By Vicki Cobb
I never planned to be a writer. I had graduated college at
19 as a biology major and went directly to grad school from which I emerged
with an MA in science teaching. I had
written a grand total of two papers during my entire higher education. I married at 21 and promptly went to work as
a science teacher so my husband could earn his PhD. My first son was born when
I was 25 and our intentions were that I be a stay-at-home mother.
But we still needed money and I needed something
interesting to do at home. I saw an ad
in the NY Times for teachers to write educational materials. Hmmm! I figured that after several years of teaching
of talking about science, I could probably write about it. Not so fast, said
the world.
Principle #1: Attributed to Dolly Parton, who
said, “Never quit trying, never try quitting.”
I pursued the ad and after three revisions of the
first chapter to make it “sound simple,” I received my first contract for a
high school chemistry book. I got paid
but the book didn’t get published. Found
another publisher; wrote two more titles, Molecular Biology and Biological
Measurement for a publisher who went bankrupt.
Through networking, I was invited to lunch by an editor
(who drank three martinis while the clock ticked for my babysitter.) I showed him my three unpublished books. “Vicki, you have to write a book for us.” “Fine,” I replied. “How about The First Book of Logic?” (I had had one course in logic in college.) “Okay,” he said,
“You give me an outline, I’ll give you a contract. How long before the outline?” “Six weeks,” I said, figuring I could learn
enough logic in six weeks to write the outline; after that I would worry about
the book.
Principle #2:
When opportunity knocks, think of these three things:
- I might learn something.
- It might lead someplace.
- It pays well.
Two out of three and I grabbed it. Also, one very useful phrase is, “Let me
think about it.”
My son was five years old when my first book was
published. I was on my way.
I got a contract to write a book called Making Sense of
Money for a multi-author series. My
editor was a formidable older woman, Lillian McClintock. After I turned in my manuscript, she wrote me
I letter that said, in part: “Writing for children is a serious endeavor. This work is entirely unsuitable. You have no business becoming a part of our
profession.” Wow! Devastation! My
husband said I should tell her to do something with the script that is
anatomically impossible.
Principle #3: Don’t hesitate to bite the bullet
when necessary. I
wrote Lillian by return mail: “Thank you for your comments. [She had them all over the manuscript.] I hope my next attempt comes closer to your
expectations.”
I couldn’t look at it for three weeks but then worked
through it. It was published and I wrote
another three books for her series. I
read some of the other authors who worked for her; we all sounded alike.
Principle #4: Stand your ground when forced to
work against your nature. My
biggest hit, which established me, is Science Experiments You Can Eat. Its
editor, who had moved to a different publisher, commissioned me to write Lots
of Rot. The opening sentences went like this: “Want to smell something
rotten? Take a deep breath by a garbage
can. If it’s rotten your nose knows. All
it takes is one sniff. Yuck!”
The heavily blue-penciled manuscript by a junior editor had
changed the language thus:
“Have you ever smelled something rotten? You probably have
if you’ve taken a deep breath by a garbage can." No “Yuck;” no play on words. I felt as if I’d been kicked in the
stomach. I requested a meeting with
publisher and editor. I prepared a document, “In Defense of Lots of Rot.” I bought a new suit. I pled my case. Three days later they told my then agent, “If
Vicki won’t write the book the way we want it, we won’t publish it.” Anticipating this, I had another publisher
lined up. So, I told my agent to pull
it. And it had a run of 25 years with the second publisher along with a couple
of other books in the same vein.
Drive:
The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by
Daniel Pink was a touchstone book for me.
It defined the three most important things we all crave to find
fulfillment in our work after procuring a livelihood. It led to the next principle.
Principle #5:
There are four goals to having a happy working writer’s life:
- Source of a livelihood. (If you are not bankrolled by a spouse, do
not underestimate what financial necessity does to productivity.)
- Autonomy
- Mastery
- Purpose
Now, I’m going to sum up five more principles that don’t
need lengthy anecdotal embellishment:
#6.
Don’t be a diva. Meet deadlines. Indeed,
be early.
#7.
During times when cash flow become a trickle, do something every single
day that could potentially a lead to money. Keep asking yourself
“What CAN I do?” Then do it.
#8.
Regard your agent as a partner in your career. My second agent, who came into
my life more than 20 years ago, hounded me to obtain rights reversions. Never knew so much work could be sold again
and again.
#9.
Refine your brand. What
do you, as a human being, bring to your work that is distinctive? Mine is in my logo.
#10.
NOTHING IS WASTED! Proposals
that didn’t sell, dreams that were not realized, don’t reflect badly on
you. The most elusive aspect of a hit is
timing. Mine has been off for most
of my career.
ACTIVITY AND PRIZE
Write
a short paragraph on a principle you may be struggling with. Send the paragraph
to email@vickicobb.com. Vicki will select ten people to attend a free
Zoom conference to discuss these issues with her.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vicki
Cobb is the acclaimed author of 95+ nonfiction books for children, including Science
Experiments You Can Eat. Her numerous awards include a Sibert Honor and a
Lifetime Achievement Prize from the American Association for the Advancement of
Science in 2012. Currently, Vicki is president/founder of INK Think Tank, Inc,
a nonprofit that promotes the use of nonfiction literature in the classroom.
Check out her websites: www.vickicobb.com, www.inkthinktank.org, and
www.nonfictionminute.org.
