Nancy Krulik

I treat what I do for a living as a job. Not all writers do. I have very set hours that I work, and I'm willing to work much longer - even on weekends. I have a very strong work ethic. And also, I love what I do, and if you love what you do, you're having fun and you don't even realize that you're working.

The best career advice I've ever gotten was to be flexible and to understand that no matter how industries change, everything that you have learned is still relevant and important. I actually had to deal with that recently, because the children's publishing industry has changed quite a bit. They're not publishing as many series, and they're certainly not putting the same number of books into children's series. I had a great idea for a book, and I couldn't sell it, and somebody called me and said, "Do you have any ideas for a cartoon show?" I just pulled that book idea out of my drawer, and now we're doing the cartoon show, Monsters Aren't Real??? which is based on that original premise. Knowing that everything you learned can be relevant is important, especially for creative people who are afraid that AI is taking over their careers. There are always ways to use everything you have learned. You just have to sort of be flexible and figure out a way to do it. I think that's probably the best advice I've gotten, and the best advice I could give anyone.

I would tell them to be flexible, and I would tell them to not give up. Everybody has had manuscripts rejected. Everyone has had ideas rejected. But sooner or later, you are going to find the right publishing house for your story. Also, be willing to make some changes if they're necessary to fit into a publisher's line - you have got to be able to take advice and change things for the good of the project. I think an excellent way to develop a writing career is to start by working at a children's publishing house, because then you see what kind of books publishers are looking for and buying because you are in it. A lot of the writers that I know started in publishing houses on the other end of the book making process, primarily editing.

I think kids always love reading. You just have to find the voice that fits you best. For me, the best voice is for second and third graders - I have written for all ages, all the way up to young adult, but honestly, that is my sweet spot. I find those children the most interesting and the most fun to write for. The industry is changing. For me, the best way to get published was I started by working at a children's publishing house, and so I learned how the industry worked. I think that's a very good way to make your way in, because you see what kind of books they're buying, you see what the publishers are looking for, because you are in it. And a lot of the writers that I know started in publishing houses on the other end, primarily in editing.

It's important to be generous with others, and not to see them as competition, but just as other writers. I know that I have helped other writers get contracts, or get a lawyer. Sometimes I will get a question from a friend of mine who might say, "o you have an idea for this?" And I'm very giving with any ideas I might have, because everybody's writing is different. It's not like we're all competing against each other. I think its especially important for women to support women in that way.