Learning Project Update 7: Scaffolding a Traditional Publishing Path

To recap, I focused on self-publishing options in my last post. Learning more about choices like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and IngramSpark was eye-opening; I had never seriously considered this route before, but I am now. And, to reiterate my original plan… well, I didn’t really have a plan past this point! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Publishing is where I stall on my writing journey. But it’s time to hurdle over that self-defeating obstacle; a plan has finally started taking shape. For the next few weeks, I’ll be slowing my pace in this area because it is where I need the most growth and investment.

Traditional publishing is a paradox of slow burn and whirlwind uncertainty. It is also a worthwhile option if I want David’s Perfectly Imperfect Creations to reach the widest audience possible without doing all the groundwork myself.

So, What is Traditional Publishing?

According to the Reedsy online course I’m taking, choosing a traditional publishing route means submitting my manuscript to a publishing house. This is a frightening thought for someone who loves to be in control. If (and it’s a big one) the publishing house loves my children’s book, they begin the heavy lifting of this long process – editing, designing, printing, distributing, and marketing. Unlike being a self-publishing “boss,” traditional publishing means I am a lone cog in the greater wheel… but it connects me with industry pros who will help bring my story to life.

Using Coursera to Scaffold a Traditional Publishing Plan

To explore various online learning options, I recently enrolled in a free Coursera course, Writing for Young Readers: Opening the Treasure Chest, provided by Commonwealth Education Trust and instructed by Maria Gill. If you’re unfamiliar with Coursera, it’s an online platform with a vast course catalogue provided by notable universities and organizations. As a self-paced learning community, it contains everything from child-care to business classes. In the past, I’ve even taken a free course from Yale (pretty cool street cred).

For the sake of copyright, I cannot outline too much of Commonwealth Education Trust’s course content, but I have created a chart of my observed pros and cons:

So far, it has been a worthwhile class (with more to come) and I recommend Coursera as a free or monetized learning hub. From Maria’s instructions, I have been able to scaffold the next steps – and subsequent blog posts – of my plan to traditionally publish my work.

Steps for Traditional Publishing / A.K.A. The Waiting Game

1. Publisher Research and Final Manuscript Revision: Based on which Canadian publishers suit my needs (style/genre/age group/overall vibe), I will rework my manuscript a final time with my newfound writing community.
2. Check, Check, Triple-Check Submission Guidelines: All my research (and pre-existing knowledge) indicates that publishers have very specific rules. Some want a full manuscript and others just a query letter; some require an agent (terrifying thought for me), while others don’t (whew!).
3. Knock-Their-Socks-Off Query Letter: According to Maria Gill, a killer query letter helps a publisher fall in love with your book. It has to be dating app profile worthy!
4. Deep Breath and Click Submit: And so begins the waiting game… ample time to prep my ego/heart for rejection.

Assuming the waiting game is as long as sources say, my goal is to achieve step 4 by the end of our ECI 831 class. From that point, Maria Gill specifies that it will either be celebration or regrouping time. If a YES! (let’s think best case scenario for once), I will need to negotiate a contract (beyond my current scope of understanding), work with an editor, and finally move on to production/marketing.

But… one step at a time! This is the furthest I’ve ever made it in the process, and there’s a lot further to go.

Final Thoughts: Gathering Momentum

Traditional publishing – as I’ve always suspected – is not for the faint of heart. This route (which I still prefer to self-publishing because I’m old school) will require a regenerative ego, donkey-level stubbornness persistence, and all the passion I’ve been hoarding for 20+ years.

When I feel down about inevitable rejection, I like to remind myself that every writer – every “Great” – has faced and overcome rejection. Like I tell my students, it takes grit to get back up after you’re knocked down. Kate DiCamillo was knocked down 473 times and got up 474, which made all the difference in the world.

Next week, I’ll be delving into step 1 and (possibly) step 2. As always, thank you for intermittently joining me on this journey. Please feel free to leave feedback, insights, and possible resources.