Christmas Picture Books--Go or No?

Word to the wise: do not write picture books about Christmas.

I did and it keeps hitting road blocks.  Mainly because the BIG publishing houses won't touch anything other than the stories people have read a million times before.  They prefer to stay away from new manuscripts because the window to sell them is so short.  In a nutshell, they want to stick with what they know will sell.

I've concluded that this is not the publishing houses fault, but the fault of predictable parents who buy predictable books to read to their young ones.

What a shame.

Anyway, I do have some good news regarding my picture book in its race to beat my erotic novel!  AND THE NEWS IS FROM SCHOLASTIC!!

No, they're still not publishing me.  BUT!!  The editor who passed on my manuscript (for reason stated above) said my writing is "beautiful," and she invited me to send all my future manuscripts to her for consideration!!  YAY!!!

Sure, it's not publication.  But it's so motivating!!  And at least I know I am chasing after the right dream.

Now... if only I could get an agent...

Picture Book vs. Erotic Novel

One picture book.  One erotic novel.  Both being considered by two separate agents within the same firm.  But which one will be accepted first?

Oh, I've received my fair share of rejection letters for both manuscripts.

My favorite rejection for the picture book came from an agent who was totally interested in signing me.  But when she asked about my other manuscripts, I had to come clean.  I told her about the erotic novel.  Doh!  You would have thought I wiped a cootie on her brand new iPad.

So does this mean a picture book writer cannot dabble in the world of the erotic?  Doubt it.  It just means I'll have to come up with a really great pen name.  :-)