A Milestones Met Interview
Please share your exciting news (agent signing, book sale, etc.)!
After querying 32 top literary agents this year, I got an offer of representation from Amy Stern at Sheldon Fogelman Agency. (I’ve had two previous agents.)
How long have you been writing/pursuing an agent/publishing deal and how has the Courage to Create program/tools served you in reaching this milestone?
CtC keeps me focused on writing and submitting. I’ve been writing since 2000 when my letter to the editor of TIME Magazine got published. I was still teaching when I started writing. I wrote for the three Highlights
Magazines for years before attempting to write picture books.
When we reach a milestone, it means we may encounter new fears and challenges, as well as joys along the journey. How has being a part of the CTC community prepared you for both enjoying the celebration of a milestone reached and the work that is next to come?
CtC keeps me focused on continuing to learn and gives me the opportunity to submit. Being a member of CtC keeps me energized…I never take my eyes off the goal. I’m self-motivated and have developed thick skin. I could wallpaper a shopping mall with all the editors’ rejections I’ve received through the years…I just counted 366! (This number includes agented submissions and my own.)
In the Courage to Create, we call on our Big Why as we engage in the ups and downs of the literary life? What’s your BIG WHY and how does it keep you motivated to keep working towards new milestones?
I write because I love children’s literature. I wanted to entertain kids and be part of the community of picture book authors. I love playing with words. I enjoy reading my picture books to kids in classrooms, bookstores, and libraries. As a reading specialist, I want to get kids hooked on books.
It’s not easy to keep creating courage when it comes to our literary lives. Did you ever encounter a low point or period and did you lean on any of the CTC tools or practices? What did the no/not yets, or near misses/champagne rejections teach you in hindsight not that your YES is here?
I was making gains in my writing career when I joined CtC. I had already sold four books…only one of those books with an agent. CtC keeps me focused on honing my craft and submitting. I learned the near misses are stepping stones to something bigger and better. Good thing some of the manuscripts I submitted never sold…I realize now, they weren’t ready. I had to learn how to use more creative language and up the stakes in my stories.
As we celebrate your milestone reached, what thoughts can you share with other writers who may doubt they will reach their first or next milestone?
Early on in my career, I started to believe I’d never sell a book. It was taking years and years. But I kept going like The Little Engine That Could. I think perseverance is more important than talent. I’m proof of that.
What is your favorite Courage to Create Belief?
Focus on the GOALS. Milestones happen on their own.
I enjoy bringing kids and quality literature together. I’m a Reading Specialist and an Educational Specialist in Curriculum and Instruction. My love of learning has led me to graduate from four different universities. Nothing scares me. I’ve taught elementary school for over 30 years. A student once told me I’d make a great vampire because I’m tall and my teeth are sharp!
My work has appeared in TIME Magazine, The Mailbox, Spider Magazine, Highlights Hello, Highlights High Five, and Highlights for Children. I’ve won the Highlights Pewter Plate Award, the Highlights Celebrat National Poetry Contest, and a letter of merit from SCBWI’s Magazine Merit Competition. My first picture book–DON’T FEED THE BEAR–is featured on Kirkus Reviews’ recommended list and is in its seventh printing. My second picture book–THE THINGITY-JIG–received STARRED REVIEWS from Kirkus
Reviews and Foreword…is a CCBC Choice…and has been published in nine languages. My third book–The Twist-a-Roo–was released in November 2023 and is on Kirkus Reviews’ recommended list. I donate my author earnings to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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