Kick Off Your Career: 13 Things to Try
Hello 12 x 12ers! This is my seventh year with 12 x 12 and I’m honored to be a Featured Author. When I started, I was unagented and unpublished. Now I’m represented by fabulous Liza Fleissig and am the proud author of two nonfiction picture books A Brief History of Underpants (becker&mayer! kids, 2021) and Milkweed for Monarchs (Beaming Books, 2024)! If I can do it, so can you!
Let’s backtrack to 2017 when I was just starting on this journey. I knew I had to write picture book manuscripts, but wondered what else I could be doing to kick off my career. For most of us, publication doesn’t happen overnight. It seems to take 3-5 years from when you have polished manuscripts and begin querying before you land a deal. (I fall into that statistic.) Writing is a business, think of it as a career that you’re building and growing. We each have a unique path to publication, do what feels right for you. Here are 13 things I did that you may want to try too:
AUTHOR WEBSITE
1) Secure your domain name even if you don’t plan to put up an author website yet. Choose the name that you want to write under (as opposed to, say, the name of your picture book because you’re going to have lots of books published, right?!). For example, my domain name is www.christinevanzandt.com. If your name is taken, consider adding the word “author” or “books” to it.
2) Build your author website. I’m far from tech-savvy but I accomplished this using prebuilt templates. You can hire someone to create a website for you but stay engaged in the process if you plan to maintain the site rather than paying someone whenever a change is needed. Regular updates improve your site’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO), ranking, and visibility—which is a topic for its own blog post! I try to remember to make minor tweaks when the first of the month rolls around.
3) Add content that’s relevant to you as an author. Read on to find out what I’ve included on my author website over the years.
KIDLIT COMMUNITY AND EDUCATION
4) Join groups like 12 x 12 (you got that one done!) to start being part of the community and learn from more experienced authors and illustrators. Other groups I’ve been part of / continue to be involved with are SCBWI, Storystorm, The Writers’ Loft, and The Lyrical Language Lab. All of these opportunities create content. On your website, mention you’re a member or alumnus. If these organizations offer badges, add those images!
5) Join a critique group or several. Feedback from other picture book writers is invaluable. They will keep you accountable (deadlines to swap stories!). You’ll have a safe place to vent, ask questions, share successes, and build friendships. (As a 12 x 12 member, you can find fellow members forming critique groups in Critique Connect.)
6) Attend bookish events such as conferences, workshops, webinars, retreats, book fairs, bookstore events, library events, and so on. Figure out which fits your budget (look into scholarships) and schedule. Be realistic about how much time you have. You want to keep writing—agents will likely want to see 3-5 polished manuscripts—so find a balance.
SOCIAL MEDIA
7) Engage on social media with relevant content. Be yourself but also realize the world sees what you post. Ensure your online presence is positive. Agents or publishers will likely review your posts and, as you move closer to publication, you’ll have to provide the number of followers across the various platforms. Though people moved away from Twitter when it changed to X, at this time, Twitter/X still seems the place to be for the writing community. Other choices include Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Bluesky, and more.
8) Support others. Kidlit people are awesome, give them a boost on social!
YOUR WRITING
9) Enter writing contests. If you win or place, you have content for your website and on social!
10) Submit to magazines. This can mean short stories, poems, crafts, and more. If you’re published, share that news!
VOLUNTEER
11) Give back. Find volunteer positions that match your interests and/or your skills. For example, I’m a freelance editor and have held various positions for SCBWI including a year as the editor for the Tri-Regions of Southern California’s Kite Tales blog and 5 years writing their quarterly “Ask an Editor” column. Use volunteer opportunities to connect with others. You’ll also get content for your website or social. For example, before an event, help boost it on social. During or after, post photos.
KEEP LEARNING
12) Read, study, analyze, and enjoy the wide world of diverse picture books published in the past 3-5 years. Immerse yourself in information about the craft and business of writing.
13) Revise, revise, revise. Someone recently asked me how many revisions before I submit a story to my agent. My guesstimate was about 30; this includes several passes through my critique partners. The first time you type THE END, congratulate yourself. But know that’s only the beginning. It’s true that the path to publication is a marathon and not a sprint. Enjoy the journey!
