Do you remember? The agony of that boy or girl not "liking" you? Arguments with your parents about homework, or who you were going with, or curfew? Zits and feeling awkward? The joy of getting your driver's license? If you answered yes to any of these questions, perhaps you should consider writing short stories for teens.

Teenagers still have the same basic problems: wanting acceptance, striving for independence, peer pressure, etc. The trappings may have changed, but it doesn't take much to get up-to-date.

The first important thing to do is: hang around with some teens. If you have teenagers living in your home, this should be easy. But if you don't, there are many places you can observe and listen to teenagers:
- Organizations such as clubs, associations and church youth groups
- A local middle school or high school
- The mall or a local fast food restaurant
- Sporting events
Making friends with teenagers, will get you an even closer look at the problems in their lives. In addition, talk to adults who have teens in their lives: your neighbor, a school counselor, a youth pastor, etc.

Next step, check out the magazines written for teens. There are high paying ones such as "Seventeen" and "Boys' Life" and ones like "International Gymnast" and "Thrasher" aimed at a specific audience. Religious publications for teens vary from glossy magazines to skinny church take-home papers. Read the magazines, get their guidelines and, for some, request theme lists.

When you look at these magazines, notice the following:
- The audience.
Is this magazine for younger teens or older teens? For boys only? Or girls? Is it for sports enthusiasts?
- Does it do fiction? If so, how might you need to tailor a story for this market?
A teen magazine may want an inner city setting. Another wants no reference to dating. Let sample copies, the market book and guidelines be your guides.
- Morals.
Is this magazine avant-garde or conservative? In the religious market, be aware of how much "Godly living" or "religion" each magazine shows. In any case, don't preach.
- Rights each one buys.
Some magazines purchase "all rights," but many buy "first" or "reprint rights" and others buy "one-time rights" or "simultaneous rights." A story written for one place may be salable to another and another depending on rights purchased.
- Themes and deadlines.
Some theme lists are very specific; others are more general. Either way they can kick off story ideas for you. Just remember, stories to fit an entry on a theme list must make the magazine's deadline to be considered.

After you've finished your research, your mind will probably be brimming with story ideas. Choose one and get down to writing.

Keep focused on one problem per story. I have to ask myself, "what is the major issue I want to deal with in this story?" And then not let myself get side-tracked.

As you write, think teenagers! Is this a problem a teen would have? Is this a place a teenager would be? Is this how they would say this? If you get stuck, ask a teen for help. Ask them what they would say or do. If you want to use slang, either use what's current--and know what it means--or use something that sounds slangy but doesn't come from any specific generation.

Also, as you write, think which youth magazines might like this story. Make yourself a list of the potential markets for each individual story.

A lot of work writing short stories for teens? Yes. But there are opportunities for sales and satisfaction in doing the job well. The ultimate reward though is teenagers reading your stories.

Today I'm talking about Query and Cover letters--including requests for guidelines and catalogs.

HOMEWORK TO DO BEFORE YOU WRITE THE QUERY OR COVER LETTER

(This information is aimed at those submitting directly to a book publisher or magazine themselves. If you're using an agent, what's in the query or cover letter is the same, but you will be researching the agent, not the houses or magazines. Note: agents generally do not handle magazine submissions.)

Have the most recent market lists (SCBWI puts one out annually for members) and market books (Writer's Digest Book's Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market - www.cwim.com, Institute of Children's Literature's Book Markets for Children's Writers and Magazine Markets for Children's Writers - http://www.writersbookstore.com/BooksonWritingforChildren.htm) and make notes when you hear of editorial or submission policy changes.

See if submission or writer's guidelines are available on the internet. You may want to save them on your computer, print them out and/or bookmark the site. If not available on line, write a letter to the publisher requesting guidelines. Keep it simple: Please send me your writer's guidelines for AAA BOOKS. I have enclosed a self-addressed stamped envelope for your convenience. You can often pick up guidelines at conferences, too.

• Write the date you received/downloaded on the guidelines themselves so you'll
• know how current they are.
• File guidelines so you can locate them when needed.
• Perhaps, mark in your market book that you have this publisher's guidelines.

Know what kinds of books or magazine pieces are appropriate for this publisher.

