This past summer at SHAD Waterloo, I got the chance to meet Sam Buer. Sam has gotten a couple of his stories published in a book titled, “Sci-Fi From the Rock.” The following are his answers to the questions in regards to publishing his works as a teen:
I decided to become a writer at the behest of my then-girlfriend, after she told me I was good at telling stories. It was challenging at first, with my first novel attempt being a rather cringy fantasy story starring me and my friends.  After a bit of growing up and reading some other literature, I tried my hand at writing again. This one was more promising, about a planet of super-powered people, with crime rampant, strange alien creatures, and rest of the whole sci-fi thing. That one fell apart around chapter 2 or 3, where I felt that the world was unbelievable (in a bad way). Then, I found my publisher, a small local company by the name of Engen Books. They were holding a contest for submissions to be in the “Sci-Fi from the Rock” anthology for the tenth anniversary of the local Sci-Fi convention here in St. John’s. I wrote my story, titled “The Locket,” submitted it, it got accepted, and now I’m never looking back.
I don’t really have a favorite genre as of yet. I’m still new to writing, and I have tried horror (which I love), sci-fi (which I adore), fantasy (which I have difficulty with), and that’s it as of now.
I think I enjoy Sci-Fi because of my strong science background that lets me ask “What if” about a variety of subjects, and then research and build a world, or plot, or characters from that initial “What if.”
As for horror, I have no clue what draws me to the genre. I enjoy the work of Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft, as well as a local author also associated with Engen Books by the name of Matthew LeDrew. It could be my fascination with the macabre, or my longtime fear of the dark, or an infinitude of other factors.
As for my difficulty with fantasy, I have no clue. I adored Lord of the Rings, and I enjoy Gary Gygax’s work as well, and I am an avid player of Dungeon and Dragon’s. I am not at a lack of material, so it may just be a flaw in my mindset. That is my experience, but I am eager to try other genres, such as historical fiction and westerns.
Well, first of all, it’s not really my book, it’s an anthology. My story is one of nineteen from other local authors, ranging from horror to sci-fi to fantasy. I got the inspiration for mine, “The Locket” from a fair amount of Poe and Lovecraft. The idea of the “sinister mental hospital” also appealed to me, but other than that, it wasn’t inspired by any one thing.  In my experience, ideas for stories, even short ones, are more built than created in an eureka moment.
Not really. The local community of authors has been super accepting, letting me help sell the books, to listen to my delirious rambling about story ideas, to even inviting me to go out and have dinner with them during the Sci-fi convention. My biggest difficulty is finding time to write, and juggling that responsibility with my social life, my education, and my other responsibilities. All in all, I’m very thankful that the local community of authors was so accepting.
Where do I start? As I said earlier, Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft have influenced me, particularly when I write horror. Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series really inspired me to write harder science fiction, and, funnily enough, Quentin Tarantino’s films have inspired me to write a historical fiction novel. Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series is amazing and has helped me play around with archetypes and tropes. Matthew LeDrew’s Black Womb and Xander Drew series have both helped me develop my characters better, as has the Infinity series, which he has written in collaboration with Ellen Curtis.
Well, I’ve got a few things in the pipeline right now. I have a novel about the invention of faster than light travel in a somewhat dystopian future in the works for one, but that has unfortunately been pushed aside for some other projects. I have another novel in the work that takes precedence, that one being about a one armed World War 2 veteran who hunts nazis after the war. That one takes precedence just because my publisher has already green-lighted it. This is all interspersed with various short stories that I write when the inspiration hits me, as well as a few secret projects that I’m not allowed to talk about. All I can say is to keep an eye out for some good stuff from Engen Books!
First of all, polish your work. Nobody is ever going to accept a first draft. By editing it yourself you show that you are committed to your work, and mature enough to edit it yourself. Also, it’s easier to read, so that helps you not get rejected right off the bat.
Second, don’t go to large publishers first. They have massive piles of submissions, and it’s unlikely that your’s will be accepted, even if it’s very good. I recommend small scale publishers, who might be invested in seeing young authors grow. This is an excellent environment to start writing in. I cannot count the number of ways that the good people at Engen Books have helped me with research, direction, and even ideas.
Third, don’t get discouraged if your story gets rejected. See if they gave you any constructive criticism and if so, use it and move on.  I got beyond lucky with the anthology, and didn’t have to approach the publisher myself. You probably will have to approach the publisher, and it might get rejected. It happens to everybody, and you just need to keep at it.
Lastly, just do it. Don’t sit at home with the cursor blinking at your face when the last edit is done. Save your work and email it in. I cannot imagine what my life would be like right now if I didn’t hit that send button. Don’t ever let that final draft sit in a filing cabinet, or under your bed, or on your hard drive. Send it in. The worst that can happen is it is rejected, and then you’re just back to where you were when you hit the send button. The best thing that can happen is that it changes your life.
