Yesterday I received a request from an ex-student who wanted to know if I have any publishers up my sleeve for her to send some Young Adult short stories. I think my reply might be helpful for others.

I recommended that she prowl bookshops and libraries to look for publishers who put out similar material. Also, to join PIO and Buzzwords. These are useful eZine mags with lots of helpful tips for both writing and knowing what others write that is being published. They’re not too expensive. If she wants to go further afield she can look into SCBWI. Everything she needs is all on the net. But my warning is that the market right now is tough! So what she needs is lots of PERSISTENCE.

On another topic entirely, I have just read Mark Haddon’s ‘A Spot of Bother’. Others will know him for ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night’. Here is a man who can write for both kids AND adults. I wish I could say the same for other well known authors… whether they go from adult to kids or vice versa. Mostly they can’t do the switch and end up either being boring, overwriting ( because they think they now have the freedom to do this) or patronising. I would like to take up this debate with anyone who has the time and patience to argue with me.