Those pre-teen years; who can forget them? Unfortunately we couldn’t forget them even if we tried – the awkwardness, the social confusion, the complete disconnect between mind and whatever it is our bodies are attempting to do. This is the age group often referred to as the “tween” years – as children are caught between a world of childhood play and more adult pursuits in which they may be interested but for which they may not necessarily be prepared. For many of us during these difficult years books were able to provide an escape and, in some cases such as with the popular Judy Blume novels that were mostly geared to this age group, we were able to gain some insight into the experiences of other children our age. Horray! We weren’t alone!

Writing for this age group is a noble – and certainly challenging – pursuit. But if an author is able to pull it off they can find themselves in an enormously successful niche of writing. Book publishing for this particular target audience is a bit difficult as the book itself must be able to appeal strongly to them; and as we grow – thank goodness – we become less connected to what drives this age group; what is important to them, what they think/dream about, what makes them happy, sad, embarrassed, angry. But for those who are able to bridge the gap and create something meaningful for tweens the process of book publishing is the next challenge.

Traditional book publishing is not easy; you can’t simply walk into a book publishing house, drop a manuscript on a desk, and expect a positive response. Rather, it is often a lengthy process that is negotiated between book publishers and a literary agent that has agreed to represent the book. For those writers who feel that they have a great story to tell and don’t have the time – or the desire – to wait for traditional book publishers there is another option.

In the next post we’ll discuss the ins and outs of self book publishing.

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