Now that you’ve seen some of the things I’ve done, ask another author or illustrator how they’ve built their picture book careers. Before you know it, YOU will be writing a post like this, sharing what worked for you, and helping others launch their careers in our wonderful kidlit world.
Christine Van Zandt is a freelance literary editor at Write for Success Editing. She’s the author of the nonfiction picture books, A Brief History of Underpants (becker&mayer! kids, 2021) and Milkweed for Monarchs (Beaming Books, 2024) Find out more at christinevanzandt.com and follow Christine on X @ChristineVZ and Instagram @ChristineVanZandt9.
Christine is offering one lucky 12 x 12 member a picture book manuscript critique at our March 2024 check-in. Let her know in the comments below which step you plan to try, or share a tip that’s worked for you.
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.
133 Responses
Thank you Christine! very helpful suggestions! I’ll be rereading this post!
Thank you for the wonderful post and advice. It was very helpful. I forget about making tweaks to my website, so it was good to read you try to do so at the beginning of each month. I’ve just made myself a note to do so. Looking forward to reading both of your books.
Thank you for the advice Christine! I never thought about securing a domain name now (even though I’m not published). It makes sense though! I can’t wait to check out “A Brief History of Underpants”. I bet kids love it!
Stacie, I would also recommend securing your domain name on any social media you are thinking of using (and those you aren’t thinking of using but might use in the future) like Instagram, Tiktok, X etc. Because if you want to build your brand you want it to be consistent across all media. I made the mistake of not doing that ahead of time and I had to add extra words to my brand on a couple of the more important social media platforms. It’s better to be safe than sorry…and it’s free to reserve your name on one of the social media platforms even if you aren’t planning on using it for now. If you reserve it now you can always have it available to use in the future if you change your mind and find that it would be to your advantage.
Thank you, Christine. I appreciate all your suggestions. I plan on taking a hard look at my blog site and sprucing it up a bit.
All good advice! Thank you, Christine.
Thanks for a great post with helpful tips! I look forward to reading your new book! Congratulations!
Great advice, Christine! And congrats on your new title.
Lots of great advice here, and I’ve done most of them! Congratulations on your publishing success thus far!
Thank you so much Christine. Such a great menu of advice. I already checked out some of the resources you listed to add to my toolbox. Wishing you great success with all of your writing and editing.
Thank you, Christine, for sharing. I love your advice. This is very helpful. Congratulations on your new book.
Fantastic advice! So wonderful to read about your journey. Thank you!
Thank you, Christine for your helpful suggestions. I am going to have more of a presence on media.
This blog post is fantastic! Thank you!! 🙂
Love your book titles! Will check them out at my library. And you are so right about starting ahead of being published. I staked my territory with my website when I knew I wanted to write a series. I’m glad I got my domain name when I did. It also protected my series name. I’ve entered (and won) writing contests and list those on my queries. I’m not big on social media, so that’s one area I can look into a bit more. Thanks for all the suggestions.
Thank you for sharing your 13 things! You packed lots of great advice and reminders into your post. And totally agree–the kidlit world is such a supportive one!
Thank you for sharing your list and for providing great advice and encouragement. Seeing that I have worked my way down your part of your list without realizing it is encouraging. 🙂 Next up is putting my work out there by entering contests, and submitting to magazines and other publications. Scary, but you’ve inspired me to try.
Judy, I am sure you will do great submitting to magazines especially because you love to explore new places and the added bonus of your wonderful photography will make all your articles SING! Wishing you great success with any new chapters in your writing career.
That is a lot of revising before submitting! A good reminder that a polished manuscript takes time. Thanks for the tips!
Thanks, Christine! Great advice!
Thank you for sharing, websites seem daunting and choosing somewhere new to follow after X took over. But it takes time and the right people to help and support your work and great critique partners. I plan to do more this year.a
Christine- Great post. I started to get serious about pb manuscripts in 2020 when I registered for a writing workshop in nearby Detroit that was cancelled due to the pandemic. I realized right then and there that it was ‘now or never’ if I was going to make a commitment to try to get published. I’m on that journey- thanks for the encouraging words!
