I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: the two most important qualities a successful writer can possess are passion and persistence. What, not talent or education? Well sure, talent helps, and an English degree is fine, but talent and knowledge without persistence won’t get your manuscript in front of an editor. And if you’re passionate about something, you’ll work at it a lot. The more you write, the better you’ll get.

The best passion/persistence example I’ve seen lately is Dawn Kurtagich. First, read her account of how she got her agent. Then check out her blog. Then look over her web site. Then remind yourself that this is an unpublished author.

What impresses me the most about Dawn is that she’s unapologetic about still sitting in the self-described “author-in-waiting” category. She acts like a writer. She thinks like a writer. She’s got one novel with an agent and two more in the revision stage, for heaven’s sake. She’s constantly learning. And when she does get that contract, she’ll be able to plug her marketing efforts into an established online presence.

This is one area where us old-timers can learn from the young upstarts. This is today’s publishing industry. Dawn’s not sitting around waiting to be discovered; she’s making it happen. Do you need to match her youthful energy? Maybe not entirely, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

Good luck, Dawn. See you on the shelves!

Interested in learning how to write a book and send it to children's book publishers? Come on over to The CBI Clubhouse for audios, videos, insider writing tips and much, much more!