• Editors really hate getting picture book submissions when they only publish novels, etc. More than that, you need to know the flavor of a publishing house. i.e. If they only do edgy material and yours is not, you're wasting your time and theirs.
• Go to the library and/or bookstore and look at what a specific publisher has published recently, which leads to the next point . . .
• Catalogs! Check websites to see if a publisher has an online catalog. Pick paper catalogs up at conferences. Ask bookstores for any extra copies they have--last spring's is better than nothing! Write a letter requesting a catalog, again keep it simple, but abide by what the market book says on what you send with it. i.e. Please send me your most recent catalog for BB BOOKS. I have enclosed $3.00 and a self-addressed stamped envelope for your convenience.
• You may want to indicate in your market book that you have a publisher's catalog.

Know something about the editor of the publishing house. Have you heard him or her speak? Read interviews written by them or their blog or followed them on twitter? Each of these will give you some insight. Is she into paranormal or sick of it? Does he like humor or serious fiction? At the very least researching an editor will help you get title and name correct.

Have your story written, critiqued, rewritten until ready to go. Never send something the moment you hit the end. If you belong to a critique group, great. If not, consider doing so. At the very least, let your material sit a while (weeks, months) so you can come back to it fresh. Read it aloud. Consider reading self-editing tips (in books or online). Rewrite. Let it sit again. Repeat as necessary.

QUERY & COVER LETTERS

Q: What's the difference between a query letter and a cover letter?

A query is sent without the full manuscript. It's a letter sent to the editor asking her if she would like to request a partial or full manuscript (or rest of manuscript) to read. What you send depends on the house's or magazine's writer's guidelines.

A cover letter is an introduction letter sent on top of a manuscript, similar to a letter that goes with a résumé. The full manuscript is right there for the editor to read.

Why you'd choose one over the other . . .

The former is an easier way to reach more markets at once. Many novel publishers want a query with 1 or 3 chapters, or 5 -10 page - always send first chapter(s) or page(s). Nonfiction often requires a book proposal.

Picture books are usually sent with a cover letter. Many magazines do not want to be queried either. Some editors want to see the complete manuscript for a novel. In any of these cases, you'll use a cover letter.

The wrinkle of electronic submissions . . . Queries and cover letters can be sent electronically, at least if that is something the magazine or house wants. Some guidelines will say "no attachments" and want all text pasted into the email. Others will accept attachments, but will tell you they must be in Word.

You must read the guidelines to see what an editor, house or magazine wants in their submissions.

Q: Okay, I've decided not to query. Should I always send a cover letter with my submission?

2 views . . .

I don't. The reasons I do are: 1. The magazine requests manuscripts with a cover letter. 2. I have more information I want them to know (i.e. why I wrote the piece, or my submission fits a theme). 3. It might be pertinent for them to know my other writing experience and I don't think a full résumé is needed.

What one editor says: "As an editor, I did find submissions that lacked a cover letter a bit rude, like a phone caller who doesn't bother saying hello or identifying themselves before launching into the conversation." - Jacqueline K. Ogburn former children's book editor

Next entry, I'll go into more details on the specifics of a query letter.

Don't know where to start? What about that book you read? You thought it was similar to what you write, so check the acknowledgements page. Some authors thank their agent in the book. If an agent liked their work, they might like yours. Next step, further research on the agent.

Of course, you will to go to the agency's website, right? Check out client lists, if available. Take note of submission policies. And read the agent's and/or agency's blog. But don't submit yet. You'll be continuing your research into this agent.

Agent Query is a searchable database of literary agents. But it is also much more. It has info on large and small publishing houses, literary magazines, plus articles such as "When Agents Offer Representation..." or "How to Write a Query." In addition, it has links to many other sites, including some mentioned below.

When checking out an agent, definitely go to Publisher's Marketplace. One cool feature is the site lists who has recently updated their page. Click on browse members, where you can look up a specific name or merely see who is listed. But once you're on an agent's page, you can often see what projects they've recently sold and/or best known projects.

Don't miss Chuck Sambico's blog* - he's the editor for the Guide to Literary Agents. I love how he's posted a variety of agents' pet peeves about Chapter 1. He also has entries on "How I Got My Agent" plus has good links to other blogs and websites.

Now that you've done some research, you may know who an agent's clients are, so read some books that agent represented. It'll help you learn whether the agent could be interested in what you write.

Know an author agented by this agency? Ask her questions. You may want to find out whether the author has had other agents previously. He may not want to say who he left, but he probably is willing to discuss problems.

Here are two good articles on Harold Underdown's site regarding agents:
• Children's Book Agents and Artist's Representatives: a Guide
(do I need an agent, what do agents do) has good content, but remember it is a dated article as one of the examples is of The Firebrand which has closed.
http://www.underdown.org/agents.htm

• Finding and Choosing Literary Agents
http://www.underdown.org/researching-agents.htm

A lot of working checking into an agent? Yes, but your submissions will be much better targeted than many an agent receives.

