On completion of your story, the first thing to do is to submit it to various publishers for their consideration. Here at Penguin (Puffin) we like manuscripts typed in double line spacing on one side only of A4 size paper. You should always keep a copy yourself.
We are always pleased to see young people's writing, however most writers work for years and years before they have had enough practice to make their work suitable for publication, and there are so many good children's writers around that new people's work does have to be absolutely exceptional in order to compete.
Should you find your age is a drawback to having your work accepted for publication, please don't stop writing! Many young writers submit their work to magazines, particularly those with a children's section like Oz Kidz in Print (P.O.Box 267 Lara Vic 3212).
You may also like to write to The Fellowship of Australian Writers (PO Box 528, Camberwell, Vic., 3124) who are very helpful with advice about suitable publishers.
If your story is accepted for publication, there is little more that you would have to do. Production of the book now becomes the publisher's job, and it is the publisher who takes care of editing, illustrations, copyright, marketing and distribution, and pays any costs incurred. This involves a lot of work and production of a book can take a year or more.
There is no cost involved for the author. In fact, the publisher pays the author a percentage of the money received from each sale of the book (a royalty). Royalties are usually paid every six months, after publication, but this doesn't mean you have to wait 18 months before you receive any money! Prior to publication the author receives an advance against royalties. This is usually a lump sum of, say, $1,000, half of which is paid on acceptance of the manuscript and half on publication.
There is a book available which goes into much more detail, called The Australian and New Zealand Writer's Handbook, edited by Joan Clarke and published by A.H. and A.W. Reed Pty Ltd (53 Myoora Road, Terrey Hills, Sydney) for the Australian Society of Authors. Perhaps your local library could get a copy for you. In a more lighthearted vein, you might like to read The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar, a collection of short stories by Roald Dahl - one of the stories tells how Roald Dahl himself first became a writer.
We hope this answers your questions - and good luck!
