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| 10 Ways to Be a Professional Children's Book Creative |
I became an author quite by accident. Bored at my job as a bookkeeper for a major craft chain, I started looking in the classified ads to see what was out there in the way of jobs. I saw a listing for an Editor. Halfheartedly, I sent in my resume not expecting a call at all.
Much to my surprise and delight, I got called in for an interview and actually got the job. While there, they published my first book. My career was off, and it was WAY more work than I had originally thought. Had I not had that series of opportunities that I jumped on with both feet, I would not be where I am today. Traditional publishing is brutal on newbie authors and illustrators. Did you know that J.K. Rowling had her manuscript for the Harry Potter series turned down by all of the major children’s book publishers, including Scholastic Inc, who picked up the publishing after a bit of success in the UK.
The world of children’s book publishing is tough. Everyone thinks that it’s easy to write or illustrate a children’s book. That's because professional writers, illustrators, and editors make it look easy. If you want to be seen and heard as a children's book creative (whether Indie or Traditional), you need to be professional, too.
