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Blogs by Wendi L Richards
The Journey on an Aspiring Children's Author 5/12/2008 4:41:06 AM
I'm writing this for the amusement of other aspiring children's book authors. Especially, those who are the parents of small children and trying to balance it all. I'm starting to get the feeling that becoming a children's writer is one of the toughest fields to break into. That is, until I ask published authors, "How did you do it?" and they tell me things like, "Well, I didn't mean to become an author, it just sort of happened."
Hmm, I guess I am taking the long way.
I'm in a women's writing group with published and unpublished writers of many genres. Margy K. Knight and Lynn Plourde are two of the members. Margy once told me, "Don't hate me, but I never meant to write a book."
Then there was Stephen Costanza (not in the women's group) who said, "I just wanted to be the illustrator, I thought they would get a real author to write the book."
Then there's me. I've been trying to become a published author for more years than I want to admit. Even my optometrist has an agent for his YA novel. Which actually does sound awesome, BTW.
On the other hand, there are the moms I run into all the time at the playground. "I've got some great ideas for a story. Maybe I should write children's books, too."
This is me taking a deep breath and counting to ten.
I know the truth about children's writing, intimately. Despite those lucky few who accidentally fell into it, most aspiring children's writers will never get out of the slush pile. I know all about the slush pile, sometimes I think I may be the Queen of slush, but all that is changing.
I've started getting the ever-coveted personalized rejection letters. This happens when something about one of your stories catches the editor's eye just enough to write a few words on your rejection slip.
In my world, this is a giant leap of progression. It represents briefly rising to the top of the slush and, in a moment of glory, being considered.
In an age where some publishing houses don't even respond to unsolicited manuscripts, because they receive hundreds every month, even the briefest note of encouragement can give hope to an aspiring author, like me.
More Blogs by Wendi L Richards • ABC's Book Competition - Saturday, July 26, 2008 • Economy - Wednesday, June 25, 2008 • Fashion and procrastination - Wednesday, May 28, 2008 • The Journey on an Aspiring Children's Author - Monday, May 12, 2008
