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The Jill Esbaum Interview Update!

Jill, can you remember the first encouraging comment you received about your writing?

Twelve years ago, I took a beginning class for aspiring children’s writers, and my instructor, a prolific author, read my first picture book manuscript and said, “You ARE going to submit this.” That helped.

What do you most love about the writing life?

The freedom. For the most part, nobody’s telling you what to write, when to write, how to write. You sink or swim on your own. I like that challenge.

What advice would you give writers who are closing in on the 100 rejection mark without an acceptance of any sort?

Every author I know has cringe-worthy manuscripts squirreled away that they once thought were brilliant. You HAVE to learn to look at your own work with a critical eye. That’s tough sometimes, but crucial.

If someone has been continually hitting brick walls, I’d advise them to STOP and back up the truck. Remember, it’s not about the quantity of work you have circulating; it really is the quality that matters. Ideally, we need to submit only those manuscripts that editors will find irresistible. If they can say no, they will.

Oh, yeah. My advice. Select two or three favorite manuscripts and have them professionally critiqued. A fresh perspective is invaluable.

Also, if you’ve never tried writing for magazines, give it a try. Submitting to magazines taught me a lot, and the occasional acceptances made me feel like a “real” writer and gave me the confidence to deal with editors without blathering incoherently (well, sometimes). And don’t fret about selling your work for all rights. Really. The odds that you’ll ever in a million years “turn a magazine story into a picture book” are virtually nil. The two are entirely different animals. Now somebody will write to me to say they did that. 🙂 Tip: Good nonfiction sells like crazy.

How many total stories have you written? Even count those that you’ll never show anybody.

Oh, boy. I’d have to guess….50? I don’t think I have any that I’ve never shown anybody, even the stinkers. Hey, I didn’t KNOW they were stinkers at the time. Over the years, my embarrassment threshold has fallen to the point that I no longer have one.

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