Ask the Author: Megan Jacobson
Answered Questions (6)
Megan Jacobson
Oh my gosh I’ve only just seen this. You’ve just made my day! Thank you for taking the time to write this, it’s incredibly kind of you. The Build-Up Season was quite a personal book for me, I had a similar early relationship and I’m so glad it’s connected with readers because it contains a sliver of my soul. Oh man you’ve just put a big silly smile on my face x
Megan Jacobson
Hi Cathy, they're still on Amazon! You can find Build-Up Season here - https://www.amazon.com.au/Build-Up-Se...
Yellow - https://www.amazon.com.au/Yellow-Mega...
Or you can order copies from Booktopia - https://www.booktopia.com.au/yellow-m...
https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-buil...
And The Book Depository - https://www.bookdepository.com/Yellow...
https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Bu...
I hope this helps!
Yellow - https://www.amazon.com.au/Yellow-Mega...
Or you can order copies from Booktopia - https://www.booktopia.com.au/yellow-m...
https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-buil...
And The Book Depository - https://www.bookdepository.com/Yellow...
https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Bu...
I hope this helps!
Megan Jacobson
That just means a regular printed page with regular printed margins. Basically, the default template on a word document.
Megan Jacobson
SE Hinton wrote The Outsiders when she was still a teenager, and it's actually quite a good selling point, being a teenager writing about teenagers (I found this site re. teen authors http://www.ekristinanderson.com/?p=6339) So your age is not an impediment, rather, the question is whether you've honed your craft enough to have a publishable manuscript? I know Will Kostakis, author of The Sidekicks, talks about how he submitted his first manuscript at your age. He wasn't ready yet and he was rejected, but he kept writing, and he kept failing better, until he finally was offered a publishing deal at seventeen. So to answer your question, no, you're not too young, but if you aren't accepted, don't take it to heart, just keep writing and working on your craft. You have all the time in the world!
Megan Jacobson
Hi Kiana! I do have an agent, I'm with Curtis Brown Australia, and they submitted the manuscript to the publishers for me and facilitated the deal. To get the agent I googled 'best agents in Australia' and then researched the individual agents at Curtis Brown to decide which one would be the best fit for me. I made sure my manuscript was in the best shape possible before I sent it off - you only get one chance! So I had edited it and put it away and edited it some more. The Agent websites will let you know how they want the manuscript delivered, generally it's the first three chapters and a query letter. I googled query letters to make sure mine was done correctly, and sent it off. After a few months my agent got back to me and requested the full manuscript, then a month later she accepted me as a client. Basically, do your research, and google is your friend!
Megan Jacobson
Apologies for the delayed response, I've only just seen this! Thank you, it still feels strange and wonderful to be published, nothing beats seeing your book in a store! As far as tips go - read widely and critically - ask yourself why you enjoy what you're reading, or why you're not enjoying it, and try to figure out why the text is or isn't working. But the biggest tip is to write. Write and write and write. Experiment with different styles, play around with language, until you find the voice that feels most like 'you'. Most of all, have confidence in yourself, know that what you have to say is worthwhile. A lot of writing gets hampered by doubt and an internal self-censorship. Give yourself permission to write fearlessly. Best of luck x
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