TRANSCRIPT

Hi, in the previous video I said that the first step to becoming published is to find your why.

You already know how difficult becoming a traditionally published picture book author can be. If you’re not crystal clear on your why, having the drive to continue moving forward will be extremely difficult.

Your why has to be powerful to you personally. To make it effective, it also needs to be in your control. Whys such as “I want to become a bestselling author” or “I want to make a million dollars” would be nice, but you have no control over those.

For me, my why was simply to write what I wanted to write. Other whys that you can control could be:

Wanting to write about topics that are important to you.

Wanting to write stories with positive messages that could impact the lives of children.

Wanting to share a special moment in your life.

Wanting to entertain people.

Wanting to share stories that have been passed down to you.

Wanting to leave a legacy for your children and grandchildren.

Or maybe it’s simply wanting to share the stories inside of you with the world.

These are just examples. To find your why, I recommend you go to a quiet place, away from distractions, like going for a walk in nature. Then just ask yourself, “Why do I want to become a published picture book author?” Then, listen to what comes up. If something resonates with you, if it feels right, that's your why.

In the process of becoming a publishing picture book author, you’ll have moments when you don’t feel like writing or you’ll be so discouraged by the rejections that you’ll start to wonder if it’s worth the time and effort to keep going. I'm here to tell you that it is. And your why will assure that you have the determination to continue moving forward.

In the next video, I’ll show exactly why having your why is so important by sharing the harshest rejection letter I ever received.

Thank you so much for watching. If you got any value out of this video, please like it, subscribe to my channel and share the video with other aspiring picture book authors.