PUBLISHED GRAD

What is the name of your book? Who is the publisher?

Children’s:

Goldy’s Baby Socks (English and Spanish, published by Xlibris)

I Love You, Be Careful (Book for parents/new moms, published by Xlibris)

Adult:
Too Late To Run (Adult Suspense, published by World Castle Publishing)

Coming soon: The Donation Man (World Castle Publishing)

Tell us a bit about your path to publishing, from idea to submission to published book.

The start of my serious writing career began with your Institute class. While my son was napping I would work on my assignment.

I geared my stories to seeing my kids and later using my cat, Goldy, as the main character. I submitted my ideas, was persistent, and finally was published.

How long have you been writing?
Since third grade, then poetry, but took the ICL class in my early thirties.

What’s your favorite genre to write and why?
Right now, my favorite is suspense, but prior to that I enjoyed children’s books, and heartwarming books for parents.

What ICL courses have your taken?
Writing for Children and Teens

How has taking our course helped your writing and/or career?
It really set the tone for me believing I could write.

My instructor was so helpful and patient. I have gone on from the course to write children’s books, a parent picture book, adult suspense, and also four song lyrics.

Do you have a favorite writing tip you’d like to share?
Enjoy writing. Write a little each day. If you get a rejection, send out something the next day. I had hoped  Scholastic would pick up Goldy’s Baby Socks because it is a great book fair book , but it did not happen (yet) so  that took a few days of being sad, then moving on…..

If you could travel back in time and give yourself one piece of writing advice, how far back would you go, and what would you tell yourself?
Go to conferences you’d enjoy, believe in yourself, every editor may feel differently about your work. One might like it, one might dislike it, so I would say find the one that loves it. Talk to other writers….marketing is talking to people really.

I would say it is okay if you are not great at grammar/punctuation…learn, but make sure to ask friends or an editor to look at your work before you submit it.

Tell us about your favorite place to write and what time of day you are most productive in your writing.
In my sunny study at a desktop computer with chocolate and my cat beside me. I am most productive at around 10 am or 3pm. I am awake at four or five am, so anytime after 8pm, I am a zombie and do not enjoy writing or being a guest on radio shows, which I like doing if awake!

Please tell us the best or most valuable thing you learned from your experience with ICL.

I learned to honor deadlines, listen to my instructor, ways of writing, and believing that “I could do it.”

What have you done since the class you are proud of?
I am always curious and think of story ideas, have been part of raising two nice young men, written children’s books, adult books, and songs that people are amazed by. Thanks, Institute of Children’s Literature!

Judy Snider lives in Virginia Beach with two funny cats and her husband, who is also a writer in his spare time. She has two grown sons, volunteers, and tries to spend time each day writing. Her second suspense novel, THE DONATION MAN, is due out this summer. Judy recently became a songwriter co-writing the wedding song “What Else Can I Say?” (Now available on iTunes.) Keep up with Judy’s latest projects at www.judysnider.com.