Jacinta Lou – Writer

Category: CYA Conference 2023

  • Getting on With Things

    Getting on With Things

    I don’t usually post twice in a day but I’m trying to learn how to use my website so here is another post!

    It’s been quite a year and I think I am closer to my publishing goal. I’ve been making slow and steady progress. In 2022, I joined groups and completed courses. In 2023, labelled by me as my ‘year of assessments’, I had lots of my stories assessed and ended the year with a successful pitch at the ASA literary speed dating event.

    In 2024, my year of mentoring, I was fortunate to be awarded a mentorship by the Australian Society of Authors/Copyright Agency for one of my picture books and I have been working with my mentor Kristina Shulz.

    At CYA my assessments went well and I’m seeing the improvement in my writing and in my confidence. My old friend, imposter syndrome, is still lurking in the wings, but having Kristina’s support has helped me believe in myself as a writer.

    One highlight this year was being long listed in the annual ‘Pitch It’ competition, so this morning I submitted that story to Affirm Press.

    I hate submitting, but it’s impossible to get published without going through the process, unless you publish the book yourself.

    I can barely get around social media and this webpage so I know I do not have the skill or patience to self publish, which leaves me throwing my hat in the ring for a shot at a traditional publishing contract.

    I’m enjoying rewriting and restructuring my stories, so the waiting and wondering isn’t too onerous, but like all aspiring writers, I can’t wait to get on with the job of publishing my stories.

    The kidlit community is a wonderful, supportive community. I have a fabulous critique group and other writer friends to chat to both online and locally. Everyone knows how hard it is to get a contract and we all cheer loudly when someone is successful. We are all a part of each other’s journeys even if it’s just to cheer!

    If I never get a contract, being a part of this community is worth it in itself, but I would really love to see one of many stories in print and see how an illustrator interprets my words.

    Fingers crossed 2025 is my year of contracts!

    You will be the first to know!

      • Speed Dating – the literary kind!

        Speed Dating – the literary kind!

        This year I’ve devoted my energy to having my writing assessed and working on improving my craft. Writing is a craft. Writing picture books is a craft I am still working on. Those deceptively simple texts require so much work. Each word has to earn its place. Each story has to impress a publisher, get through their acquisitions process and ultimately be something people will buy.

        Even if you get the story right, it might not fit with what publishers are looking for. Maybe you sent it to the wrong publisher and it doesn’t fit their brand. Maybe it just doesn’t pop enough for a yes. So many reasons it might not be accepted that have nothing to do with how well you write. Things you can’t control. But writing is within your control and so this year I have had assessments with editors and at CYA. I’ve entered competitions. I’ve worked on writing short stories and poems for children. I’ve participated in critique groups. All with the goal of improving my writing.

        But have I done enough?

        Back to speed dating. No, not that kind. Who has the time? I honestly can’t remember the last time I went on a date, speedy or otherwise. But that is a story for another time…maybe 🙂

        Literary speed dating is run by the Australian Society of Authors, ASA, and they run several rounds each year. This round I was lucky enough to get two spots and now I’m preparing my three minute pitches to two publishing houses.

        I say lucky because the system crashed and I think I was so lucky to catch a window when the system was working. I don’t think I would get through otherwise. I’m slow on a keyboard!

        I’ll have three minutes to demonstrate to the publishers my story is worth a look! Three minutes to sell my story!

        I’m nervous but excited. I have done all I can to be ready and the rest is down to if they want to read my story. and that is down to how well I pitch!

        I’m still fiddling around with the pitch. That’s another skill I’ve been learning. I’ve organised some of my critique partners to listen so I can practice. It’s exciting.

        And absolutely terrifying!

        I’m pitching a story I haven’t released into the world yet so they will get first look if I pitch well enough.

        If they like my pitch, if it fits their brand and if they want to know more, they will ask for the manuscript. If not I will start sending it out to other publishers. It’s a story I’m quite passionate about so I will keep trying.

        You never know where a Yes will come from. It might come from a story found in the slush pile. It might come from a CYA assessment. Or it might come from three minutes spent pitching to publishers through ASA’s Literary Speed Dating.

        I’ll keep working and hoping one day it will be a YES.

        Watch this space!

        • The Morning After CYA

          The Morning After CYA

          The CYA conference 2023 is over, oh and before I forget, CYA stands for Children, Young Adult, and Adult Writers’ and Illustrators’ Conference. Well worth a look for writers and illustrators of all genres. Any way, back to what I was saying. The conference is over so for me, getting manuscripts ready for the competitions, booking assessments and preparing submissions, attending assessments and the conference over four weekends on zoom has kept me busy from January till yesterday and I am exhausted.

          Was it worth it? Yes, I think so. Too tired to tell right now. But I’m going to say YES! I received some great feedback both positive and constructive and listened to some great presentations along the way. In the breaks we were put into breakout rooms on zoom and so it was also a great opportunity to meet other writers. I have a better idea of where my writing sits and even though no contracts were offered to a chorus of dancing unicorns, the dream is still alive. Well at least it will be once I’ve had some sleep.

