It’s not a question easily answered, but one which must be addressed as your writing career progresses.

Before we begin, one important point: if your work is not salable, no agent-even the world’s best agent-can sell it. The time to start thinking about agents is when you feel you’ve invested enough time and effort in your work to truly call it professional.

First let’s look at what the three main activities of an agent: Read more

The picture above shows your humble blogger two Saturdays ago, as I received my black belt in Shaolin Kempo. It took four years of training and a grueling eight hour test, and it was worth every drop of sweat.

Now, I doubt anyone will ever confuse me with Bruce Lee, and I don’t see a career as an action movie hero ahead of me. I will never make the cover of Black Belt magazine, nor will I likely ever have the title of Grandmaster before my name. Some of the much younger folks with whom I tested may accomplish these things, but that’s not my journey. For me, finishing the test and getting the belt was my victory.

I bring this up to get you thinking about your own journey as a writer of children’s literature. We may all daydream about becoming the next J.K. Rowling, about having throngs of kids line up at midnight to gobble up our new book, of gaining all the fame, fortune, love and respect that seemingly come with mega-stardom.

And, for all I know, at least one of you out there will achieve that. But, realistically, each of our writing victories will be far more modest. An article here, a contract with a small press there, perhaps enough income to pay for a nice vacation.

But, I would ask you, are these things any less of an accomplishment than heading the best-seller list? Is charming a classroom of 30 kids with your story really less satisfying than charming 30,000 children?

Let’s try a little quiz. For each of the possible outcomes of becoming a children’s writer, pick a number from 1-10 on how much satisfaction you would derive. If something would be not at all satisfying, mark it a 1, if it would be ultimately satisfying, that’s a 10.

____ Seeing a book you’ve written on a bookstore shelf

____ Getting a letter from a child raving about your book

____ Getting a six-figure advance

____ Reading a glowing review of your book in a major newspaper

____ Getting a standing ovation from a classroom full of 3rd graders

____ Being complimented on your book by a writer that you’ve always respected

____ Being featured in People magazine

____ Hearing “your book changed my child’s life” from a grateful parent

____ Having an article you’ve written appear in a magazine you’ve always loved, such as Highlights

Of the nine possible outcomes I just listed, at least seven of them are eminently available to every one of you. How did you rate these? Were they every bit as satisfying — or perhaps even more satisfying — than the “hit the jackpot and become a famous writer” outcomes?

Has the idea of what it means to “make it” as a children’s writer just changed a little bit?

So, I ask you, aspiring children’s writer:

How Do You Now Define Success?

Just returned from The 2nd Annual Kidlit Bloggers’ Conference in Portland, OR and my head is swimming with great ideas and plenty of inspiration.  What a joy is was to spend a day with people who love children’s books so, and to meet some folks I’ve admired from afar.  People like Phillip Lee, the founder of Lee & Low Books and now a podcasting wizard, Alice Pope, the unstoppable force behind the essential 2009 Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market , Mark Blevis, half of the team that brings the world the delightful Just One More Book podcasts,  the our old friend Anastasia Suen, one of the best and most prolific authors in all of children’s lit and… well, the list could go on and on.

I’ve barely begun to internalize all the juicy info, but a few things stand out:

* The future belongs to those who band together.  Group blogs and strategic alliances between writers, librarians, booksellers, educators, parents and publishers are the way to cut through the clutter and get the word out.

* Podcasting and video blogging will become as important as text-only blogs.  And soon.  And I intend to be all over it.

* The days of experts sitting on the mountaintop and proclaiming how things will be are over.  Everyone has a voice in what will come next.

I’ll have more to say as I settle back in.  For now, head over to http://kidlit08.blogspot.com/2008/09/posts-about-conference.html and see what other attendees are saying….

We’re offering a great little ebook called Getting Started Writing Picture Books as a bonus for signing up for our free eZine, The Children’s Writing Update.

To claim your copy, just click here

Nancy Werlin’s new YA novel Impossible is already creating lots of positive buzz.  To learn a bit more about this talented author, have a look at this excellent interview by Carlie Webber of the Librarilly Blonde blog:

http://blogs.bccls.org/carlie/index.php?/archives/157-Interview-Nancy-Werlin-and-her-Impossible-talent.html

To read Carlie’s review of the book, visit:

http://blogs.bccls.org/carlie/index.php?/archives/77-Its-Impossible-not-to-love-this-book..html