From what I've seen, the advice would be---"don't quit your day job."
Writing is something that takes time, but the experiences and the income may be
necessary to keep things moving along--both in the household and in the mind.
Being a stay-at-home mom may involve becoming the one that everyone turns to in
order to "pick up the kids from the neighborhood after school" or "doing carpool"
or "classroom mom" activities because others think that you aren't working.
Rather than quitting her job, maybe she can find something part-time so that she
can still be within an environment that sparks ideas, conversations or projects
prompts while giving her an income AND an excuse not to be the one that everyone
turns to when they know she's around. With a part-time schedule, she would still
be able to devote her time to writing---and until she's picked up by a publishing
company, she may need to keep writing and submitting manuscripts. For some this
happens immediately, but for many authors (both those I know personally and those
I've met from author visits), the "starving artist" situation could be what she
will face until she "makes it big."
As far as whom to send manuscripts to, she needs to check out the Writer's Market
(book) or the Writer's Market for Children's Publications (if she's writing for
children) to see who wants what. In the meantime, she should be submitting short
stories, manuscripts and even editorials to everyone so that she understands what
is needed to meet those deadlines / publication requirements.
I understand the frustration of being a full-time worker, mom, wife, and "other" to
everyone---writing falls behind because it's not always viewed as important by
others and if you try to find the time to write, you're often interrupted by
"life." I've often wanted to quit work and just write, but the realities of life
(and one child in college, one preparing to go, and one in elementary school doing
"everything") makes me realize that I can't.....unless I win the lottery!
In the meantime, I would suggest that if she decides to continue to work, that she
make time in her daily life to write---make it a schedule TO write at certain
specific times in the day---as if THIS were also a job that she had to do. When
she is able to write, submit articles or manuscripts, be published and paid for
them, THEN she may be able to be seen by others (family, friends, neighbors) as
"being a writer"...then the expectations of her doing something else for them will
drop and she may be able to actually stay at home and write without anyone imposing
upon her their needs.
Just some thoughts...
~Shonda
Shonda Brisco, MLIS
US / Technology Librarian
Fort Worth Country Day School
Fort Worth, TX
sbrisco@fwcds.org
http://www.fwcds.org/campus/libraries/default.asp
http://webpages.charter.net/sbrisco/index.html
>>> Lee Ann Marona <Lawmarona@AOL.COM> 10/27/05 6:42 PM >>>
Today I had a parent come to me with a rough draft manuscript for a
children's book and asked me how she could go about seeking publication. (She
says
she desperately wants to quit her job so that she can be a stay at home mom
and she thinks the only way she can do this is to write.) How would you advise
someone like this?
Thanks so much for your help,
Lee Ann Marona
Library Media Specialist
Brentwood Elementary School
Pensacola, Florida
lmarona@escambia.k12.fl.us
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