My broken record, I Wanna Be a Published Author

Side A
Terrific anthems that rock this spunky writer girl's world... 

"It's Fun to Hang with the S-C-B-W-I"
"Blog, Baby, Blog"
"I Spy My SASE Strut" (aka "Fist-Bump Mr. Mailman")

Side B
Nagging little ditties that I can't wait to be retired...

"Professional XBOX Player: It's a Hobby, Just Like Yours"
"Response Time..It's Crappy" (Sing to the tune of, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin)
"Drownin' in The Slush Blues"

We all know that Side A always crushes Side B (oh my gosh, I hope everyone knows what this means..I'm only in my 30's, I swear!)  So bottom line is - don't play flippin' Side B!  Yup.

Back a little later...

"Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades."

That is a both an adorable and maniacal saying, but the point is, close rarely cuts it, my friend.

I recall two gut-wrenching experiences of being told my manuscript is soooo close to being sold.  Once was by a many times published author whom I met at a retreat and the other time was by an award-winning author/illustrator at a conference.  They both noted the selling points and marketability of my story.  Yay!

Close...close...close...it taunted me.  How do I get from close to sold?  An editor doesn't care if someone told me I'm close.  Bah!

So is there any value in being "close"?  I do believe so.  It is the little jewel that spurs me on when scary little monsters crawl from between the letters of my keyboard and jeer at me, "aren't you ready to give up yet?"

Not even close... 

So my research has yielded two competing notions...

I should definitely find an agent to win over an editor.  These silver-tongued Sal's and Sally's can take one look at my ms and lead me hand-in-hand to the editor of my dreams.

I should definitely find an editor to win over an agent.  The legwork is done.  I have found my prince charming and plenty of agents would be more than happy to make our nuptials official.

Kind of the old chicken or the egg dilemma.

So, which path do I choose?

Both!

Queries and submissions are flyin' out of this gal's mailbox/outbox...to both agents and editors (as carefully selected as a piece of perfect produce mind you.)

I've been researching publishers/editors for quite a while.  So I am working my way through that list.

Researching agents has been new to me.  I enjoy their increased level of accessibility and how they express their likes/dislikes, personality, style, etc.  An agent/writer relationship is potentially long-term and knowing (and liking) your teammate is helpful.

So which will come first for me - the chicken or the egg - the agent or the editor?  I truly don't have a preference, but I do have enthusiasm for my project and I look forward to sharing it with someone very soon!

More later...

So here it goes...I, spunky writer girl, have skimmed my toes across the surface water of children's publishing for quite long enough! 

Over the past few years, my efforts toward fulfilling a lifetime dream have been shamefully part-time.  It wasn't due to lack of drive or enthusiasm, but simply a matter of time.  Life, as we all know, demands tending to.  Finances, more and more, have a grip on where we spend our precious time. 

But some things have evolved and I am very, very thankful to be able to give this a kick-butt effort in 2012.  This is it..do or die!

As a quick background...
In the past few years I have done the close-to-home SCBWI conferences (inspiring), the singular summer writer's retreat (amazing) and the true labor of love, many times revised and critiqued and now polished, complete-with-a-bow-on-top picture book manuscript. 

I have submitted, hmmmm...I'd say about ten times over the past few years.  It has been a work in progress as I made major revisions due to feedback from aforementioned critiques and summer retreat.

It's going to be a journey - that's for darn sure.  I hope this blog provides some entertainment as I share my joys (when I will get positively giddy) and frustrations (still rockin a spunky, yet strained smile on my face.)  I can't promise how this will end.  But I can promise I will give it my all to provide us with a happy ending.

Much, much more to follow....for example, I am putting on my big-girl pants and going to NY for the real deal SCBWI conference at the end of January.  Never been to NYC - (picture a spunky girl with big-ol wide eyes!)

Til later...