Questions about the publishing industry?

Though age should not matter, many agents will reject your work if they find out you are under 18 because of legal responsibilities, as I understand. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't send your stuff in though. Some publishers, if they are willing enough, can come up with a special contract that you and your parents sign together...at least, that's how it worked with me, because I was a minor at the time when I signed my contract, even though by the time I finish the book, I won't be. Unfortunately, I can't tell you how to approach an agent about age. I never sent my things to an agent. Someone found my stuff online and contacted me about it. They asked if I would be interested in having my work published through their company, and when I replied, I said that I was, mentioned that I was only 17 or 16 and asked if that would be a problem for them. I have not heard of publishers taking advantage of younger authors, but I doubt they would because of the trouble it could bring. And no, having it on a website does not make it untouchable. That's how my work got noticed. You do, however, want to be cautious just where online you put your work. www.worthyofpublishing.com is where I had my stuff, and in my opinion, they seem to have good copyright policies. As far as length goes, I don't think there is a specific one you should limit yourself to. Think about the different books you've seen. Some crime novels are about 200 pages, while harry potter books may be about 400. I wouldn't worry too much about that, really. I don't know about writing a query. I never dreamed of sending my book to a publisher because I'm a perfectionist and never thought it would be good enough. And yes, if two publishers accept, it is up to you to choose which you want or which offer is better etc. I'm not quite sure I follow you on the "author purpose" thing. I have many goals as a writer, and many more with individual stories that i feel are my "purpose". Anyhow, if you need a fresh pair of eyes and you're worried about the whole internet thing, feel free to shoot me an e-mail of whatever excerpt you have that you feel is in need. I'm a little tied up right now with finishing my own novel, but I'd be glad to set it aside for a little bit if a fellow writer is in need. I'm a pretty trustworthy girl, but I know you can't trust just anyone with your writing and hard work. If it helps ease your mind any, I have no reason to try and take credit for someone else's work when I've got my own to take credit for.