Real Advice for Teen Writers

I came across this and thought I’d share it for all writers who also happen to be teens. Of course, the advice applies to all of us. Without a doubt, we were all once teens, and many of us were also teen writers.

From the Oct. 9 Sound Skeins at Grub Street.org – Claim Your Space at the Writing Table:

“This is a special teen-focused edition of Sound Skeins. If you’re a teen artist who’s felt a little behind or under-supported in developing your craft, with a little grit and tenacity, you can make your way! Claim your space at the writing table.  Get a little advice and inspiration from writer-teachers Jennifer DeLeon and KL Pereira.”

Listen here: https://grubstreet.org/grub-daily/

Toxic Journals

You just finished months of writing, editing, and perfecting this miraculous creation. Then comes time for submitting–a daunting task. You find lit mag listings on Poets & Writers, Duotrope, or NewPages. You write a beautifully crafted letter and attach it with your poem/story/essay. Then, you wait–checking every five minutes for a reply, logging in to various submission managers, hoping to decode Submittable’s mysterious status of “In Progress.” You hope for the best, but know those rejections are going to come in like dirty, shameful children, one right after the next.

But, alas! Some wonderful journal wants your piece! Someone really read your work, and they actually enjoyed it! Now they even want to PUBLISH it!

Hold on, honey! Before you accept, read this article from The Review Review. It’ll give you warning signs to steer you from a bad publication.

Toxic Journals: What to Watch Out For When You Submit Your Writing (Robert Boucheron)

~ Jennifer

**Feel free to comment on your experiences with ‘toxic journals’ in the comments. We’ll all benefit from each others misery.**