Ben Schrank gives us the Real Deal About Writing For Teens

Ben Schrank is the publisher of Razorbill, and he's sharing the true dream story of why he acquired a book...

what grabbed him:

he loved it - original opening, emotionally riviting, keeps him still reading. There's no time for it, but he's still reading.

started sharing with colleagues.

knew it was big. special.

started sharing it with more.

he finished it at home that night.

phone messages from others - we loved it. fantastic.

called agent. He was first, but it wasn't necessarily "his."

Ben offered to pre-empt it (to agree on an amount to keep project to go for auction) And in addition to that, explained his vision for how he wanted to publish the novel.

They negotiated a deal to get it.

And he got it. That all happened Tuesday - Thursday.

The writer wrote it, critiqued it online with other writers, she did all the right things. When she was absolutely ready (and not before), she reached out to 30 agents - signed with one she liked. Did a revision with the agent,

Submitted to him.

He bought it.

Wow - that's the dream all right!

The dream story continues: Ben sold the book to Razorbill in the U.K., sold in German, France, Spain, and it continues...

He went to ALA midwinter and a scout for a film company approached him. "I know about the book."

The moral:

The writer sat on it in her small town until it was ready. And once it was ready, she put it out there and it's going to be HUGE.

There's gotta be something special in the book. And that book had it.

--Posted by Lee Wind