84 Stages of KidLit Writer Insanity
If you’re here, you probably know what it’s like to have daydreams (and day-nightmares?) about brainstorming, writing, revising, querying, submitting, signing, selling, editing, and publishing your kidlit book. We’re pretty sure all you guys can relate to these stages of kidlit writer insanity…
1. The Idea
2. Daydreaming
3. Brainstorming
4. Trying to find writing tips on the internet
5. Outlining?
6. Pantsing?
7. Starting
8. Discovering your characters
9. Discovering your world
10. Hitting the first rut
11. Pushing through
12. Solving the problem
13. Hitting another rut
14. Hitting all the ruts
15. Emerging with your first draft
16. Re-reading your first draft
17. Realizing your first draft is terrible
18. Trying to find revision tips on the internet
19. Just going for it
20. Actual revising
21. Mid-way through revising crisis
22. Emerging with your second draft
23. Re-reading your second draft
24. Realizing you can’t do this alone
25. Finding a writing buddy or beta reader
26. Giving them your manuscript
27. Waiting for feedback
28. Receiving feedback
29. Revising again
30. Inevitable identity crisis
31. Emerging with a decent third/fourth/fifth/twentieth draft
32. Researching agents
33. Preparing your query letter
34. Hating your query letter
35. Coming to terms with your query letter
36. Sending your first query
37. Waiting for replies
38. Receiving a form rejection (or fifty)
39. Receiving a personalized rejection (or fifty)
40. Getting a request for a partial
41. Getting a request for a full
42. Getting an offer from an agent
43. Signing with an agent
44. Receiving your first agent editorial letter
45. Another identity crisis
46. Revising again
47. Being told it’s ready for submission
48. Waiting for your agent to send it out
49. Waiting for news from your agent
50. Hearing it’s creating interest
51. Hearing some people have passed
52. Talking with an interested editor
53. Getting an offer of publication
54. Stalking the publisher
55. Signing the contract
56. Waiting for your first editorial letter
57. Receiving your first editorial letter
58. Panic
59. Revising with your editor
60. Having an agent and an editor in your corner
61. Inevitable major editing crisis
62. Turning over your revised edition
63. Waiting
64. Copy-editing
65. Waiting
66. Getting your first cover art
67. Waiting
68. Receiving a proof copy
69. Waiting
70. Proofreading
71. Waiting
72. Getting your final cover art
73. Waiting
74. Coming up with a publicity plan
75. Hearing people respond to their ARCs
76. Starting on Book 2 while Book 1 isn’t even out
77. Your family asking a thousand times why publishing takes so long
78. Finalizing your launch party plans
79. Launch party night
80. Seeing your book on the shelf for the first time
81. School and bookstore visits
82. The debut high
83. Remembering Book 2
84. Getting on with your writing career
Which level of insane are you at currently? Leave a comment and tell us!
