Short books are often the trickiest to edit. Every word counts, just like in poetry.

“Screen time” and “book time” are not necessarily competitors. As a kid, I loved to read and loved to watch TV. Still do. One doesn’t have to cancel out the other. Besides, a lot of us read almost exclusively on-screen—so the mediums are increasingly blurring.

Editing is an honor and a privilege. An author grants you access to his or her work and trusts you to do what’s best for it. That’s incredibly powerful, scary, and humbling.

If a kid starts reading a book and finds that he or she hates it, then the kid should put it down! Nothing squelches love for reading faster than slogging through a book that doesn’t interest you. (This lesson is courtesy of my old elementary school librarian, who used to tell us this all the time. Thanks, Mr. K.)

When it comes to brainstorming topics for future books, curricular and market research is all well and good, but passion needs to fuel the process. It’s not like Stephenie Meyer said, “I’m going to write a novel in the paranormal YA genre that will also have crossover adult appeal.” She had a dream about a girl in love with a vampire, and she couldn’t let it go and had to write it down.

What do you believe about your chosen field? About book trends? About life in general? Let me know in the comments section.