Saturday’s New York Times featured an article on teens who self-publish their books with financial help from Mom and Dad. The parents of the young scribes interviewed say it’s a great way to encourage their kids to keep writing and to reward the months of work their children put into their manuscripts. Some in the publishing industry, however, see this as a negative thing. They argue it doesn’t teach children anything about perseverance or the real struggles involved in getting published.
The article quotes novelist Tom Robbins, who sounds somewhat bitter:
“What’s next Kiddie architects, juvenile dentists, 11-year-old rocket scientists? Any parent who thinks that the crafting of engrossing, meaningful, publishable fiction requires less talent and experience than designing a house, extracting a wisdom tooth, or supervising a lunar probe is, frankly, delusional. There are no prodigies in literature. Literature requires experience, in a way that mathematics and music do not.”
The article doesn’t actually assert that the parents interviewed think anything of the sort. But while we’re on the subject: Why compare writing to dental work and architecture? It is, resorting to cliché, comparing apples to oranges. One can’t say that writing a novel requires as much talent as designing and launching a lunar probe. They require two completely different skill sets. I’d say successfully sending a rocket to the moon requires an incredible amount of specialized talent. Or, maybe I’m being delusional.
I’ve stated my thoughts on self-published works before. While I’m not opposed to people publishing their books themselves, I think too many self-published authors rush to get their work out there and inundate the market with sloppy material. Then again, traditional publishing houses hit the public with a fair amount of garbage, too—so give these kids a break. Are they really causing any bestselling authors and powerful editors grief by putting their work out there? No. But what about the argument that “literature requires experience”?
The kids profiled in the article range from a 12 year old to a high school junior. While adults may stay clear of books written by teens, we can assume other teens may show interest in stories crafted by their contemporaries. I would venture to say these young authors have channeled teenage experiences into their fiction–experiences other teens would more likely identify with than someone who graduated from high school 20-plus years ago.
Not every piece of writing that’s published has to be a deeply moving experience for the reader (look at James Patterson). It can be something lightweight, written with the sole intent to entertain. Authors can think that what they do is deeply profound—but, in the end, their main job is to entertain. So let these kids self publish their books and enjoy the moment. Life only gets more stressful as one grows older, so let them enjoy the fulfillment of a dream . . . even if it’s only for a short while.
I would hope that if the parents are offering financial help to allow their child to self-publish it means they’re investing in creative editing services and final copy-editing and formatting for their books – it’s the indies who skip these steps who aren’t doing themselves any favours so in that respect age doesn’t come into it.
Most of us are taught the skills to write back in primary school so a more mature writer might have more experience to build on and a greater time to find their voice, but like you say, a teen writer still has a perspective and an audience they can write to.
Take the UK series Skins, which is praised for its young scriptwriters and production teams. Personally I find the dialogue unconvincing but I’m twice the age of the target audience – apparently teens love its authenticity.
I’m sure they’ll have lots of opportunities in life to learn adversity and perseverance!
Hi, Sally . . . I think some of the services mentioned in the article actually handle formatting issues. As for the copy editing, I doubt it. I suppose if these are just going to be Christmas presents for the grandparents and other relatives, the damage is minimal.
I’m willing to cut the kids a bit of slack because I think it’s great to see young people who not only have a passion for books, but an enthusiasm for writing. But, yes, releasing a book without enduring the cuts and slashes of a red pen-wielding editor isn’t doing anything to prepare them for the “real” publishing world.
And, as you state, it’s not doing anything to enhance the reputation of self-published authors.
When I was younger, my parents would send me to “book making” summer camps. I was probably about 10 and I would spend the whole week learning about paper-making, and drawing and painting techniques–these were picture books–and we would edit each others stories and poems. At the end of the camp we would have a hand made book to put on our shelves and show off to people. And I remember a few English classes in grade school that would “publish” (bound) copies of the class’s best writing–each student submitted something they were proud of and everybody got a copy of their “published” writing at the end of the year. It was exciting and all the kids were so proud of themselves; I still have those books on my shelves. Publishing young writers’ work isn’t new, but I think what’s making everyone uncomfortable is now these books are getting ISBN numbers and are for sale on Amazon. They’re “competition.”
In principle, it doesn’t bother me. Let kids be proud of their creative work. Let them have something to brag about at family parties, something to give their grandparents for Christmas. It doesn’t matter if there are spelling errors in it or not. But the way these particular parents who were interviewed in this particular article talked about it, it did bother me. They’re not giving their children opportunities to learn more about writing, but encouraging them to become a successful money-making business. For the kind of money the parents are shelling out, why not send them to an accredited young writers institute, where they’ll make friends, write more things they can be proud of, listen to and meet authors, and get inspired to write even more. If all the parents cared about was giving their child a reward, and making them proud of themselves, they could go to the local copy store and make beautiful, perfectly-bound books. These parents sound like they’re doing self-publishing for the status of having a published, “genius,” mature child.
Hi, Hannah . . . you raise some good points. Of course, who’s to say the kids in the article aren’t attending writing classes or conferences?
I would argue the teens featured are learning more than the average kid about writing simply by the act of completing a manuscript. True, it might be terrible . . . but at least they’ve displayed one quality a writer needs to succeed: discipline.
Perhaps seeing their works published, courtesy of Mom and Dad, will inspire these kids to learn more about writing, advance their skills, and help fight the scourge of horrible self-published books in the future.
I guess I’m on the fence. I am already having a hard time with writers who have jumped into epublishing without making sure their book is the best it can be. Their casual disregard for the seriousness of this field is aggravating and offensive.
That being said, perhaps these kids wil be motivated by seeing the end product and want to learn more about the process and what it really means to get a book published.
I just don’t like it when people are frivolous in this field; it really grates on my nerves. I don’t assume that none of those published kids care at all. But it is extremely difficult to appreciate an “accomplishment” when you didn’t do all the work yourself.