          Assessments can be confusing and I’m sure I looked like a stunned mullet half the time as I worked my mind around the differing views of editors on the same manuscript. But that’s part of it. Finding a home for your writing is about finding the person who sees it the same way you do, or who can give you feedback to get it where you want it to go.

          It’s challenging sitting and listening to words that don’t support your vision of your amazing, perfectly crafted manuscript. And I’m sure it’s challenging for editors to give constructive feedback. It’s a lot easier to receive these words in written form via manuscript assessments, but I decided to do it via CYA this year and I’m glad I did. I think. I got to meet some amazing editors and there aren’t many opportunities to meet face to face, especially in Tasmania.

          My approach to assessments was just to listen and take notes as you only have 15 minutes to look at two picture books. So I probably bumbled through responses when asked questions. I wanted to know what they thought. But they wanted to know about me as well. I’ll be better prepared next time – and yes, there will be a next time.

          My only question was, do my stories have potential? And it seems the ones I had assessed do so now I have to do the ‘Verk’, as Jen Storer would say, and edit, rewrite, restructure until I feel they are ready for another assessment or I submit them to publishers. And that’s a whole other journey!

          Stay tuned as I work to keep the negative Nellie and imposter syndrome at bay!

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        • CYA – First Assessments – Self Belief Growing!

          CYA – First Assessments – Self Belief Growing!

          Is it too early to ask for CYA gift cards for Christmas?

          I had two assessments this weekend and I’m so relieved I didn’t shred my stories and run away and hide. Turns out both editors are of the opinion I can write which filled my heart with joy!

          Both of these editors had different stories so I got feedback on four stories which will help me decide whether to keep working on them now, or in the future.

          No offers of contracts with unicorns cheering in the background but a real feeling I am heading in the right direction!

          I have more assessments to come. Hoping for more useful feedback! Wishing for unicorns 🙂

          Imposter syndrome, feeling like nothing you do is good enough etc is incredibly annoying and can be debilitating. It is for me.

          I’ve struggled with self belief for ever, so when someone thinks something I did was good, it feels like, wow – happy dance, huge smile, want to hug the world! And its a genuine surprise.

          I will take this external validation and tuck it into my growing self belief in myself as a writer. I must have a little bit of belief, right? Or why am I doing it?

          The most important message I gained from these assessments is to trust myself.

          I am a writer and I will publish books for children!

          I really want to succeed so I don’t want this pesky Negative Nellie who lives in my head to muck things up for me. Might be a story in that.

          How have you silenced your negative self talk? Perhaps you have never had any? Love to hear your stratagies!

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          © Jacinta Lou 2023

        • Imposter Syndrome and CYA

          Imposter Syndrome and CYA

          CYA is happening!

          It’s two days till I meet my first editor for a CYA assessment. I’m looking at the stories I sent her and I want to pull them back through the internet and throw them in the bin. What was I thinking?

          But – the money has been paid, the assessment booked and I’ve had my lesson on how zoom operates during assessments so there is no going back.

          It’s been months since I booked my first assessments. Yet it feels like it’s happened way too quickly!

          As my anxiety grows, I wonder what it is I’m scared of? I made such a mess of submitting my stories (I was recovering from pneumonia) but the amazing folk who run CYA untangled the mess and stories were sent to editors. Are they the best stories? No. Does it matter? Well, maybe, but no.

          These are assessments, not pitches, so the hope is the editor will give me enough guidance to improve my stories. Assessments, not pitches. I keep reminding myself.

          Of course, in the back of everybody’s mind, including mine, is the hope the editor will be so impressed they will ask to see your stories again. Wouldn’t that be amazing!

          In fantasy land, they come to the assessment with a contract ready for you to sign while unicorns cheer from the sidelines!

          But we don’t live in fantasy land…except when we are writing!

          The real fear is they will look at my stories and wonder why I bothered. A bit like I am wondering now. Am I exposing myself to these wonderful editors as someone who cannot write? Is this how others feel two nights before assessments begin?

          I’ve seen similar posts on FB and in writing groups so I know I’m not alone, but those other people can write. What if I can’t!

          Of course, none of this could be happening and we wouldn’t be having these amazing opportunities without the amazing CYA team. Particularly Tina and Shawn. They dealt with my stress and booboos when submitting like the true professional they are. I’ll be better next year – I promise! And of course if I’m making mistakes, there must be others? Tell me there were others.

          And thank you to the editors and industry reps who are spending the time assessing and talking to those of us who will be hanging off their every words, hoping they will move us forward in our quest to be published!

          Hats off to the CYA Team! And best of luck to my fellow writers and illustrators who are facing their fears and putting themselves, and their work in front of the industry we all want to be a part of.

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