NYTimes article on teens self-publishing

[munley]

Here 'tis:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/us/young-writers-find-a-devoted-publisher-thanks-mom-and-dad.html?_r=1&hp#

[shadowwalker]

I had to laugh, quite honestly. "You can do anything you want" - if Mommy and Daddy will pay the bill. A very expensive piece of refrigerator art...

[jdkinman]

I had to laugh, quite honestly. "You can do anything you want" - if Mommy and Daddy will pay the bill. A very expensive piece of refrigerator art...

Apparently 700 buyers/readers disagree with you on the fridge-art thing. . .

Writing for publication is a business, and in business you keep score with money. So far, this teenager's scorecard is a lot better than probably most of his critics' scorecards.

Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. Those who can do neither, criticize--constantly.

[Nostrabuttus]

Might be better than buying the kid a new car. At any age, whatever one learns by self publishing a book could be a good lesson.

I know a woman who self published a book at the age of 84. She is now approaching 90. All she wanted to do was leave a written document of what life had been like for her, her parents, and her grandparents back in the old days. Her book related daily struggles of times long passed. She wanted to get it all written down before she died.

She didn't think too many people would find her stories all that interesting so she only had 100 copies printed, mainly enough for the members of her church. She asked for three dollars each to cover the cost of printing them.

She found out that people were interested, a whole lot of them. As the weeks and months went by, word spread and more requests for copies came in. And they kept coming in. People wanted their own personal copy. She had to go back to the printer time and time again.

I haven't seen her in four years. I hope she is doing well.

So whether a kid is 14 or 84, there's nothing wrong with wanting to share your story. Maybe those Moms and Dads thought they were giving their kids the gift of a lifetime, the experience of seeing their stories in print.  Who knows, someone out there may like to read them.

 

[bodwen]

All I have to say is that I'm glad that nothing that I wrote in my teens has survived to embarass me...

[Carakasla]

Ouch  . I didn't start writing my book until I was 19. I simply don't have the money to self publish, that's why I went the traditional route: the only cost is my pride (and a couple cents for postage).

[Falen]

All I have to say is that I'm glad that nothing that I wrote in my teens has survived to embarass me...

Hah! So true.
I mean, i still have my stuff, but looking at it again is a lesson in humility.

[shadowwalker]

I had to laugh, quite honestly. "You can do anything you want" - if Mommy and Daddy will pay the bill. A very expensive piece of refrigerator art...

Apparently 700 buyers/readers disagree with you on the fridge-art thing. . .

Writing for publication is a business, and in business you keep score with money. So far, this teenager's scorecard is a lot better than probably most of his critics' scorecards.

Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. Those who can do neither, criticize--constantly.

So maybe the kid's another Shakespeare - or maybe a bunch of people in/near his hometown heard about it and wanted to see what the fuss was about. I doubt this was a 'business decision' at all. Supportive at best, pure indulgence at worst. But you know, you put yourself out in public and the public has every right to praise or deride.