No matter what area of the book business you work in, there are always opportunities to get schooled. Some of the lessons hurt, some of them are moments of joy — but we can learn something from them all.
“‘The call’ will never come when you are sitting by the phone in a nice quiet house. It will come on your cell in the middle of a crowded Target with two screaming kids hanging off the cart.”
-Cynthia Jaynes Omololu, WHEN IT’S SIX O’CLOCK IN SAN FRANCISCO, Clarion, July 2009
“When I first entered the field of children’s publishing, I thought royalties earned from a trade picture book contract would make me rich. I did, really. I was never very good with math, but I estimated the amount of money I’d earn based upon the number of book stores in every city, multiplied by the number of states in the country. Not to mention around the world. With my first royalty check, I planned to pay cash for a house and take my wife on a Hawaiian vacation. And since, I figured, my estimation was probably conservative, I also planned to down pay on a new car.
My first book published in 2000. You can almost guess what lesson I learned.
Write and illustrate for children because you love to do it.
-Don Tate, illustrator/author of over 25 books.
“The national debt pales in comparison to the number of lessons I’ve learned since I started this writing-publishing business. But one biggie is this: develop your web presence as soon as possible.”
-C. Lee McKenzie, SLIDING ON THE EDGE, WestSide Books, in stores now
“As poetry editor for Birmingham Arts Journal, I have to send out rejection notices to poets whose work we have chosen not to use. When I first started the job, I sent out the basic “your poem doesn’t meet our current needs.” But as I collected more and more author rejections of my own, I realized what a flat-out buzzkiller these type rejections are. So I carefully crafted another “form” rejection that’s nice and encouraging and appreciative of the author’s efforts, and I always sign it personally. Writers will sometimes send me back a quick note to say how much they appreciate the “keep at it” sentiment. Lesson learned: a bit of compassion only takes a little more time and it can really make a difference to a striving writer.
On the other side of the coin, I have also learned something about being an author from being an editor. Ours is a small magazine, and even my slush pile is towering. As much as I try to keep to the posted reading schedule, sometimes I fall behind. So when dealing with my editor at Putnam, I think about that stack of paper. I know hers is even taller, and the manuscripts so much longer. I wait patiently for her reply to my burning question, knowing that she is doing the very best she can.”
-Irene Latham, LEAVING GEE’S BEND,G.P. Putnam’s Sons, Spring 2010
“This is more a ‘lesson I am learning’…
Once your book is out there, you can’t control what happens, and you’ll drive yourself crazy if you try. A good book leaves room for interpretation which means that some people are go in directions you never imagined — or intentioned. Trying to accept this as a good thing is very hard for a control-freak like me.”
-Megan Frazer, SECRETS OF TRUTH AND BEAUTY, Disney-Hyperion, Summer 2009
“Though it can be easy to forget, agents and editors are readers of the same species as everyone else. Since I’m a very finicky reader myself, I know that just because they or I don’t like a book, that doesn’t mean someone else won’t love it.”
“It can be exciting to ride the submissions roller coaster, careening between requests and rejections, but in the end I much prefer sitting down and just writing. That’s what keeps me happy.”
-Karen Kincy, OTHER, Flux, 2010
I’m an author…and a community/tech college literature teacher. A lesson learned: Even if you adore a book, you can’t make others adore it. Some people will never love to read, no matter how hard you coax them. HOWEVER, you can move people closer to appreciation if you tailor your ‘book love’ to your audience. Every book has a kernel of truth for everyone.”
-Kirstin Cronn-Mills, THE SKY ALWAYS HEARS ME AND THE HILLS DON’T MIND, Flux, September 2009
“I learned a long time ago that authors can often get in the way of good story telling. Many start with agendas – or lessons they want to teach. They fight with their characters to keep them on a pre-planned path. And in the end, the story doesn’t ring true.
Writing is not about you, or your desire to see your name on a book. The cold hard truth is that writing is a solitary search for a universal truth that will connect with your reader on some subconscious level. That’s why books that don’t fit a literary standard often become blockbusters, while those that are vetted and “well-crafted” sit on a shelf gathering dust.
Get out of the way of your characters. They have a story that demands to be told and it isn’t always the one that you want. But it will often be the one that you need. The best storytelling comes from the hearts and minds of characters as real as the people around you! When I was brand spanking new, I complained that my character wouldn’t stay in the confines of a 32-page picture book. A more experienced author said “then let them speak!” And so it was with my latest nonfiction as well. I started out writing a typical cultural/geography book. Until I researched the topic and realized the true story was in the people and their struggle to reclaim a mountain that had belonged to them for hundreds of years. Let your characters SPEAK. You won’t regret it.”
Christine Taylor-Butler, SACRED MOUNTAIN: EVEREST, Lee and Low, April 2009
“I learned that you can’t be surprised or upset by all of the twists and turns you’ll encounter on your road to publication. Just when you think you’re on your way, something will come along that stalls you by the side of the road while other authors whiz past. Be thankful for people who genuinely want to help you get moving again and offer your own assistance to others. Try to enjoy the journey, keep your sense of humor, and don’t expect things to go smoothly. That way, when they do, it makes the ride all the more sweet!”
-Sara Bennett-Wealer, RIVAL, HarperTeen, 2010
One of the most fabulous lessons I’ve learned as an author is that the children’s book business includes such a supportive and loving community. Through conferences, meetups, friends, and workshops, to my lovely agent’s online community, to AACBWI, The 2009 Debutantes, and The Tenners, I’ve gotten to know some of the most awesome people around. And I’m blessed.
What about you? What are some of your favourite lessons learned in this business? Please do share in the comment section below.
Comments
1 gabe // May 2, 2009 at 6:56 am
Patience – that’s the big one for me.
2 Megan Frazer // May 2, 2009 at 7:16 am
Thanks for compiling these — I found myself nodding my head a lot.
3 Phyllis // May 3, 2009 at 9:10 am
I to thought that childrens books would be an easy way to earn some cash. The more I learn about what it takes to get one published the more broke I feel. I have had 3 offers of contracts but think its more flattering than anything now I don’t know who to believe and know my story is good but where to go from here and who to trust. This economy has me alittle gun shy. Any one else feel this way?
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