Read various children magazines such as "Skipping Stone," "Stone Soup" or "Cicada" to see what and how other kids write. Save articles, stories and poems that fit your style or genre of writing. Look in bookstores, libraries and online for books and articles written by kids. "She Was Nice to Mice" was written by 12-year-old Alexandra Elizabeth Sheedy (aka actress Ally Sheedy), and "How the World Began" was written by a then 4-year-old Dorothy Straight.
Compose works based on familiar subjects. Topics must be understandable and relevant to the author. Do research. Keep all notes. On final draft, write well with no grammatical or syntax errors. Study books on publishing markets such as "The Young Writers Guide to Getting Published" (see Resource below). Keep a log of possible places to send your manuscript, poem, poetry or article. Make sure that the publication accepts not only young writers but also the appropriate genre.
Send for submission guidelines. Go online for current information. Guidelines are indispensable, offering insider information: name of the person who accepts manuscript acquisitions, number of books published yearly, what the publisher is looking for or accepting, waiting time before hearing from the publisher, methods of contact, and tips and terms of payment. Follow submission guidelines strictly. Ignoring simple steps can mean the difference between rejection or acceptance.
Query the publisher. A query letter is a cover letter that introduces you and your work to the publisher. It generally contains three paragraphs: the hook, which grabs the publisher's attention so that he read on; a mini-synopsis of the work; and your biography. End the query by thanking the publisher for his time. Go to charlottedillon.com or writing-world.com (see Resources below) for articles, samples of queries, books on the subject and format guidance.
Keep a submissions chart. Track your manuscripts and queries. Use Microsoft Excel or a similar program. Make headings. Start with the contact's name and title. Next, write down the publication, title of article/manuscript sent, submission date, date received and response to the work. Last, add acceptance/rejection/comments. If you receive a rejection, don't despair. Resend within the week to another publisher on your list of possibilities. If you receive an acceptance, rejoice. Read all contracts carefully before accepting terms.
Enter a contest. The magazine "Skipping Stones" (SkippingStones.org) offers Youth Honor Awards, which are open to students age 7 to 17 who contribute "to multicultural awareness, nature and ecology, social issues, peace and nonviolence." Other contests include Vegetarian essay, Baker's Plays High School Playwriting Contest, VFW Voice of Democracy and Rita Williams Young Adult Prose.
Stay connected to other young writers. Join a club or organization such as "Young Writers Society" for writers age 13 to 25. Look for regional or local clubs in your area. Take a young writers workshop. Duke University offers two youth programs, Creative Writers Workshop and Young Writer's Camp. Go to young writers forums with your parents' permission. Youngwritersonline.net and youngwritersproject.org both have community and writers forums. Most importantly, keep writing.