The Journey to Teen Publishing

by Teen Author @mysteriesof_astral

Author's self-portrait Sylvie, the main protagonist of Mysteries of Astral

Hi, I’m Katerina, a teen author and member of the Creative Coterie. I’m currently in the process of publishing my first novel, Mysteries of Astral, a sci-fi, psychological thriller adventure for YA. It follows psychic protagonist Sylvie, who learns she’s part of an illegal community of extraterrestrials on Earth. She and her friends quickly find themselves caught between Earth and Astral, the planet they are from, if only they could find a way back to it. 

My novel has been in the works for about four years now, starting off as vague, disconnected ideas I got in elementary and middle school, which I then strung together into something more coherent. It took about two years to write, and another two years to edit, rewrite, and perfect.

1) A brief delve into my writing journey

I’ve always been a storyteller, but most of my ideas were silly little things I made for fun. Astral started as a short story taking way too much inspiration from other books I’ve read (I’m sure we’ve all had that experience), but as the ideas grew more grand and complex, I knew I might actually have a shot at getting it out in the world. Personally, I was in no rush to publish because I knew there was still so much work to be done, and as I submitted my manuscript for editing, I could practically tell you what my biggest issues were. 

The most rewarding thing to me was actually finishing this story. It felt like a milestone in itself, and now everything I’m doing just accentuates it. Finishing your stories is an amazing feeling, and I hope that those reading will get to experience it one day as well!

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Full cast of Mysteries of Astral illustrated by author

2) The publishing process

It was initially tough to decide how to publish, given that traditional and self-publishing have their positives and drawbacks. With traditional, you have to send dozens upon dozens of query letters to publishing houses that receive and reject thousands of letters a day. Not to mention the competition in my genre and other issues like finding an editor or an agent. It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Traditionally published books generally gain more prestige and popularity, and much more of the work is handled for you. 

With self-publishing, you’re on your own, traversing the turbulent waters of the industry. You need to market, edit, print, commission and figure out where to sell, and things can often be out of pocket, which is a huge ordeal to undertake. But you also get as much creative freedom as you’d like, and full ownership and royalties of your book. 

Traditional companies usually reserve the rights to your book for a set number of years AND a big chunk of royalties . . . . So where did that leave me? In the middle, I suppose, researching an in-between, such as hybrid publishing. I’m currently with a publishing company called Friessen Press, which is a Canadian and employee-owned publishing service provider. It was my mother, actually, who found them and their resources for new authors. After looking at their services, we decided to give it a shot. 

After an initial manuscript evaluation of my story and some major edits on my part, we were officially able to start the publishing timeline on my book (which is where I am now!) Though I do have to say, while it seems I have gone through the steps very quickly, there are multiple months behind this, and the process is different for every author. Do not be discouraged if certain things take you more or less time; everyone is unique!

3) Tips for aspiring young authors

The first step is to have your story written. If it's not, you shouldn’t even be stressing about publishing yet; you still have quite a long road ahead of you. Once you finish and you’re confident about your work, my biggest advice for people my age looking to publish is to persevere if you’re serious about your decision. Publishing is no small feat and requires time, effort, and dedication. If you truly love what you’re putting out, this will come naturally to you. 

But for those who struggle with the quality of their writing, don’t fret, that is a normal part of growing as an author and is natural. Push yourself to grow and excel, try going outside your comfort zone and above all else, be open to variety. I’ve found that getting out and about and trying new things, going new places, is what jumpstarts my creativity the most! If you’re worried that age will affect your chances in the market, it can actually work to your advantage as something that sets you apart from other authors.

 Still, I also recommend networking yourself and building up a following beforehand so you have a bunch of awesome supporters to help promote your story. This can sound pretty daunting and intimidating, especially for more introverted people (like me), but it can actually be incredibly fun and a great way to meet like-minded people and new friends! (Coincidentally, it’s also how I stumbled across The Creative Coterie)

4) Sneak-peek into my new novel!

Scenes from Mysteries of Astrals illustrated by author

Like previously mentioned, my novel coming out is called Mysteries of Astral and is a sci-fi psychological thriller adventure for middle grade and YA. Here is the official summary:

A story of two sisters determined to persevere after their parents are accused and arrested for being part of an illegal extraterrestrial ‘terrorist’ group. Sylvie and Rozy must learn from allies, old and new, about this mysterious new planet they appear to be from. But the longer they wait, the more an intricate game seems to unravel. No action was without meaning, and soon it becomes a race to get back to Astral before everything is taken from them. 

Mysteries deals with everything from finding yourself, determination and forging connections, to the complexity of the mind and long, drawn-out games. It honestly is hard to explain every aspect of the book without you reading it, so I encourage you to do so!

It will tentatively be available in the Spring of 2026 for purchase in-store or online. In the meantime, you can follow my Instagram @mysteriesof_astral to keep up with developments and content related to my story!