ALAN Online

The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents brings together authors, librarians, teachers and students who share an interest in Young Adult Literature.  And, it is my goal as the Webmaster to provide those who visit this site with valuable content and resources that will further enrich their interest in Young Adult Literature.

Today I would like to highlight a resource that will be very useful to those of you who are aquatinted with young, emerging authors.  Last month, during the Book Chat with Cynthia Leitich Smith, a young writer asked for advice on how he/she should begin his/her career as a writer.  Cynthia replied with several valuable pieces of advice, and, above all else, she encouraged him/her to “keep writing!”  When I began my career as a classroom teacher, I often wondered how and where a young adult might publish his or her work beyond the use of a personal website.  My search ultimately led me to the good people at Teen Ink.     

Teen Ink is a national publication of the Young Authors Foundation, a nonprofit organization that is devoted to assisting teens develop reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.  

We offer teenagers the opportunity to publish their creative work and opinions on the issues that affect their lives–everything from love and family to teen smoking and community service.  Hundreds of thousands of students have submitted their work to us and we have published more than 25,000 teens since 1989. –http://teenink.com/about

Teen Ink receives thousands of submissions each year and every single piece of writing is read by human eyes.  Each piece of student work is considered for publication on the website and the printed magazine.  If you are unfamiliar with Teen Ink, take a moment to peruse their website.  And, if you have a classroom full of young writers, encourage them to submit their work for publication.