Michelle Sagara

I think some of the answer would depend on what kind of house you end up with. Do they aim mostly for the bookstore or the school and library market? Are their novel bestsellers books that win big awards or books that sell well in bookstores but don't win any awards? I can think of several examples of writers - Susan Cooper, Franny Billingsley, Ursula Le Guin to name a few - who have what people would call successful careers. However, Billingsley's last book was released four years ago. Cooper especially but also Le Guin don't always have a MG or YA book released each year.