Lots of great advice!
Appreciate this post! Look forward to reading MILKWEED FOR MONARCHS! Just put it on hold at my library.
So many great tips, truly appreciate this. THANK YOU! Will check out StoryStorm, The Writer’s Loft, and The Lyrical Language Lab!
Really great tips, Christine!
Dear Christine, Thank you so much for your opening lines to this fabulous article – “It seems to take 3-5 years from when you have polished manuscripts and begin querying before you land a deal. … Writing is a business, think of it as a career that you’re building and growing. We each have a unique path to publication, do what feels right for you.” Most so called author/marketers/publishers are hawking that you can get it done in 6 months IF you are SERIOUS and COMMITED. Insinuating that if you can’t get it done in that time frame, well just stick a capital L on your forehead. You also validated many things that I have been doing along the way as well as writing. I’ve been setting up my website as well as my FaceBook author page. I have continued to take classes, attend webinars (free & paid) to increase my knowledge of the publishing process/ marketing skills- FaceBook ads/ Instagram ads, how to make funnels/ lead emails etc, I’m learning how to incorporate social media – doing blog posts, starting a podcast class next week. I belong to several critique groups including 12×12, KidLit, Children’s Book Mastery and some on FaceBook. I am attending the Women in Publishing Summit next week run by Alexa Bigwarfe. I am an active supporter/donor in the Donors Choose program giving frequently to the teachers in my local schools. I’ve joined many professional organizations like IBPA, ALLi, etc. I still have more to do but you gave me a great outline to go by and check off. Thank you ever so much.
Great advice and direction, keep learning is truly the key.
Thank-you for the reminder to make changes to my website. With all the other things I do each day/week/month it’s hard to keep this one in mind.
Thank you for your author post. It’s wonderful to hear 12×12 success stories and good to remember that it will take time. Enjoy the journey.
Thank you Christine! As a new author, this is all so relevant to me. I recently purchased my domain name and started trying to set up a website and wondered if I was making the best choice in trying to do it myself. I appreciate knowing that do-it-yourself has its advantages. I did not know that frequent updating improves SEO whcih I know very little about (and no worries!) I’m interested in writing for other publications, in addition to creating my own blog. I’m finding that the more I write/do, the easier things are to accomplish. Your encouragement is inspiring!
Thanks for the practical advice! Your steps help us feel like we have some control in a world where so much feels out of our control! Very helpful!
Thanks for all the great tips!
I was interested in all your statistics – 3-5 years from polished manuscript to commissioning; 3-5 manuscripts on hand to send to agents; +- 30 drafts before you type ‘The End’. The first and last have heartened me – I’m not extraordinary! The middle one has given me something concrete to work towards this year. Thanks.
Very interesting! I feel like I’m doing most of these steps but did not know about the fact that changes to your website will boost it. I find it strange to have a website without being published, so hard to know how to create content there.
Thank you, Christine for this clear picture of just what is involved in becoming published.
Thank you, Christine! Your blog post is packed with so much wonderful advice! For beginners, I think it should be printed out and used as the opening pages to their intro to writing notebook. And for seasoned writers, it is always great to have the review. I’m going to keep it on my desktop and since I need to get serious about a website, I’m going to look into domain names. Thank you for the push! 🥰
Christine, you have written a keeper of an article. It is so full of good advise and pointed directions to take. All beginner and already-authors can find a wealth of wisdom here. Thanks for putting it down in steps-to-take. You have capsulated the writer’s journey.
Thank you for sharing your experiences and what has worked for you.
Thank you, Christine, for such a helpful post. I am encouraged to join a critique group with only picture book writers. (I would love to find a group in the Franklin/Brentwood, TN area) I appreciate your reminder to use the 12×12 Forum’s Critique Connection as a possible way to join a group. I did participate in a group a few years ago.
Your post also motivated me to add to
the content of my author website. I would love to find a person in my area who could guide me so I may improve my technological and social media skills.
Congratulations on your success as a picture book author and editor.
