Every year I go out like a good aspiring children's author and buy The Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market and every year it seems like there are fewer publishers open to submissions. It seems like there are less listings for magazines and publishers and more tips and inspiring stories.
With my SCBWI membership I feel like I get the same listings.
Then there is this magical thing known as Internet. So if I want to know the submission policy of a certain magazine I will just go to the website and find the most up to date info.
Then there is this fact. My second published story, the first one I actually got paid for, is being published by a Sunday School magazine that I did not find through either of these resources but through a recommendation from my writing group.
So here I am with a gift card to Barnes and Noble burning a hole in my pocket because I can't decide if I would rather buy this book that I feel like I "should" buy or buy a fiction book where I will read beautiful writing and learn about character and plot through reading.
There is my dilemma.
2 comments:
I'd only pick up the book if you're planning a huge mailer soon. We illustrators can get a lot of use from the book since we'll send out mass mailings of postcards, and the info is nicely organized and easy to copy into an Excel file. Otherwise, it's fine just to use the Internet to do more focused research/mailings.
I haven't bought the book since '03 (which gives you some idea of when I last did a mass mailer, eeep!), and with the industry-wide restructuring I was planning to wait til it all dies down before I buy it again.
Good plan. I ended up buying fun books and decided to wait on it.
It turns out my awesome neighbor bought it and doesn't plan on doing a mailer soon so she is letting me borrow it. I love my neighborhood.
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