Yesterday's post, with excerpts from an interview with the author of children's graphic novels, had a test hidden within it for any of you who want to write for kids (and there's a moral even for those who want to write other things, so stay with us). Here are the question:
Did you read the whole interview via the link? (Very good. Most of you get an A.)
Did you also go to the websites of the three publishers mentioned in the article, to see what they are looking for? (Aha! Just as I suspected...).
I linked only to one, Orca. If you went to their website, you found that they're considering work only by Canadian authors, so if you don't happen to be Canadian, that's a dead end. But that's not the point. The important thing is to start reading everything with an eye too how it might help you in your writing career. When you put on that filter, you'll be surprised how many leads you'll encounter.
I can attest to this from my own recent experience. I read that a publisher is releasing a new line of self-development books. Since I have one in mind, I sent them an email with a brief (equivalent of one page) summary of the idea. They requested a full proposal and made some suggestions for how to tailor it to their needs. I quickly turned around that proposal and have been offered a contract. When the ink is dry, I'll tell you more about it, but for now the point is simply that the information and opportunities are out there--if you're keeping your eyes open.
