Refocusing as a KidLit Author

[image error]Photo from a frame on my wall. Each frame has a crown above it and inside is a picture of a different manuscript I wrote for each different crown in the Triple Crown of Success

With all this stuff going on around the world and in our daily lives, I think I’ve sort of been wandering aimlessly around regarding my writing.

So recently I revisited my goals as an author and did some soul-searching.

I fell back on a strategy I’ve used throughout most of my career…and if you’ve been following me for awhile you’ll know what I mean…the Triple Crown of Success. It truly has been the key to my success as a career author.

Basically, I sat down and evaluated my goal of Writing for Income…what income did I want or need to generate in the next 12 months, hopefully from my writing?

Then I took a look at my own barometer for my personal need to feel success at Getting Published. Was I getting published and in print in the year ahead as much as I wanted to be in this season of my career?

And finally, I did a lot of soul-searching for this one…was I steadily writing fresh content for a project that is near and dear to my heart so that I feel a sense of Personal Fulfillment as a writer?

Sitting down over a period of a couple of weeks and really asking myself these questions have made a difference in my attitude as a writer. Now I have a clear vision again of the why and the goal of writing in this season of my life.

Here are the steps I took LAST WEEK to get back on track with the Triple Crown of Success:

Writing to Earn Income: This last week I started the process to land a contract to write a book so I’ll be getting paid while I write. I also started a separate process for a potential work-for-hire contract which again guarantees money right up front so I can get paid while I write.

Writing to Get Published: I sent paragraph pitches to a magazine editor and landed several assignments to guarantee I’ll see my name in print and hold my published children’s stories in my hand in the year ahead. (Plus, I’ll get to read them to my grandkids!)

Writing for Personal Fulfillment: I’ve renewed my commitment to writing a devotional for kids that is near and dear to my heart. When it’s finished I’ll try to find a publisher. Even though there is no guarantee that it will get published, I get a sense of personal fulfillment working on this manuscript because it is near and dear to my heart.

If you’re not familiar with the Triple Crown of Success, I’ll be reposting in the days ahead some of my former posts from this blog about it. I hope you’ll be encouraged and re-energized to get on track for your writing goals and experience success as a children’s author, too!