Thank you, Christine, for your 13 things to do to stay on track towards publication. These are all excellent goals and while I’m doing many of them, I need to focus on all 13.
I look forward to reading your books and I wish you continued success with your writing.
Thank you Christine for the reminder to, “Enjoy the journey!”
What wonderful tips, Christine! They are very helpful. I am so motivated after reading your post.
Christine,
I appreciate your tips on what else an author can do to start a writing career. Your tips have given me a to-do list. THANK YOU!
Are you aware of any critique groups with openings for authors in the developmental stage of their manuscripts?
Blessings, Kathleen
Thanks for all the helpful tips!
Thank you Christine for great advice. You packed a lot into this blog. It’s given me more things to work on while I’m enjoying the journey.
Thank you Christne. You have given me things to work on. I am learning so much on this writing path.
Thanks for sharing your tips, Christine. I also wanted to let you know that MILKWEED FOR MONARCHS is at my library, but it’s so popular that there’s a borrowing queue.
I’m doing pretty well on 4, 5 & 6. I need to work on 1,2 &3. Just started with 9&10 last month! Woo-hoo! Thanks for this clear list. Love Milkweed for Monarchs!
I am so grateful to you 12X12, for helping me go forward with all your encouragement, in so many ways.
Thank you Christine for sharing such important information with us. It is so interesting to read about writers journey.
As I am a beginner, every step I take following your advice, will help me to the max. The Author Website seems pretty difficult to set up.
Both your books are NF which is what attracts me the most, but it needs a great deal of research. I would love to follow your research steps.
Looking forward to reading both books and the ones to follow.
Christine, thanks for this comprehensive list and congrats on your two picture books!
I am so exited about this blog, Christine, as I am starting at the top and working my way down…as you have neatly made it pretty much chronological. You shared so much good advice and shaped it in bites-sized bits. Congratulations on your wonderful books. I loved seeing the two spreads of your books and will add them to my list. I think I have about paid for an MFA in PB purchases…mentor books, comparables, and gotta-have-it! books.
Thanks a lot for very useful tips.
Wonderful tips both in your post, Christine, and in the comments! Thanks for reminding us of how long it can take to get published ;). One of the mnay great things about 12×12 is that so many of us are or have been in the same boat. We are not the only ones lost at sea, and so many have eventually found land 🙂
Thank you for sharing your marketing process and your path to publication, Christine. I really appreciated your comments on revision!
Thank you, Christine, for your thoughtful advice! I am also a member of 12X12, SCBWI, Storystorm, & The Writers’ Loft and they are all great groups. Best of luck with both of your books!
Thank you for all the wonderful advice! I haven’t given a second thought to securing my domain name, since I’m not published (yet 😉 ).
I’m making that one of my goals this month!
Thank you, Christine! These are wonderful tips and I’ve already secured my domain name thanks to your advice. While I have done a number of things on your list, I plan to print your blog and keep it as a check-list so that I will stay on top of things!
Thanks again!
These are excellent tips and reminders, Christine! Thank you for all you shared! As for me, I’ve recently joined my SCBWI regional group as a volunteer to work more on that aspect, but I don’t think anyone could go wrong with any (and ideally, all!) of these!
First time commenter on 12 x12 here. Nice surprise to see both your books are familiar to me. Thank you for advice. I am working on domain name … something I hadn’t thought of before reading your blog post. Thank you Christine
Thank you for this excellent advice, Christine! I’ve long had “make author website” on my to-do list, but I always put it off because I feel like I have to have a book published before I can have a website. Your post is a great reminder that it’s important to start somewhere. Now I’m feeling inspired to get going on this goal!
Lots of good info here!
Thanks so much! This is very valuable and easy to understand even though there is so much to digest!
Thank you for your words of wisdom. Also, as an aside, I can’t wait to read your Milkweed for Monarchs books with my preschool students during our butterfly unit!
Thank you, Christine! I find it daunting to try to keep up with social media and focus on writing, querying, and reading recently published books. I hope those follower numbers aren’t a make or break deal. You’ve given me food for thought, though. Maybe I’ll start making at least a small effort on at least one platform. Thanks again for all of your valuable advice.
