Wild Ink : Success Secrets to Writing and Publishing in the Young Adult Market

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Wild Ink : Success Secrets to Writing and Publishing in the Young Adult Market

3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 · rating details · 59 ratings · 24 reviews

What do you need to know to break in to the flourishing young adult (YA) market? With humor and a solid grounding in reality, author Victoria Hanley helps readers understand the ins and outs of the YA genre, how to stay inspired, and how to avoid common mistakes writers make in trying to reach teens. This book includes unique writing exercises to help readers find their ow...more

Paperback, Second Edition, 350 pages

Published May 1st 2012 by Prufrock Press Inc. (first published September 1st 2008)

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Jan 29, 2013 Alanna (The Flashlight Reader) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: gifts-contests-won, review-requests

Ever wonder what it takes to become a YA author? How about learning about the publishing process? Maybe you just want to know more about what it takes to be a better writer. Well, if any of those apply to you-- Wild Ink is for you.

This is not my normal type of book for review, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to read this one. Yes, I was interested into learning more about the publishing process for books. I mean, who doesn't have that dream, right? But what I really wanted was insight in...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Annette added it

I have no intention of ever writing a book. And Wild Ink: Success Secrets to Writing and Publishing in the Young Adult Market hasn't changed my mind. But, for someone who is interested in exploring the possibility of writing, Wild Ink has a lot of helpful and inspirational information.

Victoria Hanley spends time on all the parts of the novel (and also a chapter on non-fiction writing.) Each discussion contains example quotes from popular, current YA fiction. Hunger Games and Pride and Prejudice...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

After writing my first book, I started several other novels but nothing came of them and I found myself a little lost, until I started finding myself drawn more and more toward YA. I eventually started a YA novel, but I've encountered several obstacles. When I was offered to review Wild Ink, I jumped at the chance because it's just what I've been looking for.

I've read many good books on novel writing, but this one is geared for writers who want to break into the ever so popular YA genre. It's ea...more After writing my first book, I started several other novels but nothing came of them and I found myself a little lost, until I started finding myself drawn more and more toward YA. I eventually started a YA novel, but I've encountered several obstacles. When I was offered to review Wild Ink, I jumped at the chance because it's just what I've been looking for.

I've read many good books on novel writing, but this one is geared for writers who want to break into the ever so popular YA genre. It's easy to read, well-organized and covers everything you need to know to write for teens, get an agent, and learn about the YA publishing industry. Hanley writes with an engaging style, and I found this resource book a pleasure to read.

Even though I know about novel writing, I paid particular attention to the two chapters that covered elements of novel writing, such as voice, point-of-view, dialogue, setting, conflict, themes, and so on. Writing for teens is different than writing for adults and I appreciated the advice and tips. The chapter that really got me thinking was the one that dealt with obstacles. I'm stuck in my writing and the author tackles each of the most common obstacles with good reasoning. Now I just need to apply the advice!

What I also found unique about this book is that Hanley includes tons of interviews with YA authors, and also some agents and publishers. I liked reading what they had to say. She also covers writing nonfiction YA, editing, and self-publishing. A lot of the info in this book was familiar to me mostly because I am a self-published author who's worked with editors, done research on marketing, and now blogs about books. Book reviewing has opened up the world of publishing to me better than any research. Therefore, I was able to appreciate how Hanley covers this in her book.

So if you are thinking of writing and publishing a YA novel, this one will set you on the right track. Hanley even made sure to include a whole chapter on resources for writers to complement Wild Ink and to help you hone your craft.
(less)

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Jul 17, 2012 Midnight Bloom rated it 4 of 5 stars

Victoria Hanley's Wild Ink: Success Secrets to Writing and Publishing in the Young Adult Market is an excellent resource for aspiring writers and those individuals simply curious to learn more about the ever-growing YA market. In a clear, concise manner, Hanley uses her own personal experience as a published author as well as Q&As with literary agents, editors and other authors in explaining all the steps from deciding to write a book to the ultimate accomplishment after arduous efforts, hav...more Victoria Hanley's Wild Ink: Success Secrets to Writing and Publishing in the Young Adult Market is an excellent resource for aspiring writers and those individuals simply curious to learn more about the ever-growing YA market. In a clear, concise manner, Hanley uses her own personal experience as a published author as well as Q&As with literary agents, editors and other authors in explaining all the steps from deciding to write a book to the ultimate accomplishment after arduous efforts, having your work being published.

If you ever had any questions about writing and the publishing industry, you can be assured that Victoria Hanley has likely covered the topic in Wild Ink. As a book blogger and avid reader, I've learned many things about publishing over the years, but reading Wild Ink only reaffirmed that there is still so much more to learn. Finishing the first draft of a novel is only the first series of hurdles to cross!

Without getting caught too much in the really technical details, the book gives you the confidence to fulfill your dreams of writing a novel and provides details on the next steps to be taken afterwards. Acquiring a literary agent, traditional vs. self-publishing, marketing tips, and more, it's all included in Wild Ink as well. And if you're eager to learn more writing tips and information about the publishing industry, but feel there's not enough provided in Wild Ink, Victoria Hanley has also given recommendations to other novels that may prove to be useful as well.

