As I've written about before, I'm trying to find some places that I can submit my writings to so I can hopefully get something published. And everybody who reads my stuff tells me that it should be easy.
Well, it's not. You know why? Because publishing companies are stupid.
Almost every one I find says you have to be at least eighteen to submit manuscripts, and the ones that don't are self-publishing companies you have to pay for, and I'm not going that route. I'm not desperate--if it comes down to that I can wait two more years.
My real problem is the stupidness of that limit. I mean, people can get married at sixteen but they can't publish a book?! What kind of messed-up world do we live in? If a sixteen-year-old wants to get married, all they need is legal permission from a parent or guardian; why can't it be the same way for books? I mean, one company said it was that way "in case the author needs to sign a contract." All right, so you get your agent and a lawyer to read it and your parent/guardian's legal permission. You're sixteen, not stupid. I mean, S.E. Hinton published The Outsiders when she was just sixteen--somebody out there took a chance on her! I mean, what if they hadn't? A world without The Outsiders? It would collapse in on itself! You don't mess around with gravity (or Jim); you should let underage people submit! Just because they're not legally adults doesn't mean they don't have stuff to say! Just let them submit; if you don't like it you don't have to buy it. Just like with adult authors. You might be missing out on something great...just because the author's seventeen. Is that the kind of image you want for yourself? That you're the publishing house that missed out on the next Nora Roberts or James Patterson or Elmore Leonard because they were only seventeen and a half?
Grade on the work, not the age. You'll find you get a lot more done. And a few more dreams might come true. And isn't that what we all want?
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