All such great advice thank you.
Thank you Christine. Such good advice.
Going to follow your advice. Thanks
Going to follow your advice. Thanks. Hope to be successful
Thank you for such a helpful list! It’s reassuring to see that I am already on may way with many of the ideas on your list and it is inspiring to have a checklist to work from for the future!
Thanks, Christine!
Thank you for your many helpful tips, Christine! One of my next steps: domain name. And this is sort of off topic, but I find it so interesting that your published PB’s are so different from one another. I’ve read varying things about branding, or maybe more accurately, whether a writer’s marketability is helped or hindered by sticking with one definable style or genre. I wondered your thoughts.
Great advice, Christine! Thanks! Your books look fantastic!
Thank you so much for this list, Christine. I especially needed the nudges to develop my website further and to explore Critique Connect. Thank you for reminding us to play the long game and to enjoy the process by taking these various steps.
Thank you so much! This was very inspiring and I loved how you made me feel as if I’m right where I’m supposed to be. Thank you, Chrstine! <3
This is a helpful post. Thank you.
Thanks, Christine! Great checklist and I am a fellow monarch lover and follower! I love your book so much!
Such great tips! Thanks for sharing, Christine!
Thank you for sharing, Christine!
Thank you for your insight.
Great advice. Thanks for all your contributions to the Kidlit community and to kidlit!
Thank you for sharing all of your experience and wisdom! The steps you listed are all so on point. Luckily, I had already decided to select a domain name for my author’s website and reserved it even though I am not yet traditionally published. However, after reading your post, I’m very encouraged to continue on this book journey. I’m inspired to work through all the steps!
Thanks, Christine! I’m turning this into a checklist! Congratulations on your success and thanks for sharing your expertise!
Thanks for the great tips about an author website!
Thanks, Christine! I’m so happy to see you recommend an author website first and foremost. Now I really need to spend more time getting all the benefits out of 12X12.
Thank you for the reminder that writing is a business and for sharing 13 things that worked for you. Congratulations on your success. I look forward to reading A Brief History of Underpants. Clever title!
Thank you, Christine, for sharing your experience in establishing yourself as a picture book author. It is understandable now that there is more than writing manuscripts. I welcome the concept of utilizing the time between writing and publishing to
Christine, thank you so much for sharing these nuts-and-bolts pointers. It’s a real balancing act between the fun of writing and playing with words and the grown-up business of getting our writing out there.
Thank you for all the practical advice. It is challenging to know what the next steps might be but you have laid out a nice plan.
Congratulations Christine on your latest publication and all your success! I’m happy to report that I’m doing most of these things. But, I was waiting to start a kidlit author website, since everything I’ve published in literary magazines is for adults. Great idea to lock in the domain name now–excellent advice!
I love the clarity and accessibility of your suggestions. Thank you!
What fun and uniquely different nonfiction books you have! And I appreciate your checklist here, Christine. It’s reassuring to note the steps I’ve taken so far but hadn’t acknowledged until I read this. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your wisdom, Christine! A Brief History of Underpants looks hilarious!
Thank you for sharing such important information. I’ve been hesitant to start a website. Your post has motivated me on to get busy and secure my domain name. I appreciate all you’ve said about the business of writing and I need to keep that in the forefront of my mind. Congratulations on publishing Milkweed for Monarchs. I look forward to reading it and sharing it too.
I really appreciate your insight on building a website and using it to greatest effect. That’s one thing that’s been swirling in my mind for a while. I’m still learning how to write (and revise) so it is probably a little ways off, but you’ve given me a starting point. Thank you!
Thanks for all the good advice
What a great list, Christine! Thank you! And congratulations on your success. We are really enjoying Milkweed for Monarchs!
Thank you, Christine,
So much of what you shared resonates with me. I know I need to have more of a social media presence, and I’m working to develop that piece. Your suggestion to keep on learning prompted me to sign up for another, much needed, course to develop my craft.
Thanks, Christine, for taking the time to share with us. Your books look fabulous–so different from each other, too. I will use them as guides and inspiration for my own NF PBs. But most of all, thank you for telling us about Lyrical Language Lab! It looks like it was made for me–I can’t wait to explore it in more depth.
