Welcome to Inside the Publishing World
Wednesday. Today I am taking a look at a keynote address that author Dan Gutman
gave at the summer 2012 SCBWI conference. He has some great pointers for
writers, including a few funny bits.
The topic- How to have a successful
career in children’s books.
In descending order:
13.
Ignore
all advice! (even his J)
12. Join the SCBWI.
11. Be a boxer- be
tough, let them reject you, and then prove them wrong.
9. Don’t get stuck in
a rut- shake things up.
8. Become famous.
7. Find something
really popular and then write something better.
6. Never write on an
empty stomach.
5. Break the rules,
but do it creatively.
4. Promote Yourself.
3. Take the bull by
the horns! Do what you need to do. Self-pub? Online sales?
2. Use your
strengths.
1. There’s no secret!
Bust your butt for 10-15 years, get rejected, and never give up!
And Dan means it. On his website he has copies of some of his rejection letters. Don't give up! Keep going! Truth is, it does take years.
I met Dan at the SCBWI conference. We both attended Dan Yacharino's school visit intensive. Dan is about the nicest guy I've ever met. At 105 published books under his belt he is really a living legend and a great role model for both the kids that read his books, and the adults who want to write books, too. Thanks, Dan, for being such a great inspiration to so many!
ReplyDeleteI know, can you believe how many books he has written? Wow.
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