Children's Writers' Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I get started?
The first step is to do research. Decide what types of children's books that you want to write, and then go to bookstores and see what the most current books are like in that style or category. After you have read and studied as many of these books as you can find, then check out the Writer's Digest book, Children's Writer and Illustrator's
Market . This book contains all the basic information and etiquette on how to submit stories to publishers. It also has a listing of all of the children's book publishers with their policies toward accepting manuscripts for consideration.
Be sure to take a look at my other suggested books for writers.
- I have no artistic talent and I don't know anyone who can illustrate my picture books,
what do I do?
Children's book authors don't need to worry about creating
the illustrations for their books. In fact, the majority of publishers, if not
all, do not want authors to submit illustrations with their stories unless the
author is also a very talented illustrator. When you submit a story for
publication, it needs to be able to stand on its own merits. If the publisher
decides to buy your story, the publisher will then decide who will illustrate
it.
- Do I need an agent?
It depends on who you ask. This has been a long debated
question. There are pros and cons in having an agent and in not having an
agent. It really depends on what you want the agent to do for
you.
-Agents can help you get your first publishing break.
However, many writers feel that it is harder to get a "good" agent
than it is to sell a excellent story on your own to a publisher. I was able to
sell my book, BRAVE LITTLE MONSTER to HarperCollins without an agent.
-Agents can help you negotiate your contracts. If you're
not comfortable negotiating your publishing contracts or if you simply don't
want to, a "good" agent can be invaluable in this area. If you have no
fear or if you want to negotiate your own contracts, there are plenty of
resources on the Web and books that you can buy that can guide you in your
contract negotiations.
-Agents can help propel your writing career. In my opinion
this is the best reason for getting an agent. However, not all agents can help
propel your career. Most good agents know the publishing industry and have
contacts at the major publishing houses, but you'll need to do your research to
see if the agent your evaluating has the influence and capability to really help
you build your career. Of course, before an agent can do anything for you, you
have to have the writing skills and talents to back up that successful writing
career.
The bottom-line you is that you don't necessarily need an
agent to have a successful writing career, but being able to get the right agent
can definitely help your career. But don't forget, no agent is better than a bad
agent.
- Is it okay to submit a story to more than one publisher at a time?
It depends on the publisher. Some publisher won't accept
any simultaneous submissions, while others don't care. You simply need to find
out their submission policies by looking on their Web site, send them a letter
with an enclosed SASE and request their writer's guidelines, or look up their
policy in the latest Writer's Digest Children's Writer and Illustrator's Market.
If you do submit simultaneously, as a courtesy you need to inform the publisher
that it is a simultaneous submission.
- What's the best thing I can do to get my first break in selling a story?
Don't stop writing. Write all the time. After
you finish a story, start on a new one. The more you write, the better your
writing will become. It can take several years of writing tons of stories and
receiving tons of rejections letters before you have the skills or insights or
whatever it takes to write a story that will be noticed and wanted by a
publisher.
- What else can I do to help my writing career take off?
-Read lots of the latest children's books.
You need to know the current market to get a feel for what editors are looking
for.
-Attend writing
conferences. Not only can you learn a lot of important things at conferences to
help your career, but they also give you the opportunity to meet editors from
publishing houses, agents, and other authors.
-Join a critique group.
To become a better writer, you need objective feedback on your writing. Critique
groups can help you improve your writing skills and help you discover essential
elements that might be missing from your stories.