*I know there are many other people blogging about agents. If you'd like to list any, feel free to comment here.

A few years back another writer and I did a novel writing retreat. These questions are ones I developed for attendees to consider about their novels. Perhaps the updated version will be helpful for you, too.

Where will your novel be shelved after it has been published? Not just shelf, but picture what authors you will be placed between. If you don't know, take a field trip to the bookstore and see.

What is the genre and subgenre of your novel?

Middle Grade

• Adventure
• Animal
• Biographical
• Contemporary
• Early Middle Grade
• Fantasy
• Graphic
• Historical
• Horror
• Humor
• Multicultural
• Mystery
• Problem
• Religious
• School
• Science Fiction
• Sports
• Tweens

Young Adult

• Adventure
• Biographical
• Chick Lit
• Coming-of-age
• Contemporary
• Dystopian
• Edgy
• Fantasy
• Graphic
• Hi-Lo
• Historical
• Horror
• Humor
• Multicultural
• Mystery/Suspense
• Novel in Verse
• Paranormal
• Problem
• Religious
• Romance
• Science Fiction
• Sports
• Steam Punk
• Urban
• Western

I doubt these are exhaustive lists, but they should help you think about what type of novel you're writing.

What three stories are similar in some way to yours? The first 3 books or movies that come to mind when you think of your story are? What makes them similar? What is different?

Think about the books you most enjoy reading. What subgenre(s) are they? Don't know? Check out reviews, talk to booksellers and librarians.

Does what your writing fit one of the areas you love to read? If yes, keep reading those subgenres. If no, consider writing in a different subgenre--something you love to read. If you never read, how can you know what today's kids are reading?

Feel free to comment on these lists and questions. (Click on the title of the entry and it will take you to a page where you can comment.)

Nothing is better than actually meeting an agent or editor in person. (Although long term following of someone on twitter is close.) By listening to an editor or agent talk at a conference, not only do I learn about their house, their agency, their tastes, and perhaps how they work with authors, I discover something of their personality. I've gone away with "Wow, I'd love to work with __________." I've also experienced, "We just wouldn't mesh." They've also taught me about craft, given me insights into my own weaknesses in writing, made me think, inspired me, encouraged me, and challenged me. Whew!

This past year I was privileged to meet quite a number of editors and agents--all at SCBWI conferences. (If you've never gone to one, I really encourage you to do so.) Two agents that pop to mind with no reference to notes from the LA conference last August are: Marietta B. Zacker, Nancy Gault Literary Agency, and Sarah Davies (pronounced Davis), The Greenhouse Literary Agency.

I loved Marietta's straight forward, no nonsense approach--this was especially noticeable in the Q&A time. She's passionate about what she does. She advised when writers are looking for an agent that they consider these questions: "Who will share your vision? Who will share your passion?" Marietta recommends writers find the passion that each has - whatever that may be.

At the beginning of her speech Sarah answered the questions on everyone's minds. She also told her audience that writing is like being a violin player. "Would you expect to be on a world stage when you just learned to play scales?" she asked. Sarah finds it thrilling as an agent to have the opportunity to change someone's life and help them reach their dreams.

At the Iowa and Illinois SCBWI Conferences I met Candlewick Editor, Yolanda Scott, who besides being a good editor is also a singer! Which reminds me, Ted Malawer at Upstart Crow Agency, used to sing opera (Kansas SCBWI conference.) Back to Yolanda who reminded us, she and other editors do what they do because they love it. She wants to know we've checked out her publishing house when we submit.

I've heard lots of agent talks, but in Kansas Ted gave some very practical advice about what we should be asking agents. He also advised, "Think about the query letter as the bait." He believes comparisons--i.e. your manuscript to other books--are his job, not yours, which is different than what I've heard others say. (Again, why we should be out listening to these professionals speak!)

In Illinois I met Alisha Niehaus from Dial Books for Young Readers. She did a fantastic and fascinating workshop using Savvy by Ingrid Law. With permission of Ingrid she gave us insights into how the book changed--wow! When talking about middle grade readers in another session, Alisha said, "Though they wish they could make out with a vampire, they are still trying to figure out how to fasten their training bra."

I met other editors and agents in 2009, but this post is growing too long to mention them all. Over the years my knowledge of the publishing world has grown by listening to agent and editor talks, panels, critiques. I've learned how dedicated these professionals are. Best yet, I've improved my odds of finding the right home for my manuscripts.