A little word...

This weekend Toni and I went to the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference. (SCBWI..try saying that 10x times!) This annual conference is two days of intense writing workshops, take-your-writing-to-new-levels instruction and skin toughening but so helpful critiques.  It's intelligently and emotionally draining to say the least but it just so ROCKS! No matter how tough the stretching, molding, downward writer's pose bending is …it is so worth it! This was my second conference and I believe it will be the most life changing.

In addition to the intense learning, the conference is a great opportunity to mix and mingle with editors, agents and authors. I love it because my inner voice saids "Oh yay! I'm cool! I'm hanging out with REAL authors!"  My coolness factor disappears when the conversation leads to,  "What have you written?". I always lower my voice and glance at the floor, "Well, I'm not published yet." 

Naturally, we are not allowed to write or blog about the conference subject material but there was one word mentioned that had a huge impact. During an open forum, pre-published writers  and published authors were mentioned. 

What was that?!  Rewind! PRE-published!  The word resinated in my ears. Pre-published. Pre-publish as in before or prior to. Pre-published as a forgone conclusion. Pre-published as in this really will happen! 

How could such a little prefix roller coaster flip my perspective in such a positive way? We are not NOT-published but PRE-published authors. What a happy paradigm shift! I wasn't the only one to catch this great word! Many pre-published authors stood a little taller that day. 

As the conference continued, I confidently introduced myself as a pre-published author. There are many things I took away from this last conference, but the greatest treasure was my new attitude. I may not have had the pleasure of signing a publishing contract but I'm pre-published. It will happen someday!

So when you say "I'm a writer but not published" or "I'm a writer but haven't been published yet"… STOP! If you're serious about your writing and your career…you are pre-published! It will happen if you work on your craft and perfect your writing.  Stand a little taller tenacious, pre-published author! I am!