Serious young writers are often faced with a dilemma as their high school years come to an end:

To college, or not to college? That is the question. 

These writers know they want to be published someday, but they don’t always know the right steps to get there. Some end up choosing a college degree, while others pursue a different path. 

We talk to young writers both in person and online that bring us a burning question: do they need a degree to be an author? We’d love to clear up that question and share more about the different paths that young writers choose to take. 

Do publishers want you to have a degree to be an author?

There is no requirement to have a college degree in order to be published by a publisher—even one of the “big five” publishers that many writers dream of working with.

Publishers pay attention to factors such as quality writing, a strong story concept, marketing potential for your project, and a writer’s personal platform rather than a degree you carry. 

The traditional publishing process involves first obtaining representation from a literary agent. Usually, authors pitch their manuscripts at in-person events or by querying agents online. Once an agent offers representation and you begin working with them, they will send your manuscript to potential publishers.

Agents and publishers don’t require you to have a bachelor’s degree, whether related or unrelated to writing. They want a novel that is publishable and marketable.

However, any serious writer that wants to publish—whether traditional or independently—should expect to spend years mastering the fundamentals of fiction, polishing a manuscript worthy of publication, and building a network to support their writing career. 

Why writers may choose to go to college 

Many serious young writers end up attending a college or university, and it can be a great next step after high school. College provides a way to live independently and often makes it easy to build a social life as a young adult, not to mention the personal growth that happens while pursuing a college degree. 

Serious writers may choose a Creative Writing, Marketing, or English program to study at a university or college. These degrees offer training, connections, and academic study that will develop them as writers and as people. On the flipside, serious—or “hobbyist”—writers may choose a degree path that has nothing to do with writing and are content dabbling in fiction on the side. 

Common degrees for creative writers:

• Creative Writing
• English
• Marketing 
• Journalism 
• Screenwriting
• Poetry

A degree is often desired for working in the publishing industry, so a writer who is interested in becoming a literary agent or manuscript editor should consider obtaining an academic degree. But it’s not a base requirement for a writer who wants to see their books published.

Why writers may choose alternative college options

Universities and colleges offer students immersion into a writing academia world, which is not the same thing as the publishing industry. For serious young writers, this may be frustrating because they know that their best chance at getting published is by making connections within the publishing industry itself. They’re also primarily studying literary fiction rather than learning the conventions and expectations of genre fiction.

Colleges don’t always prioritize hiring teachers with industry experience, so students may find themselves learning from professors whose only experience is in academia—versus holding experience in the publishing industry. The world of academia has a lot to offer, but writers wanting to make a name for themselves in the traditional publishing world may not feel properly prepared or educated by obtaining a degree alone.

Most college degrees require additional courses in fields unrelated to writing, such as math or science. For writers that want to devote more of their energy to writing craft, alternative options such as The Author Conservatory are often appealing. That way they know that their time, energy, and finances are being poured directly to laser-focused training rather than extracurriculars. Students in The Author Conservatory begin working on novels in their first year versus in a college degree where novels aren’t written or critiqued until a master’s level program.

A different approach to a writing degree

The Author Conservatory is a college alternative for serious young writers who want their books in the hands of readers someday. We help writers realize their publishing dreams are possible and actually achieve them by teaching them the writing and business skills it takes to get published and be financially stable. 

Our approach at The Author Conservatory is holistic; we care about our students as people, not just what manuscripts they can produce. Like conservatories that specialize in the fine arts or music, we provide specialized and targeted training in the fundamentals of writing craft and marketing for young writers. Unlike at college, our students don’t have to sit through required general education courses.

Students love our program because of the level of mentorship and feedback they receive. They don’t have to wait until they’ve completed general education courses and reached higher levels of academia. From day one, students have access to mentorship from our faculty, instructors, and academic advisors. They receive personalized feedback on their actual projects and manuscripts, as well as strategic recommendations based on real-world genre conventions and publishing industry experience.

Author Conservatory students graduate with dual certificates in Creative Writing & Publishing and Business & Entrepreneurship. Our graduates have gone on to land nonfiction book deals, ghost write for musicians, sign with New York literary agents, and sign with Big Five publishers.

Apply to The Author Conservatory

The Author Conservatory’s fiction writing program teaches students the mastery of the fundamentals of creative writing, as well as the marketing and business skills it takes to be successful in the industry. 

If you want to learn how to craft professional novels and have the marketing skills needed to actually sell them, then we have a resource designed for you. 

Our Road to Publishing guidebook provides you with the exact roadmap you need to turn your writing dreams into a reality: