I have been working on a book for a while, and I probably will be done with it soon. My work is very original in my mind and in the end, this book will be very high quality. But I have been wondering about one important aspect of publishing.
I am only 13 years old. I really want my work to be taken seriously, and people to see my book as something that is good because it is a good book, not because I am young. How can I successfully get this published as a book that people enjoy without caring about my age?
(Edit: I know that other people have asked this before, and the one I was directed to is about where and how to publish as a minor, but this question is about how to be taken seriously as a minor.)
Answer
You don't have to do anything special at all. First you will seek an agent, with a query letter. Look up on the Internet or in writing books on Amazon how to write a query letter.
Do not mention your age. If you get a response of somebody willing to read a sample, send it. Before you sign any contract or agreement, you will need to tell the other party you are a minor (and cannot enter into a contract), so your parent (or guardian) will sign on your behalf. Other than "minor", you don't have to mention your age.
If your agent sells your book, it can be published without anybody knowing your age, seeing your picture, or anything else. People publish books under pseudonyms (made up names) all the time, to conceal their true identity.
If you want to prevent being googled (or revealing your gender) you can publish under initials; e.g. "J.K. Rowling".
I won't prejudge the quality of your work based on your age. I would just say, do not LIE about it, and do not sign any kind of agreement without your legal guardian (probably a parent).
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