Recently in Publishing Tips Category

Jane Yolen, veteran author of both picture books and young adult novels, details the process of developing her current project, a picture book about Ben Franklin and his son William. She's posting about the process on her online journal; scroll down to "Interstitial Moment: 1 of 3 on Writing A Picture Book" for the beginning of her journey. Yolen writes:

Difficult? A picture book? O, ye of little knowledge. To remind you: a picture book is usually 32 and occasionally 40 pages long. Half or more of it is pictorial. The trick of writing one--so far as there is a trick--is to be a prose writer with a poet's sensibility. Or a poet who is comfortable with story. Furthermore, an historical picture book needs to be able to boil down a biography or a part of a biography into a followable line with illustrate-able pages.

And the rest of the post is just as interesting. If you're an aspiring author or a fan of Yolen, this is one post you won't want to miss!

[via the ever-fabulous Fuse #8]

If you're interested in learning how to break into children's book publishing, consider attending the Center for Children's Literature conference in Kenosha, WI next weekend.

THE BUSINESS OF CHILDREN'S PUBLISHING

"I've got the idea, now what do I do with it?" Many people involved with children and books feel they could publish a children's book. But it is a long journey from idea to bound book. How to make the journey?

The Center for Children's Literature at Carthage College, Kenosha, WI., is sponsoring a conference that will present eight speakers currently involved in children's book publishing. Authors Gary D. Schmidt and Jan Greenberg will talk about their journeys. Illustrator Timothy Basil Ering will describe his.

In addition, a publisher, a marketing manager, an editor, an art director and an agent will also describe their roles in the process of making a book. Large group presentations, question/answer sessions and optional box lunches with the speakers in small groups will make up the schedule.

Friday, October 17 (beginning at 9 am) and Saturday, October 18 (finishing at 3 pm) in Hedberg Library on the campus, aspiring authors and illustrators, teachers, librarians, and parents can interact with the speakers, on either, or both of the days. Registration information is available by calling (262)552-5480 or going to www.carthage.edu/childliterature.

[via Fuse #8]

As the first line of defense for Illumination Arts' email, I often get questions on submissions, not just for our company, but for getting published in general. Below are some answers I gave one recent questioner, which you may find useful.

I was hoping you could tell me the best way to get it published. Do I just send it to as many publishers as possible? Is there something else I should do before sending out my copies of this children's book? I can't really draw cartoons, but should I pay for an illustrator? They are very expensive.

Before you send your story out, make sure it as polished as humanly possible. There should be no typos, misspellings, or bad grammar. Have a friend who's good with words look over your manuscript for you; they may find things you missed.

After that, the best strategy is for you to do your research on publishers, and find out where your book fits best. Get yourself a copy of Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market, which has contact info and submissions guidelines for just about every children's publisher in the country. After you've narrowed down the field, select three or four of those publishers to send your manuscript to. After you've heard back from those three or four, you can send it out to another set of three or four publishers. This can be a very long, tedious process, but don't give up hope. Almost everybody who gets published has gone through it.

As for an illustrator, it's actually preferable that you send your manuscript in without illustrations. When you include illustrations, the acquisitions editor may find that they like your story, but can't stand the artwork, leading them to reject a good story. Instead, send it in with no illustrations. After a publisher accepts your manuscript, they will set about commissioning an illustrator to create the artwork.

Good luck finding a publisher for your story!

Having just recently been the recipient of an "I've just written the next Harry Potter" phone call, I must heartily concur with today's Editorial Anonymous post. Editorial Anonymous offers some terrific tips on determining your book's audience:

If I ask you if three-year-olds would like a book and you say "I don't know," what you're really saying is "I don't know what three-year-olds like." And that means that you don't get to write for them.

So be sure to read tons of children's books and get to know your audience, before you start writing your masterpiece.

Think writing a children's book will be easy? After all, even Madonna has written several, right? You might want to think again. My coworkers and I couldn't even begin to tell you the number of times we've heard the words, "I have a great idea for a children's book!"

One of the biggest mistakes many would-be writers make is not being careful enough with their words. You think, 500 words? That's easy! I can whip that out in an hour! This may be true, but the shorter the book, the greater the attention that is focused on each and every one of those words. Each word must be perfect, down to the subtle nuances of meaning. At the same time, the language must be simple enough for your target audience to grasp. Throw in the rhyme scheme that so many children's writers rely on, and you will find that each word must have the exact right rhythm--nothing ruins a good story more than awkward rhyming.

With over 2,000 submissions per year being sent to our office alone, competition in the children's market is fierce. So, writers, look over your submission one more time before you send it out. Are you confident in every verb and adjective?

For more tips on writing for kids, check out this article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.