I am delighted today to welcome Aleesah Darlinson, who is here as part of her blog tour to promote her new Totally Twins series.
 

Aleesah has oblingly written a  guest blog on the topic of getting published. Over to you Aleesah.

Getting Published

As an author, 2010 has been a huge year for me. My first book, Puggle’s Problem, was released in July. My second book, Totally Twins: Musical Mayhem, was released in September. My third – and final book to be released this year (thank heavens!) – will be Totally Twins: Model Mania in November.
3 books in 5 months.
It’s been a whirlwind, but it’s also been grand.
After four-and-a-half years of wandering in the darkness, of searching for the light of publication, I’ve switched it on and it’s beaming brightly.
Finally, I’m able to say, ‘I’m a published author’.
If I look back at my fledgling career and try to distil all the things I’ve learned down to a few short points to share with others, this would be them:

Top Tips For Getting Published
1.    Learn how to write well and learn it from the best, ie other published authors.
2.    Write and write and write. Practice does make perfect.
3.    Give up watching TV and whinging about being tired. Instead, write some more.
4.    Start sending your work out to competitions and magazines. Test yourself. Test your writing.
5.    Don’t worry about the rejections. Instead, write some more.
6.    Start networking and meeting people. Join a writers’ group, join SBCWI, the NSW Writers’ Centre, the CBCA, the ASA. Whatever you think will get you connected with other writers, illustrators and publishers. Become involved.
7.    Set goals to win a competition or get something published, even if it’s only small. When you do receive a win or an acceptance, add it to your Writers’ Resume.
8.    Keep building your Writers’ Resume.
9.    Don’t worry about your friends getting published before you do. Instead, write some more.
10.    When it’s ready – and only when it’s ready – submit your work to publishers. Multiple submissions to 3 or 4 publishers is okay – as long as you let the publishers know.
11.    Don’t worry about the rejections. Instead, write some more.
12.    Subscribe to Buzz Words and Pass It On. Contribute to these online magazines regularly with comments, articles and notices of your achievements.
13.    Attend festivals and workshops. Be inspired. Scare the hell out of yourself and enter the pitching sessions. Book into one-on-one meetings with publishers, agents, editors. Rehearse your pitch, take along your best work and give it your best shot.
14.    Don’t worry about the rejections. Instead, write some more.
15.    Keep submitting your work.

I think you get the picture – ‘If you build it, they will come.’
There are things you can do to build your presence as an author. There are things you can do to improve your writing. Both go hand in hand to help you get published.
You only need one more thing and we all know what that is, right? It’s the ‘P’ word: Persistence.
Whatever you do, don’t give up. Don’t ever stop writing because you never know what’s around the corner. Some of my biggest writing rejections have been followed by wonderful acceptances.
And so, I will leave you with a quote from Benjamin Franklin, American author, printer, satirist, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman and diplomat.
‘Energy and persistence conquer all things.’
I couldn’t agree more.

Aleesah Darlison writes picture books and novels for children. She also reviews books for The Sun Herald. Aleesah has won many awards for her writing including an ASA mentorship with Kate Forsyth in 2009. Her stories have appeared in the black dog books Short and Scary Anthology, The School Magazine and Little Ears. Her first picture book, Puggle’s Problem, was released in July. Her junior series for girls aged 9 plus, Totally Twins: Musical Mayhem, was released this month. The series follows the adventures of identical twins, Persephone (she’s the sensible one) and Portia (she’s the messy one) Pinchgut and is written in diary format by Persephone.
To find out more about Aleesah, visit her website at: www.aleesahdarlison.com.

Next stop on Aleesah’s blog tour is the Book Blog, where host Dave Hibbins will be interviewing Aleesah on the topic of ‘Writing For Children’. Check it out at: http://bookblog.com.au/.