Such great advice! Thank you for making it into an easy to read list. Love your books, too!
What you’ve compiled here should be part of the SCBWI welcome letter for new writers. Great advice.
Thanks so much Christine! Fantastic tips and advice. The most heartening piece of information was learning that you often do 30 revisions on one manuscript! Wootwoot! Makes me feel so much better as I’m creeping towards #24 on one of my stories. Can’t wait to read your future stories!
Thank you for the nudge Christine! I am new to 12×12 this year and I will look for a critique group. I now have 4 manuscripts under my belt, I think I am ready to get some feedback 🙂
Thank you for all the practical and detailed suggestions. It has renewed my dedication to this craft.
Thank you for this upbeat and encouraging post! 🙂 I regularly meet with my critique groups and I keep our local librarians busy with checking out and returning children’s picture books.
Congratulations on your picture book success.
Thank you! It’s reassuring to read this and know that I’m doing so many of these things. Seven years with 12×12 is awesome and truly speaks to the value you must feel it brings to your writing career.
What a great reminder of ways to keep yourself engaged, even if you aren’t published yet. Thank you!
Excellent suggestions on actions we can take.
Thank you so much for all the tips! This is extremely helpful for a new writer like me looking for ways to immerse into the craft and stay motivated.
This is a great list! Some of the things, like critique group participation, are in the “I’m doing that, so I’m on the right track” category. Other things, like building a web site and establishing a social media presence are in the “need to get it going” category. Thank you for this encouraging post!
Great starting list for anyone considering pursuing writing for kids as a career. 🙂 Thanks!
Thank you for this fabulous post!
This is an excellent list! I agree that critique partners are invaluable to one’s writing journey!
Thank you so much for your insight and advice. Great advice for writers at any stage!
Great tips and congratulations on your success!
Unlucky 13 is my favorite – revise, revise, revise. Christine, thanks for sharing!!
Christine, thank you for your 13 suggestions. (I like lists – so I can check thing off). I have a lot I need to work on.
Congratulations on your books and thank you for sharing with us.
Just the practical advice I need to get me off and running on my website! Thanks for the inspiration and affirmation that we’ll get there!
Thanks Christine. Great tips.
These are great tips, Christine! Thanks for sharing, and congratulations on your books!
Thanks for the reminder about the writer’s loft. I’ve been meaning to check it out more. Great post!
Thank you, Christine, for all of these very good tips. I’ll be looking for your books.
Hi Christine! Thank you for sharing your tips and words of advice. 🙂 I really agree with what you said about securing a domain name. I bought mine back in 2019 and it’s been so helpful to have it there along my journey. Not a lot of people talk about being an author as a career or business, focusing more on the writing and publishing side, but I’ve been really honing in on it as my career the past few years. I haven’t applied for many contests, though I have indie published one picture book and been in one literary magazine. Contests are something I’ve been thinking about a long time. I might just give it a try!
Thanks Christine! I appreciate the 13 tips. I’m working my way through them!
What a fantastic list—-so many great ideas. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Christine! You’ve inspired me to step up my tech game…the website tips are enlightening. The writing communities you mention sound amazing and I hope to participate in one or two…eventually 🙂
I’m very encouraged by your post! Thanks for telling us a bit about your journey and for the information, regarding web site creation and more. Thank you!
This is wonderful. Thank you so much!
Thank you, Christine, for sharing these tips. I know I should create a website and a social media presence, and I’d much rather spend time writing, but you’ve convinced me to dive into the modern world.
Thank you for such helpful and practical tips, Christine. All of these associated aspects to writing seem to be so important.
What a wonderful breakdown of all the tasks that make up our efforts in writing and publication! I really appreciate how practical your advice is. Sometimes waiting for the moment an agent says yes or a publisher likes your work can be excruciating. You’ve given us the next right thing to do here. Thank you!
Thank you, Christine, and congrats on your publishing success! Your advice makes a great checklist. The website will be pushed to the top of the to-do’s.
Thank you. Your tips are helpful and great reminders to stay connected.