Part of being a homesteader is to make a living with the resources at your disposal. People in this lifestyle often often sell produce, make soap or other crafts, and often…write. So, though it’s a bit of a departure from our usual how-to, I figured there were enough of our readers who had considered being writers to add a new ‘tab’ to our tutorials.
How To Get Published
The short version: Write a LOT of manuscripts. Submit all over (well-targeted, please.) Repeat until published or institutionalized.
The medium version: From February 2005 (when I started writing) to April 2007 (when I got my first sale), I wrote 25 manuscripts and had 150 rejections. You can do the process slowly, or you can rip off that band-aid like I did, but the well-written, well-targeted, submission process (read: well-written,well-targeted, yet still REJECTED process) is crucial to the development of any good author.
At this point, anyone who has already written that ONE perfect kids lit manuscript is thinking It will never take that long for me. I’ve already written a great manuscript.
We all think that.
That’s what we all say before we have a good grasp of the children’s publishing world. It’s a tricky, picky market.
So, here’s the most important thing to remember: To be marketable, a manuscript must be well-written, but not everything well-written is marketable.
Do not forget this, because it will break your heart. When you get a rejection, it means “We don’t think this is marketable.” It DOES NOT mean, “We don’t think this is well-written and you should quit.” I have many really well-written manuscripts that I L-O-V-E, but I know (mostly by being told by 12 different editors each) that they will probably never be on a bookshelf. But, I didn’t know it when I was writing and submitting them.
My own future agency rejected me three times. AND THEY WERE RIGHT TO. The first three manuscripts I submitted WERE NOT MARKETABLE. But by the time I hit them up for the fourth time, I had a pile of good work, thicker skin, more experience, a stack of personal letters from editors, and a better handle on the market.
So, how do you write something marketable? DON’T. Just write what you love and write a LOT of it. You’ll love each and every little creation, fiddling with word choice and story structure and grammar…and because it’s your baby, you just won’t have a clear vision about it’s ‘consumer potential.’ It’s not the way we engage our work. And if you do engage your work that way, it will KILL what makes your writing special.
But never fear, it’s not like you’ll never understand the editor’s reactions. About ten or so manuscripts and thirty-plus well-targeted rejections later, you’ll probably see what the fuss was or wasn’t about.
The LONG Version will be the subject of many successive posts, but until then…
Write a lot. Submit a lot. Do it fast. Do it now. Don’t stop.
Ivory
Awesome. Thank you!!! Very excited for you..!
AND–if you want to see your name on the cover of a book sooner rather than later, self-publish! It is fun and easy! I did a book of my stories about growing up and self-published it through Lulu.com for my family members for Christmas. Recently it was picked up by NPR and I just recorded an interview with them. You never know where this writing will take you!
Self publishing my book The Tree at the Top of the Hill, through Booklocker.com got my first middle school book out there. having had that excitement and having it be received well has encouraged me to keep working and the next one will be out soon.
congrats on the book publishing…Did you illustrate it too???
was wondering when you submit your children’s books if you also submit illustrations with them or just send the story?
@Cindy Unless the author is also the illustrator, no pictures are needed. Companies buy the text from you and then hire an illustrator to draw whatever they think will work best.
Congratulations! I am so thrilled your persistence paid off!