Student Council

This girl just got chosen for student council in her fifth grade class. She is so excited. Only two kids from each class were picked, so she feels very honored to be one of them. But the funny thing is, she almost didn’t even try out for student council. She thought she would not be picked, so why bother. She almost let her fear keep her from doing something she really wanted to do.

I told her that we do not do things just to win. We also do things just to try. Just to see what we are capable of. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, but the important thing is we are trying. Failure only means that we are one step closer to our goals. And the more we try, the more we succeed. We can learn just as much from our failures as we can from our wins. And we never know what our potential is, or what we might achieve, until we take that first step.

I am so glad that she didn’t let her fear rule her. She put in her application, and she won. Now she is doing something she loves. What if she had let that fear keep her from trying? What if she had never applied, because she thought she might fail?

We can’t give up. We have to try. We have to overcome our fears. We have to keep working towards our goals. Only then will we know and become our very best selves.

The Dos & Don’ts of a Query Letter

Do research each agent you send a manuscript to.

Don’t send out a mass email to as many agents as you can.

Do spell the agent's name correctly.

Don’t address your query with the heading, To Whom It May Concern or Dear Agent.

Do check your query for grammar mistakes.

Don’t send out an unedited letter.

Do follow submission guidelines.

Don’t use any crazy gimmicks.

Do tell the agent why you are sending your manuscript to them.

Don’t tell them that it is the next best seller.

Do study other successful query letters.

Don’t be arrogant.

Do put some personality into your letter.

Don’t be unprofessional.