Writing and Publishing: The Ultimate Teen Guide

This guide for teen writers features a lively layout with b&w photos and cartoons, decorated boxes, and movie notes about films based on books, along with book synopses, writing exercises, and author profiles. The book explains different educational and career paths for writers, emphasizing the importance of reading widely. Separate chapters are devoted to fiction and nonfiction techniques, poetry, and songwriting. There is also material on connecting with other writers through online and in-person critique groups, with ideas on how to respond to criticism. A chapter on writing about difficult subjects gives real-life examples of how young writers approach topics like sexual orientation and drug abuse. Unfortunately, the chapter on publishing and marketing doesn't mention electronic publishing or zines. The book's final chapter on contests, awards, and grants tells how to avoid scams and gives a list of web sites for legitimate contests and awards. Schwartz has taught programs for teens on writing and getting published. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Tina P. Schwartz has written and taught numerous programs on writing and getting published for teens. She is the author of Organ Transplants: A Survival Guide for the Entire Family: The Ultimate Teen Guide (Scarecrow, 2005).