"Anything worth doing takes time," is a saying my grandpa would often say. Of course it's true and applies to all sorts of endeavors if not all.
My experience with the publishing world (until recently) was limited to self-published comics and the comics industry in general... so it's been an eye-opening experience to work my way into the kid lit industry and traditional publishing. Everywhere you turn the word is that it all takes a lot of patience and time... neither of which I have a natural affinity towards. But, I've greatly enjoyed my time being introduced to and joining the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators)... I haven't been a member for long (Spring 2017), but in my time, so far, I've been to 3 conferences, joined 2 different critique groups, gained an illustration critique partner, met some amazing industry people and made some great friends. What a blessing.
I'm only just now truly beginning to understand the amount of work it takes to write a book... I have written quite a few short stories for comics, other personal projects and in school, but this is a totally different beast. It's challenging and I'm so thankful to those who surround me with more knowledge, writing experience and who are genuinely interested in seeing me succeed as an author/illustrator. So, while a lot of the journey is solitary, there are a lot of helping hands along the way up (if you are willing to seek them out).
If you're wanting to write a book of any kind, I encourage you to seek out organizations like SCBWI or others specific to your end goal.
There are so many obstacles left to conquer on my way up this mountain, but hand-over-hand I'll make my way up. Are you ready to start your ascent?