There are many websites dedicated to young adults and their stories. Some can even gain you enough recognition that a publishing house will take up your work. The way to gain recognition is to submit your work to various places, a popular way to do this is through websites and contests.
Inkpop
Inkpop is an online community where teenagers submit books, short stories, poetry, and essays. If your work is popular than it will make it to the Top Pick list. When it makes it to that list, editors at HarperCollins Publishers will read the picks on the list and it's possible to recieve a publishing contract! Registration is free.
Book submissions must be a minimum of 10K words, everything else has no word count minimum. You must be at least 13 years old and can live anywhere.
Teen Ink
Teen Ink is a literary magazine, both in print and online. They have also published books containing compliations of their best published work. The magazine is printed monthly by the Young Authors Foundation, Inc. You can submit online or offline and can turn in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, reviews, opinion pieces, videos, articles, and art or photography. Registration is free. They also have summer programs and college guides. Every submission made is read by an editor and then chosen for publication. If your piece is chosen for publication it will reach schools, teachers, teens, and even celebrities all over the country. If you're published on the website, then people all over the world can read your work...if they speak English.
Skipping Stones
SS is a multicultural magazine for youth and adults. Pieces should have a cultural theme, talk about your heritage or a certain belief you have. There are many more ideas of what they want to see from you on their website. Compositions are required to be typed, double spaced, and less than 1,000 words. Submissions can be made through mail or e-mail. If your work is published you will receive copies of the issue you're published in. SS celebrates different backgrounds and cultures, so if you are interested in topics along those lines then this magazine is for you!
Teen Voices
TV is a literary and leadership magazine designed specifically for girls. It is based in Boston, so their leadership and journalism programs are for girls in Boston, like the Teen Editor program.. But, even if you don't live there you can still submit poetry, artwork, stories, and essays. You can subscribe to the magazine and submissions can be sent through mail or e-mail. TV's mission is, "To support and educate teen girls to amplify their voices and create social change through media." So, if you believe in girl power, go ahead and submit!
Of course, there is always the well known NaNoWriMo, National Movel Writing Month, which takes place November 1. Participants in the contest will write a novel of at least 50,000 words. The novel must be finished by November 31. You then submit your novel so that the words can be counted and you are then recorded as a winner, and your novel is deleted from their system. In previous months, winners have been able to obtain proof copies of their work for free from CreateSpace, you can put it on the market or just enjoy seeing your book bound.
Script Frenzy is NaNoWriMo's sister. Script Frenzy is also one month long, April 1 to April 31. This contest requires you to write a 100 page minimum script. Even if you don't get published, both this and NaNo are great exercises in writing discipline and working on a deadline.
It's hard to just keep writing when you feel like you've hit a wall or there's point because it won't get accepted anywhere. But, the only way to succeed is to keep trying. There are many, many sites and magazines out there that will give you a lesson in working under a deadline and submitting something. Have fun!
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