Meet Skylar, the Professional
Hi, I’m Skylar.
I’ve made the journey from Beginner to Learner to Professional Author. (Although I’ve never stopped being a Learner!)
So, you’ve spent time acquiring a good foundation in whatever you’re writing, learned the necessary skills to level up your craft, and thoroughly revised and polished your work.
Congratulations on accomplishing so much! Most people who dream of becoming a published author don’t make it this far, so you’ve already got the advantage.
(If you’re a new writer who is super excited to submit your manuscript to editors but hasn’t spent much time polishing your writing skills, please take a moment to see what my friend Lilypad has to say. Shortcutting the learning process will only lead to rejection and frustration, and you don’t need that.)
And now, Writer, you’re ready to assume another identity: Business Person.
That’s right, if you want your work to reach readers and find a place on the shelves of bookstores and libraries, you need to embrace this truth: Publishing is a Business. I know, you’re a writer, not a sales person. And that belief is why so many people quit at this stage in the process. But why can’t you be both? You want to get paid for your writing, don’t you? In order to do that, you must present your work as a product worth buying.
You can proudly wear both Writer and Business Person hats, and bring all your unique creativity from your writing self into your business self. WriteForKids has plenty of tools to help you do just that. These folks understand how to meld art with business, and will guide you through the process. You’ll learn how to become a publishing professional without losing your creative soul. It’s surprisingly easy, and actually fun!
Begin by exploring two of the tabs above:
- Let’s Get Published! — Here you’ll find step-by-step guides for submitting your manuscript to editors or agents as well as self-publishing, depending on which route you want to take. There’s also an excellent workshop on getting published with book packagers. Also in the Let’s Get Published section are info-packed workshops with insider tips on landing an agent, crafting a query letter and synopsis, and selling your nonfiction book with a book proposal. Armed with this information, you’ll be calling yourself a professional author in no time.
(And let’s be honest for a moment. Sometimes you do everything right with the submission process, and your manuscript still gets rejected. If that happens to you, take a look at Manuscript Magic, a brilliant step-by-step guide that helps you identify and fix what’s wrong with your story. And don’t beat yourself up. This is all part of the process. Take a breath, regroup, and keep moving forward like the pro you are.)
- Marketing, Money & Success: Whoo-hoo! You made it! You’re a published author, and now the real fun begins. You get to connect with your readers, which is the reason you started writing in the first place. In this section of WriteForKids, you’ll find tools to help you navigate social media (or not—you’ll learn other ways to market as well), build your author platform, expand your author earning potential, and create magical school visits.
Ultimately, you’ll get the biggest thrill of your life — seeing how your words change a child’s life. It makes all your hard work worth it. And then you can’t wait to write another book and do it all over again.
