My Journey to Publication with Brooke Graham
If you want to become a successful children’s author, learn from others who have done it first! Brooke Graham is a children’s author, primary school teacher and mother. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), the Australian Society of Authors (ASA) and Write Links, a Brisbane based writers’ group. Her titles include Go Away Worry Monster, and Nova’s Missing Masterpiece. Over to Brooke!
At the age of seven, I discovered Enid Blyton’s Magic Faraway Tree series and immediately fell in love with books. I devoured many of Enid’s series, including The Famous Five, The Secret Seven and later, Malory Towers. Hooked on books, I read any chance I could—car trips, before and after school, late into the night and even on top of my pony while he ate his hay. Despite being an avid reader, I never considered making a career of writing, instead I focused on primary school teaching. I shared my passion for books with students, and later, with my daughter, right from the day she was born.
In 2013, my husband suddenly passed away, and I took a break from teaching. During this time, I wrote my first picture book story, Charlotte’s Angel. While my daughter loved it, I quickly realised it wasn’t at a publishable standard. I desperately wanted the manuscript to be published, as I knew it would help children who were grieving the loss of a parent or grandparent.
Over the next couple of years, I completed several online courses on writing picture books. While the content and method of delivery varied slightly; combined they contributed to a solid foundation of the craft, current trends and knowledge of how the publishing industry worked. Most courses provided feedback from the course presenter, which was immensely helpful in understanding elements such as show don’t tell. One course required commenting on other participant’s stories and it was through this course that I started to meet other writers and join my first critique group.
The more I learned about the craft of writing for children, the more I realised how supportive and friendly the global community of kid lit creators is. I immersed myself in this amazing network and joined associations such as Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), ASA (Australian Society of Authors), and Write Links, a Brisbane based writers’ group. I also joined 12 x 12 which is an online platform that opens at the beginning of each year and the goal is to write a picture book manuscript each month. Members are encouraged to provide each other with feedback and there is a wealth of information found in the forums. Members can also ask other participants questions about anything related to writing for children. I didn’t achieve my goal of writing 12 manuscripts but the membership fee was still worthwhile considering the amount of knowledge I gained in that twelve months.
In July 2018, I attended my first writers’ conference, CYA, which is held annually in Brisbane (now also online). I had booked two editor assessments at the conference. The first editor didn’t have anything positive to say about my stories or my writing style and I walked out of that assessment feeling completely deflated and almost in tears. Luckily, my second assessment, only ten minutes later, was much more positive. Anouska Jones of EK Books absolutely loved Go Away, Worry Monster! She asked me to make a minor change and to formally submit it to EK Books. I made the suggested change and submitted the story. Anouska promptly replied to let me know she would be taking it to acquisitions, which is the meeting dedicated to accepting new stories for the publishers list. Two months slowly crept by, and then I received the most wonderful news—the whole EK team loved Go Away, Worry Monster! and it would be on their 2020 list. I was absolutely thrilled and couldn’t believe my good luck.
Not long after, I joined Write Links, and began to form connections with other Brisbane based creatives. Write Links runs monthly meetings, which include mini workshops, networking and critique groups and their yearly membership is extremely cheap. They also host retreats and a biannual conference. Writing can be extremely lonely, so I found catching up with other writers once a month was an excellent way to keep the momentum going and sharing our writing highs and lows. Through participating in the Write Links critique groups, I was able to receive feedback on my picture book manuscripts. This was incredibly valuable and I’m completely convinced, that if it wasn’t for attending these critique groups, and participating in other critique groups (including the online monthly one I coordinate) I wouldn’t be a published author today. I’m so thankful for all the critique groups I’ve been a part of, not only for the feedback received but also the friendships gained.
Receiving feedback on manuscripts can feel like a roller coaster ride. While the positive comments can leave you feeling on top of the world, negative feedback can feel like a personal attack on your writing skills (which of course it’s not). I always sit on constructive feedback for a few days before revising a manuscript. This allows time for the changes and possibilities to percolate for a bit. If two or more critique partners make the same suggestions, I always take that on board. The more publishing experience a critiquer has, the more seriously I consider the feedback. Likewise, if I’m receiving feedback from a new writer, or someone who isn’t up to date with the trends in the kid lit world, I’m less inclined to action their suggested changes, especially if they don’t appeal to me. At the end of the day, always take what resonates with you.
Accepting feedback is even more important when it comes to publishers. They are the gatekeepers and without them, our books wouldn’t be (traditionally) published. If a publisher is interested in your manuscript, it is in your best interest to take on their suggestions with positivity and enthusiasm. It shows that you are easy to work with and flexible in your thinking. It will also make your story the best it can be.
To have the highest possible chance of having your story noticed by publishers my advice is to not submit a manuscript until it’s been through several rounds of your critique group and it’s polished and free of errors. When it’s ready, submit it to the slush pile of publishing houses that publish books similar to yours. Whenever possible, book editor assessments (at conferences) as you’ll receive specific feedback and also form a relationship with the publisher.
Receiving rejection letters while disappointing is unfortunately part and parcel of being an author. I’m still hopeful that my first and favourite manuscript, Charlotte’s Angel will be published. It has received many rejections but I’m proud to say it has also made it to numerous acquisitions meetings and come close to being published a few times. Being an author definitely requires resilience and patience!
While I know luck certainly had a huge part to play in becoming published (i.e. meeting the right publisher at the right time) I also believe my approach to learning to write for children was a factor in getting published. When I decided I wanted to become a published author I thought about how long it takes to complete a degree, apprenticeship or traineeship (usually four years) and I treated my writing journey the same way. I invested time and money into completing writing courses and attending conferences and workshops.
My advice to aspiring authors is to complete courses, read the genre you want to write, join SCBWI and other local writing groups and most importantly, find a critique group. Not only will a critique group help you improve your writing but you’ll also feel more connected to other writers and the kid lit industry.
Dreams can and do come true. Keep focussed on your goals but most importantly, enjoy the journey—it’s a long road to publication and while the bumps and wrong turns seem frustrating at the time they do add to the experience and help you become a better writer.
Happy writing!