their latest publication). Depending on the type of publication (newspapers, magazines, book publishers) and the genre of writing (poetry, fiction, nonfiction), you’ll likely encounter specific expectations for how to pitch (for example, see some tips for publishing op-eds). You’ll also want to write a cover letter to the publisher to send along with your pitch, synopsis, or piece.
Entering competitions:

  • Note that competitions may have certain guidelines and requirements; the piece you are currently working on may not be eligible, but the prompts can also inspire you to write new pieces. Many writers note that constraints can actually improve their creativity!
Self-publishing:

  • Already have a full collection, novella, or novel? Consider self-publishing your work and maintaining creative control over how your work is displayed and shared. Keep in mind that this also means that you’ll be responsible for everything, including developing a cover, laying out the content and design, listing on a print-on-demand site, marketing, sales, and customer service – and paying for all of this.
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How to Publish on Write the World

Write the World offers several publishing opportunities for teens, highlighting impactful work from our community.

Enter Monthly Writing Competitions

Every month, Write the World hosts a new writing competition in a particular genre. Teens ages 13-19 from around the world are welcome to submit their work to competitions for a chance to win cash prizes. You can even get expert feedback on your work if you start early, so don’t miss out!

Submit to Write the World Review

When you respond to a prompt on Write the World, your published piece is considered for publication in the Review. (Note: pieces responding to the Free Writing open prompt are not under consideration). You can also keep an eye out for specific writing prompts for special-themed editions.

Exposure to Partner Publishing Opportunities

Our writers have been published in PRI’s “The World,” Malala Stories, Seventeen, Patagonia, and more. Usually, these partners will ask Write the World to suggest pieces that fit certain criteria, and then work directly with the writer for publication.
The best way to get published through Write the World is to be active in the community, respond to different prompts, use expert and peer review feedback to improve your writing, republish work you edit, and keep on writing!
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Publishing Student Writing (as a Teacher or Parent/Guardian)

The act of creative writing benefits teens and students on its own, but publishing can take that to a new level of impact. Seeing their work in a published format gives teens validation that their voice is important and the confidence to continue to share their work and improve their skills. It reminds students that they aren’t just writing for a teacher to grade their work, but a real audience that could be impacted by their message. 

Here’s some ideas on how you can support your teens and students in the process to see their work published! 
Let the writer take the lead:

  • Share the resources and ideas in the teen section above, and act as a mentor through the process.
Start a literary magazine club:

  • As the faculty or teacher mentor, guide students through the process of creating a literary magazine from start to finish. This could be an afterschool club, summer course, library or community program, or even an online extracurricular activity.
Publish an anthology:

  • Whether it’s the end of a unit, end of the school year, or a gift for a teen or their family members, a printed anthology or book can become a lifelong memento. Use a tool like Canva or Reedsy Book Editor for an all-in-one design, layout, and printing tool.
Create a new column:

  • Already have a recurring, established publication in your area? Consider proposing or volunteering to manage a new column that publishes student work. This could be an ongoing opportunity to curate, edit, and share student voices without having to manage the logistics of print, advertising, or online publishing.
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