Parent Club Profiles: Helaine Becker

You know when you meet someone and you think: “I want to be her when I grow up”. For me that’s Helaine Becker. Helaine is an award-winning, Canadian, kids lit author who has written over 60 books. I asked Helaine if we could do an author Q & A…and she generously agreed. Parent Club Profiles: Helaine Becker…

Aside #1: When I pitched my first book, I titled it “Activity Attack“. My publisher decided Activity Attack was too close to the name of a popular arts n’ crafts kid show and switched it to Boredom Busters (I didn’t have much say in the matter really). Helaine happens to have a hugely popular book entitled: Boredom Blasters (which was published long before mine and has won a Silver Birch award).  Total coincidence that we happen to be two boredom-busting- blasting-Canadian-kidslit-authors. 😉

Aside #2: During the CANSCAIP mass book launch at the OLA Super Conference – Helaine nicely let me sit beside her (I think I even called dibs to sit beside her during a twitter conversation). She encouraged, cheered, and was an all-round great seat partner. For this, I will be forever grateful.

Parent Club Profiles: Helaine Becker

Where do you find writing time?

I don’t find  writing time. I make writing time. It’s my job, and it comes before pretty well everything else. Besides, I hate laundry and housework of any kind; I figure as long as I am on a deadline, I don’t ever ever ever have to do it. Therefore I am always always always on a deadline.

What does being an author mean to you?

It means I get to eat! Because if I weren’t a writer, I wouldn’t have any other job, since I am constitutionally incapable of getting up at a decent hour or following instructions.Or wearing shoes. I hate shoes.

What tips to you have for aspiring authors?

The usuals about reading a lot, and writing a lot, and finding a critique group. All excellent advice. But I’ll add this piece of advice you won’t often hear: TAKE A BUSINESS COURSE. And learn some basic sales techniques. Being an author means you have now become sole proprietor of a business. If you don’t have the basic skills to run it effectively, you will have a really tough time succeeding, no matter how brilliant your writing is.