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Every writing conference, blog post, and publishing guide tells you the same thing: "Authors need a professional online presence." But when you start researching your options, it feels overwhelming. Do you spend weekends learning WordPress? Hire a designer for thousands? Use a template that looks like everyone else's? The good news? You don't need to choose between broke and professional.

I've had a few conferences and presentations lately, and no matter the room or the topic, the same questions always find me. Some are about querying. Some are about the state of the market. And then there's the one that comes up more consistently than almost anything else when picture book writers are in the room: Do rhyming picture books still sell? The short answer is yes. Absolutely yes. As a literary agent and a children's author, I've been on both sides of this question—

If the word "networking" makes you want to hide under your desk, you aren't alone. Most writers are introverts by nature—we literally create worlds in our heads so we don't have to talk to people! But building a career in kid-lit requires making connections. The good news? You don't have to turn into an extrovert to succeed. You just need a game plan. Here is how I survived (and actually enjoyed!) my first major industry events.

A messy draft is proof of courage. It means you’ve silenced the inner critic that tells you your ideas aren't good enough. In my classroom, I used to tell my students: "I can't grade a blank page." The same goes for publishing. You can't edit a blank screen. You can't send an "idea" to an agent—you have to send a finished manuscript. Writing a "bad" first draft is the only way to get to the "good" second (or third...or fourth) one.

Traditional publishing is 100% free to the author, but you might want to consider services that will help you perfect your craft and query. When you self-publish, you are the publisher so you have all the expenses of a publisher.

Who says gifts should only be purchased around the holidays? No matter the month, there's always something worth celebrating. And no one des