Wild Ink provides an informative overview of just what it really takes to write a novel and the long process required to see it finally reach shelves and eReaders. Victoria Hanley is both encouraging and straightforward in her approach to stating the common mistakes writers often make, overcoming obstacles and rejection, and the realities of what can be expected if you dream of being a published author. If I ever set out to write my own novel, I'll certainly be referring to Victoria Hanley's Wild Ink for some help and guidance. (less)

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Jul 14, 2012 Moonlight Gleam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wild Ink: Success Secrets to Writing and Publishing in the Young Adult Market is a great book for writers that have just entered or want to enter the Young Adult genre. The synopsis describes the book perfectly as the book offers exactly all the elements mentioned and more.

My favorite aspect of Wild Ink: Success Secrets to Writing and Publishing in the Young Adult Market is how the book is not only geared towards authors wanting to enter the Young Adult market, but how it also offers a wide var...more

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Nov 18, 2010 Lacey Librarian rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, writing, how-to

I decided to read this book in between revisions of my current young adult novel as I gave myself my typical "rest" between drafts or writing projects. It ended up being a good decision -- now that I'm finished with the book, I'm energized and excited to dive into the next draft.Victoria Hanley's voice and expertise make this an accessible, encouraging, and enlightening read. It's down-to-earth and honest about the challenges of publishing without coming across as defeatist. And unlike some writ...more I decided to read this book in between revisions of my current young adult novel as I gave myself my typical "rest" between drafts or writing projects. It ended up being a good decision -- now that I'm finished with the book, I'm energized and excited to dive into the next draft.Victoria Hanley's voice and expertise make this an accessible, encouraging, and enlightening read. It's down-to-earth and honest about the challenges of publishing without coming across as defeatist. And unlike some writing books, it feels like a two-way conversation, and not just a way for the writer to gloat about her own writing process. It also includes interviews with many young adult authors, ranging from the renowned to the more "undiscovered." While I felt that the book relied too much on "other voices" at times, overall the result is affirmation that there really are as many ways to write fiction as there are writers. While filled with sound advice, this guide leaves plenty of room for individual styles.It covers the process of writing a young adult novel from idea generation to publication, and even gives a balanced perspective on self publishing. I vowed to do every single writing exercise in this book--even the ones I REALLY didn't want to do--and I'm glad I did. They gave me a fresh perspective on my writing style, why I like to write YA stuff, and ideas for future stories. A lot of the exercises were even therapeutic, such as a long list of questions that asked things such as, "When was the first time you learned you were being lied to?" Although not all the answers fell within my adolescent/teenage experience, it still evoked many of the complicated emotions during that time of life.Since the book covers so much, some of it is related in rather broad strokes, but Victoria consistently provides resources for deeper exploration of the included topics. Overall, it was awesome to have a up-to-date, smart how-to book about writing for teens, even if a lot of writing advice is sound across all genre(less)

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Jun 19, 2012 Peggy Tibbetts added it

Billed as a second edition, “Wild Ink: Success Secrets to Writing and Publishing for the Young Adult Market” is for advanced YA writers, and “Wild Ink: How to Write Fiction for Young Adults” (first edition) is for beginning YA writers. In the first edition award-winning author and writing instructor Victoria Hanley tells you how to get started. In the second edition she tells you how to keep going. Hanley uses examples from the classic “Pride and Prejudice” and the popular bestseller “The Hunger...more

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Apr 26, 2012 John rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you want to know Hanley's advice for writing for teens, I can pretty much sum it up in a single sentence: Write for adults, but throw a coming-of-age element into the mix. There! That's basically it. The rest of the book pertains to any writer looking to attract a wide audience, not just to writers of YA. The writing advice Hanley gives seems geared toward very new writers, and I didn't find it particularly helpful (Seriously, defining genres like "mystery," "horror" and "sci-fi" is a complet...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Rose rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reference, writing, non-fiction

Probably right at 3.5 stars. I liked "Wild Ink" quite a bit for what it offers. I think for a beginning writer, everything that you need in brief touches on the art of writing for YA market is right at your fingertips here. There are breakdowns of the different genres you can write in, there are notes about what you should do with critique and how to keep pressing forward when you hit roadblocks in your writing. There are touches upon when to show and how to tell, and certainly useful informatio...more

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Jul 18, 2010 Lacey Louwagie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: lerali

Recommended to Lacey by: I don't remember where I heard of this book . . .

Shelves: writing

I decided to read this book in between revisions of my current young adult novel as I gave myself my typical "rest" between drafts or writing projects. It ended up being a good decision -- now that I'm finished with the book, I'm energized and excited to dive into the next draft.

Victoria Hanley's voice and expertise make this an accessible, encouraging, and enlightening read. It's down-to-earth and honest about the challenges of publishing without coming across as defeatist. And unlike some writ...more I decided to read this book in between revisions of my current young adult novel as I gave myself my typical "rest" between drafts or writing projects. It ended up being a good decision -- now that I'm finished with the book, I'm energized and excited to dive into the next draft.

