I’ll just come right out and say it. I got ZERO writing done in August. I got LOTS of other work done that I’m hoping will clear my plate for a month of writing focus starting in mid-October. Sometimes, that’s the way it is. I did, however, do something that was long overdue. I checked in with my agent about two picture books that have been on submission for months to get a status and to strategize next steps. So remember, your progress is not always measured by how much you write or revise – it’s also in all the things you are doing to move the needle of your career forward as a whole.

What about you?

• Did you complete a draft of a new picture book story in August?
• Did you complete a revision of a previous picture book manuscript in August?
• Did you post a review of a 12 x 12 member book on Amazon, GoodReads, or Barnes and Noble?
• Did you request that your local library purchase a 12 x 12 member’s book that they don’t currently have in circulation?

Let us know in the Rafflecopter and the comments.

August Featured Author Bridgitte Rodguez is offering one lucky winner a signed copy of her picture book A WALK THROUGH THE REDWOODS!

Thank you, Bridgitte!

Here’s how to check in for a chance to win:

1. See the Rafflecopter widget at the end of this post.
2. Click on the “Comment on Bridgitte’s post” button. Commenting on Bridgitte’s post is mandatory for this giveaway and you can enter the Rafflecopter even if you didn’t write a draft this month. Click ENTER.
3. If you haven’t commented on Bridgitte’s post yet, go to the post here to comment.
4. After you’ve commented on Bridgitte’s post, come back to this post to enter the Rafflecopter.  (Commenting won’t enter you in the drawing automatically, you must enter the Rafflecopter by following step 2.)
5. Click on the “Wrote a PB Draft” button. This will ask if you completed a PB draft in August. If you did, click ENTER, if not, click cancel and move on to the next step.
6. Click on the “Revised a PB Draft” button. This will ask if you revised a PB in August. If you did, click ENTER. If not, click cancel.
7. Click on the last “Reviewed a 12 x 12 member’s book” button. This will ask if you reviewed a 12 x 12 member’s PB on Amazon, GoodReads, or Barnes and Noble in August.  If you did, enter a link to your review and click ENTER. If not, click cancel.
8. Click on the last “Requested your local library purchase a copy of a 12 x 12 member’s book” button. This will ask if you requested your local library to purchase a 12 x 12 member’s picture book. If you did, enter a link to your review and click ENTER. If not, click cancel.
9. That’s it! There is no overall submit button or email confirmation. Rafflecopter will track your points. (The top of the Rafflecopter will say X/5 with X being the number of entries you currently have in the drawing.)

Here’s a video tutorial on the forum to walk you through these steps: Click here for the monthly check-in tutorial.

The deadline to enter the Rafflecopter is midnight Eastern on September 8th. Rafflecopter will draw a winner and it will be announced on the blog on September 9th.

Remember, badges are not awarded automatically and must be requested in the forum. Click this link to request your August badges.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

12 x 12 may earn a commission from books purchased through the links in the post. Proceeds go to fund 12 x 12 diversity programming and scholarships.