So You Want To Be A Published Author
                                                       by Talia Kennedy
                                      from the Sacramento Bee, Friday, April 30, 2004

    It was a Yahoo search for teen publishing opportunities online that first
connected Jillian Mandelkern, 17, to About Teens online magazine.
    After years of scrawling in her journal, entering writing contests and editing
her high school literary magazine, Jillian wanted to see if she could make a name
for herself in the literary world.
    "If it weren't for online magazines like About Teens, I would feel uneasy about how to start my career as a writer," said Jillian, who lives in Coatesville, Pa.
    The ease of publishing on the Net has led to a boom in places for writers to submit their works online. Many of them are young scribes who find it harder than adults to break into the print market.
    That's why Paul Wagner, a writer of young adult fiction, started About Teens online magazine ten years ago. "I think getting published in the first place is so difficult. That's what makes the first time so satisfying," said Wagner.
    He can speak from experience about the difficulty of getting published. Thirty-six years elapsed between the publication of his first and second works.
    By giving teens their first shot at being published, Wagner hopes to encourage young writers to stick with it.
    The About Teens website features jokes, funny photos, book reviews, opinions and short stories that run the gamut from sic-fi to romance. The site is refreshed with new material on the first day of each month.
    The world-wide reach of the web lets writers gain exposure to an international audience. About Teens has received submissions from India, Britain, Australia, China, Japan, and South Africa, for example. Readers can email the authors about their stories using a feedback feature on the site.
    Having a story appear in About Teens led to a print opportunity for Jenny Hollander, 13, who lives in London. Her story, "Time Transfixed," was printed in a short story collection after an editor came across it in About Teens.
    "I was happy to get the exposure. Who wouldn't be?" Jenny said in an email interview. She said she feels like a more accomplished writer since seeing her name in print.
    Publishing online opens that door for many young writers because the internet is a welcoming place for teens to get their stories published, she said. "It's the best thing you can do for yourself if you're serious about becoming a writer."

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