Victoria Hanley's voice and expertise make this an accessible, encouraging, and enlightening read. It's down-to-earth and honest about the challenges of publishing without coming across as defeatist. And unlike some writing books, it feels like a two-way conversation, and not just a way for the writer to gloat about her own writing process. It also includes interviews with many young adult authors, ranging from the renowned to the more "undiscovered." While I felt that the book relied too much on "other voices" at times, overall the result is affirmation that there really are as many ways to write fiction as there are writers. While filled with sound advice, this guide leaves plenty of room for individual styles.

It covers the process of writing a young adult novel from idea generation to publication, and even gives a balanced perspective on self publishing. I vowed to do every single writing exercise in this book--even the ones I REALLY didn't want to do--and I'm glad I did. They gave me a fresh perspective on my writing style, why I like to write YA stuff, and ideas for future stories. A lot of the exercises were even therapeutic, such as a long list of questions that asked things such as, "When was the first time you learned you were being lied to?" Although not all the answers fell within my adolescent/teenage experience, it still evoked many of the complicated emotions during that time of life.

Since the book covers so much, some of it is related in rather broad strokes, but Victoria consistently provides resources for deeper exploration of the included topics. Overall, it was awesome to have a up-to-date, smart how-to book about writing for teens, even if a lot of writing advice is sound across all genres. (less)

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Jul 08, 2012 Mary (BookHounds) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-publisher-author

MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT
For those of us who harbor a secret wish to someday write a book specifically for the young adult market that is so popular these days, this book will give you a good head start. If you are not sure which direction you want to go in, there are descriptions of the most popular genres and how to market to those categories. There are exercises that will develop your skills even if you have no idea where to start. This is a valuable source for any author of any skill. I thought t...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

We were so excited to win this book on a GoodReads giveaway! My teenage daughter couldn't wait to receive it in the mail. When we opened the book, we were impressed immediately by all the detailed information inside concerning how to write a good young adult book. There were some wonderful ideas that my daughter will be putting to use very soon. It is set up in an easy-to-read and understand format. The author included personal stories in the book about when she was publishing the first and seco...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Zann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: writing

This book has a lot of information on writing specifically for the young adult audience as well as excellent info on writing in general. The main focus is on YA though, as it should be.
I found the book to be very helpful and it clarified some writing principles for me that I previously couldn't quite wrap my mind around.
In addition the book is very readable and entertaining, with examples ranging from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice to J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books and even Suzanne Colli...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A good read for helping beginners like myself. It gives helpful suggestions on how to write your novel and how to get your character's voice, among other things. If you are looking for a book that will give sound advice on how to get started writing for young adults, this book would be a good one.

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Jan 22, 2012 Jillian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, ots-challenge, free, on-writing

Wild Ink offers chapters of advice on YA writing and publishing alongside many interviews with agents, publishers, and authors at different stages of the process. Much of the advice I’d read or heard before, but it’s presented well and there were definitely some ideas worth noting.

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Jul 06, 2012 Nickey rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book gives a great overview of how to continue after writing the first half of a manuscript and how to go over from writing to editing, how to query, approach publishing and what happens on the way between sending a query and holding a finished copy of a book.
I wish it had had a few more practical tips on how to actually formulate a pitch and query letter but I guess that was not the purpose of the book.
Further reading is recommended.

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May 11, 2012 Ashley (Bookaholics Anonymous) is currently reading it

Shelves: books-on-writing, from-publisher

So I received this book for review. I thought it sounded pretty interesting, and since I'm kind of wanting to learn the ins and outs of writing and everything with it I thought why not give it a try.

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Aug 14, 2009 Victoria rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

I liked it, but something about this book missed the mark for me. I'd have to say it's a great book for aspiring authors who don't yet know much about writing or publishing.

Covers the basics of characters, voice, and plot; how to overcome doubt, get past lack of time or inspiration, and accept constructive criticism; advice on submitting a manuscript and getting published. It's short, friendly, readable and concise but very elementary. Also has nearly 100 pages of Q&A with successful childre...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Kaye Booth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: colorado-authors

See my review here:
http://www.examiner.com/literature-in...

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Jun 25, 2012 Marcy Weydemuller rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: writing

Will be posting this on my Reading for Craft column today. A must read for any one writing or teaching YA's. Her material also applies for any writer looking how to develop a voice.

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Sep 01, 2012 Lu rated it 4 of 5 stars

The material applied to all writing, including middle grade. It helped me look at my manuscript and make some needed changes.

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Aug 05, 2011 Dana M. marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: library-books-to-read

Unfortunately, I'm out of renewals on this book. I read through large chunks of it, particularly the pages where writers of contemporary YA offered their advice. I hope to check this book out again soon.

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Jun 24, 2012 Readinista rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review coming

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Dec 07, 2011 Scott rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, writing-books

Just got this for my bday, so gonna start reading it real soon

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May 12, 2013 Bill Silvia marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Apr 28, 2013 Lindley Walter-smith rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: writing

Apr 26, 2013 Dragonfox marked it as to-read

Apr 22, 2013 Sara marked it as to-read

Apr 22, 2013 Maya marked it as reference-writing

Shelves: paperback

Apr 19, 2013 Andrea marked it as to-read

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