Can’t Miss with Chris…

When I heard about an easily affordable webinar on writing for children’s magazines, I was highly interested.

Then when I learned it was being offered by Texas Southwest SCBWI, I paid closer attention. Hmmmm.  Professional. Quality. Relevant.

THEN, when I saw it would be presented by Chris Eboch, I

• moved everything else off my agenda
• signed up immediately
• set reminders on my phone alarm and calendar
• and kid-literally drooled until the webinar began.

I’ll have to tell you, this class was right on target for me. Chris graciously showed up a half-hour before the normal time to tell us more about her experience in the kid-lit world.  Then she taught us about the value, the process, and the rewards of writing for children’s magazines.  What I learned was priceless.

We covered much…but the kick-off for the session was a critical question:  “Why do you most want to write for children’s magazines?”  We had three choices:

Money or Personal Satisfaction or Writing Credits

I knew magazine stories were not going to get me much money.  I am not–at this time in my writing career–that prolific. I haven’t been published yet in a children’s magazine.  I’ve really only submitted about 20 times.

Yes, I enjoy writing.  I have written some magazine articles that were very satisfying personally, and professionally.  I think they’re good articles and stories.

Since I had to choose only one, I was forced to chose Credits. I suppose I really am wanting, more than anything else right now, some credit for what I’ve done. Something to validate that I write, I write for children, and I write for why kids read.

Needless to say, I won’t hit my target without firing a shot.  Pulling the trigger and submitting is the next step, after loading my laptop with any story.  I finished the ICL classes last year with all good intentions of submitting like crazy…but I determined I wanted to focus on non-fiction picture books, and that ‘shift’ to picture book writing distracted my magazine article efforts.

This webinar was very timely.  Recently a successful author shared she felt she had spent a lot of time through the years focusing on magazine articles, having believed it would bring her credits and practice for her primary dream of book-writing. She advised picture-book writers to write for their target–picture books.

Her thoughts made me wonder.  Would I be spinning my wheels in magazine writing?  Would it transfer to other forms and opportunities?  Though she felt her experience was not particularly useful to her picture-book success, would the same principle apply to me?

I realized during the class and the chat, that I’m energized by small pats on the back.  I am motivated by small successes, something magazine articles can provide.  I learn from gradual experience (success and failure), and from networking and connections with people in the craft.

So now I am aiming again for magazine publication, thanks to the experience and focus that Chris shared in tonight’s webinar, “Get Published in Children’s Magazines.”

If you can find her teaching anywhere–at SCBWI, at Writer’s Digest Webinars–get there.  Get on target.  With Chris Eboch, you can’t miss.