Jacinta Lou – Writer

Category: imposter syndrome

  • Celebrating My First Book Contract: A Writer’s Journey & Imposter Syndrome.

    Celebrating My First Book Contract: A Writer’s Journey & Imposter Syndrome.

    This week I was thrilled to announce I have a two book contract with Wombat books. Two early readers and I am absolutely thrilled. So thrilled and excited I have plastered the internet with the news. I may have gone a bit over board ?

    As writers we work alone. Writing, editing and thinking. Most of the work we create never sees the light of day. Dealing with rejection becomes a way of life. It can feel like a waste of time. I’m sure from the outside it looks like it. But writing is not just a calling. It’s a craft. A skill. And like any skill it requires practice.

    For the last few years I have been writing picture books. I have had success by being awarded an ASA/CA mentorship in 2024. I was also matched in the ASA’s Picture Book Matchmaker. My pitch resulted in a request from the publisher to see the manuscript. To date, there have been no contracts. Yet.

    So when I decided to enter my first attempt at an early reader into Wombat Books open submission in February this year, I did so with zero expectations.

    You can imagine my shock when they asked to see the manuscript!

    Months of rewrites followed and creating another book for the series, and I was offered a contract.

    Throughout the process I felt like the success of this story was unearned. It was my first attempt at an early reader. I had completed several junior fiction courses but hadn’t made it happen. I felt like an imposter.

    Imposter syndrome strikes again. And this is why we have writing groups. ( imposter or impostor? Both are correct so for consistancy on my blog I choose imposter! Despite AI underlining it. I choose to ignore AI)

    Without my kidlit community I wouldn’t have submitted this story. Without my fabulous critique buddies I would have given up on the edits and rewrites. Without their support and encouragement I would have failed to see that all my work on picture books had been the rehearsal for this moment. And without the perseverance of Wombat Books to get me over the line, I wouldn’t have made it.

    So even though we create in solitude – we succeed as a community!

    That’s why I have plastered the internet with my success. Not just for me, but for all the kidlit community.

    I promised myself a new website with my first contract so stay tuned while I try to make that a reality.

    I can’t wait to hold my books in my hands!

    Stand by for even MORE plastering of the internet!

    Thank you

    Jacinta Lou

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  • 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!

        • Time to go on! – Submission ‘Stage Fright!’

          Time to go on! – Submission ‘Stage Fright!’

          Like most writers, I started writing books for children when my children were small. I’ve lost all trace of anything written back then, but I still have some scribblings I did for my eldest granddaughter, which I may resurrect at some stage.

          In 2021, I did a picture writing course with Zanni Louise through the Australian Writers Centre and I fell in love. I did another course in 2022 through The Sunshine House, and I sent out a couple of stories to the crashingly loud sound of silence!

          I have been active in critiques groups and the kidlit community, so I decided 2023 was the year of assessments. Time to get my existing stories into shape to send out into the world. Or to shelve them. I had assessments with editors and of course, CYA. It’s been hectic!

          So here I am in the closing scenes of 2023 getting ready to send my stories out into the world of publishers!

          I still don’t think they are ready and I’ve heard stories of writers who have taken decades to write the perfect story, but I’m not sure I have that amount of time, so ready or not, here they come!

          I have zero expectations, but it was my plan to have stories to send out, so I’m sticking to the plan!

          I belong to a couple of fabulous critique groups and one in particular has a very encouraging cheer leader who brings us along with her enthusiasm. Yes! We can do this! Eeek – I hope at least one of us has success. That’s the best thing about writing for children. Although we all strive for the same thing, there is no sense of competition and we genuinely celebrate other writer’s success. Well, maybe there is a little disappointment, but we are mostly very excited for every writer who succeeds!

          So, in the past week, I have entered two stories to ‘Pitch it’, run by Just Write for Kids Australia, yesterday I was successful in booking two spots in the Australian Society of Author’s Literary Speed dating, to be held later in October and I sent a story out to a publisher! Tomorrow I’ll be sending out more stories and then I will start work on my next batch, patiently waiting in the wings, to get them ready to go out into the world!

          I’m not great at sending things out. I seem to get ‘stage fright’ once I know I am writing a submission and I stutter and stammer and write ridiculous things in my cover letters. Well I did last year. I cringe thinking about it. But in my defence, I did have pneumonia, so everything made perfect sense at the time. And why is it, typos and repeated words etc ONLY become visible AFTER you hit send?

          It’s been a year, so hopefully there have been so many submissions, commissioning editors will have forgotten me. Please let them forget!

          So, I’m on track. My babies are going out into the big wide world of publishing and I wish them every success in finding a home. I will welcome them back at any time, but I may push them out somewhere else and give them the best chance. I really don’t want them to be homeless.

          Now to work out how to conquer ‘submission stage fright’ and write great covering letters! Ironically, I have never experienced actual stage fright. Perhaps writing means more to me 🙂

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        • 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