Changing Hands Bookstore Panel Notes

Thanks to all of you who came out to Changing Hands Bookstore to hear the Writing for Children and Teens panel last week. Though I was scared witless before it began, the audience was so warm that I quickly felt like I was talking with writer friends over coffee. I'd like to share some nuggets of writing wisdom for those at the beginning of their writing journeys:

“Just because you are a good swimmer, doesn’t mean you are going to the Olympics.”
Raw talent is only going to take you so far. Know your craft. Take classes, read free internet articles, go to conferences, or find a mentor in an experienced writer.

“You’ll never be the next J.K. Rowling if your manuscript never makes it out of your desk drawer.”
Put on your armor and show your manuscript to somebody. And your mom doesn’t count. Neither does your husband. Offer to read your picture book manuscript to your son’s kindergarten class. Seek out critique groups online or at a local library. Find a friend or friendly acquaintance and buddy up. Once you’ve had some few fresh eyes look at the piece and made some changes, send that puppy out!

“There’s a sucker born every minute.”
There are a lot of hungry writers out there. Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous people who pray on our need to get published. **If an editor or agent asks you to pay a “reading fee” or pay for book costs RUN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.** Real agents only get paid when you get paid. Publishers take their cut on the books you sell. The one exception: At most SCBWI* conferences, individual critique sessions are available for an additional fee. These are legitimate and extremely helpful. Who knows, you might hear what I heard from an editor at the big SCBWI national conference in LA earlier this month: “This is fantastic! I want to see the rest of it.”

“It’s just not good enough.”
Maybe. Maybe not. Certainly don’t put out half-baked work, but also know when it’s time to let your “baby” go. Take it to a critique group. Invest in a SCBWI critique. Send it out to a few editors and agents. Then WORK ON SOMETHING ELSE! I keep my very first attempt at a young adult manuscript around just to remind myself how far I’ve come. It is horribly painful to read, but it spurs me to keep trying harder and reaching farther.

So now you’ve got the basic tools. It’s time to apply them to your work. Good luck and don’t give up. It’s hard work, but it can be very rewarding.

*SCBWI=Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
www.scbwi.org
Look for our awesome Arizona chapter of SCBWI on their site.