It is week three of my Australian Writers’ Centre course – Writing Picture Books.
Already I am learning so much, but I am so so confused.
I was thinking I could write my little story, self-publish it, and there goes it, I have a picture book.
But there a a million different ways, and styles to skin a cat, so to speak.
I am now leaning towards pitching it to publishers once I am finished, just to see.
(Apparently this is much easier, because they supply you with an illustrator, and take care of all the distribution and printing.)
But could I be bothered? Don’t I want to just make something for fun, that friends and family can buy?
With the option of pitching to publishers comes with it is the fear of rejection, but we shall get on to that later.
What I have learnt so far is that:
- my idea was too complex
- I have no idea how to write in children’s language with ‘sparkle’
- my cat needs more personality
- I need to use less words (because the pictures will say more).
Then come with it, the fear:
- I’m not good enough
- I’m crap and children’s book writing
- there are enough stories about cats
- my cat sucks
- I am going to fail
- a publisher will never pick my story.
and so on…
But as Liz Gilbert says… ONWARD.
Do it just for me.
For me!
And if no one picks it, self-publishing ain’t so bad?
Ever done something that was SO HARD that scared the bejeeezus out of you?
What’s your favourite picture book?
Happy Monday!
Ashleigh XXX
