Age: 42

Location: Huntington Station, NY

What are you working on now?
Though my day job is as editor of Newsday's Parents & Children magazine, for which I work with 40 writers and an art director to produce 12 issues a year, and I freelance for major magazines, teach an undergraduate journalism class, and do book signings and lectures for my book How to Publish Your Children's Book, I'm also currently reworking a young adult novel at my agent's request. That last is the most fun work I'm doing. Though I enjoy all the nonfiction writing I do, writing fiction has opened up a whole new side of creativity for me. When I work on my novel, unlike the controlled approach required of nonfiction articles and books, I never know what my imagination will produce. It's like discovering new treasures everyday. And I love spending time with my characters, who actually follow me wherever I go, nudging my imagination with other decisions and actions they want to make. It's really fascinating. And I appreciate how my fiction side actually helps me to be more creative in how I approach ledes and descriptions in my articles. Of course that doesn't mean I make anything up, but it does help me to appreciate the flow and placement of words, rather than focusing simply on delivering the facts. At the same time, my discipline as a nonfiction writer also benefits my fiction writing. All in all, I think my two writing sides pair up rather well.

What's the most helpful thing you've learned about writing?
There are a lot of things. That writing about something you know nothing about can often produce a better piece than something you're so close to you forget to explain your topic clearly and thereby lose your reader. On the other hand, writing about a topic that you're passionate about--for me that's children, domestic violence and eating disorders--can change a reader's life, and I think that makes any deadline worthwhile. That all writing, whether it be fiction or nonfiction, requires the same skills: accuracy, beautiful writing and an understanding of your audience. Because I have the dual roles of editor and writer, I think I have a more disciplined approach to my writing than perhaps someone who makes their living solely as a writer. I see through both sets of eyes, which is helpful because understanding an editor's needs makes me a better writer. Of course, this can also make me crazy at times. Finally, I think the most important thing I've learned about writing is that you have to be willing to take the risk that a piece you've written will be rejected. As one children's author told me, she's never met a published writer who gave up. If you get a rejection letter, spend the time to figure out what you could have done better, and then move on. Sometimes it has nothing to do with your writing or topic but is simply a matter of poor timing--the editor already bought or assigned something similar--and unless you keep trying, you'll never get that assignment letter and the potential for future assignments. I got my first rejection letter when I was 12, and I still get them. It goes with the territory, and if I were asked to start all over, I'd make the same career choice, rejection and all.

What's been the worst career advice you've ever received?
I've been fortunate to have had many work experiences that I created for myself, from my first job at 17 working for the writer Mitch Albom, who was then editor of a weekly paper in my hometown, to my current freelance career. But along the way, only once did an editor get in my way telling me I shouldn't apply for a managing editor job I knew I was qualified for because the male I was competing with "needed the money more since he had a child and I didn't." I was young, so I backed down. In the end it worked out since I jumped ship before the magazine folded a year later. But as an editor, I have a lot to say to potential writers. I can't tell you how often I get queries from writers who know nothing about my publication. Since one of the first things we writers learn is to know your market, I don't understand why this is such a common issue. I can only assume that in their zeal to get published, many writers feel it's better to get the query letter out, in effect shooting arrows in the dark rather than purposefully hitting their tarket. But that rarely, if ever, works out. It's better to send a thoughtful, well-researched query because if the editor appreciates your writing and your understanding of her publication (or publishing house), she may reject your current query, but welcome others, if not assign you something else. Good impressions do count in the field of writing.

What do you think is easier to break into, writing FOR children or writing ABOUT children? (For parenting magazines, etc.)
Sad to say it's easier to get assignments for articles about children than to write for them, only because there's a wider, hungrier market for advice for parents, than the more narrow world of children's books in which most publishers are looking for the next Harry Potter money-making machine. (While I don't blame them, it can be frustrating sometimes as a writer because there are so many wonderfully written books out there that just quietly earn their royalties without a lot of fanfare.) But in the world of children's books, it's easier to break into nonfiction than it is fiction, perhaps because there's a large market for books that help kids understand the who, what, where, when, why and how of life, particularly for the school and library markets. Every student will at some point be asked to write a report on weather or famous women, so my books help them with that. But the fiction market for children is far more subjective, with editorial decisions often made based on an editor's personal likes and dislikes, as well as the ever-fluctuating trends of the market. Still, no matter what market a writer approaches, good writing is always required.