Writing for Kids (While Raising Them)

Thursday Thirteen: Things Parents Learn on the First Day of Preschool

March 12, 2009 in Children, Parenting | Tags: Motherhood, Parenting, Preschool, Thursday Thirteen | 8 comments

preschool1

“What did you do in school today?” elicits complete silence or the popular refrains, “I don’t know” and “I don’t remember.”
You are the “only mommy” who did not pack a lunch dessert for your child. Apparently, strawberries don’t qualify as dessert, especially not if your child cannot open the Ziplock baggie in which they were stored.
Your child must have a backpack even though they don’t have books or papers to carry back and forth on a daily basis. Carrying an empty backpack is completely normal and necessary.
The details you do learn of your child’s day are superfluous: “My teacher wears high heels!”
Smiling while looking at the camera is an endeavor more difficult than the decathalon.
Stopping to chat with other mothers for only a minute or two turns into over an hour and you wonder if you will soon be referred to as a yenta.
Even though your child concedes that the Dora the Explorer pillow you provided for naptime is not actually alive, Dora still managed to grab and pull your child’s hair with malicious intent.
Your child whines of hunger the second you pick them up. Refer to #2 above.
Once greeted by six hours of free time (even though that free time is spent with a 10 month-old baby) you should not start promising owners of Gymboree franchises that you will teach infant classes three days a week.
Do not provide your child with the coolest new underwear from the most popular new Disney movie if you do not want her lifting her dress every five minutes to show her classmates.
You can get up at 6:30am without being a zombie—just go to bed at 6:30pm.
If you send your child to school in sandals, they will return home with black feet.
Never before have six hours gone by so slowly…and yet so quickly.

Husband Perceived Time vs. Actual Time

March 9, 2009 in Blogging, Parenting, Writing | Tags: Motherhood, SAHM, WAHM | 13 comments

Rarely do I stray into my mommy life on this blog, but if I’m writing for kids while raising them, then a little parenting humor has its place. Enjoy, mommies! (P.S. This article may or may not be based on actual events!)

flyingclock This is for all the stay-at-home mothers who are exhausted at the end of the day only to be greeted by the words:

“What did you do all day long?”

I realize our husbands work hard so that we may stay home and care for our families, and I appreciate their sacrifices. They sit in traffic jams, discuss process and procedure at redundant meetings, and stress over outsourcing and layoffs. They eat lunches of bland, bark-dry chicken and imagine the blissful hours we spend in the safe, comfortable confines of our own home, children playing happily at our feet while we page through the latest romance novel.

Umm…no.

To dispell the soap-opera-and-bon-bon-eating-couch-dweller myth of stay-at-home mothers I present to you an average day in husband perceived time (herein referred to as HPT, not to be confused with home pregnancy test) versus actual time.*

Task: Wake children and get them bathed
HPT: 30 minutes
Actual Time: 60 minutes

First child wishes to remain in the bed she so desperately tried to avoid the night before. While removing second child’s diaper, she pees all over herself, your pajamas, and the floor. Throw pajamas in the wash, scrub floor with antibacterial yet environmentally-friendly cleanser, and place children in bath. Second child makes poop-ready face, so she immediately must come out of bath water with shampoo still in hair. Wrestle new diaper on, rinse hair, clothe her, bathe first child. Slip on floor, ice sore ankle, let first child run around wet and naked.

Task: Feed children breakfast (and yourself if you have the chance)
HPT: 15 minutes
Actual Time: 45 minutes

First child refuses to eat and throws food on floor. Sit child in time-out. Clean floor. Second child spits food out like a machine gun. Clean floor. First child returns to table, lifts cereal bowl to drink like cat, spills milk. Calm tears. Clean floor. Remove second child from highchair, half the breakfast you thought was eaten falls to the ground. Slip on floor, ice sore ankle, let baby lick crumbs off ceramic tile.

Task: Take preschooler to school
HPT: 10 minutes (even though school is 15 minutes away)
Actual Time: 70 minutes

Spend 15 minutes getting shoes and jackets on children and buckling into Houdini-quality childseats. Drive to school. Wrestle stroller out of car, get baby into stroller, carry backpack, lunchbox, stuffed animal du jour and walk (limp) child to classroom. Get stopped by parent #1 requesting an RSVP to their child’s birthday party. Get stopped by parent #2 requesting a playdate. Get stopped by parent #3 requesting you chair a PTA fundraiser. Preschool director says you did not sign a precious piece of paperwork. File into her office and wait 10 minutes while she finds crucial document: a pledge to provide a peanut-free lunch.

Task: Put baby down to nap
HPT: 5 minutes
Actual time: 30 minutes

Baby fights sleep. A cough appears out of nowhere, causing her to awaken just as she is about to fall asleep. Get in car and drive around neighborhood.

Task: Free time while baby naps
HPT: All day long
Actual time: 37.2 seconds

Chores done in beat to William Tell Overture: sort clothes for laundry, run a wash, put this morning’s soiled jammies in dryer, empty the dishwasher and reload, make yourself a sandwich, go through mail, schedule a doctor’s appointment, return phone calls to your mother-in-law, your babysitter and the YMCA for swim lessons that have been cancelled and rescheduled for a day and time that is most inconvenient for you. Sit and eat lunch. Thirty seconds of bliss. Bite into sandwich as baby wakes from carseat flashnap.

Task: Pick-up preschooler from school
HPT: 0 minutes (you mean she doesn’t take a bus?)
Actual Time: 45 minutes

Preschooler is starving when you arrive. Examine lunchbox. Entire lunch remains. Sit at school while child eats lunch that should have been consumed three hours ago.

Task: Play with kids
HPT: 60 minutes
Actual Time: 60 minutes

Draw with chalk on driveway. Skip. Roll on grass. Blow bubbles. Have tickle contest. Giggle and make goofy faces. Collect acorns; plant them.

Task: Make dinner
HPT: 30 minutes
Actual Time: 60 minutes

“Hey honey, how come Rachael Ray can do it in 30 minutes?” Like Jane Jetson, you press a button on a little silver box and dinner magically appears in a cloud of steam, hot and ready, on a table already set with placemats, forks, knives, spoons, napkins, plates, glasses and everyone’s favorite beverage.

Task: Prepare for tomorrow
HPT: 0 minutes (what, can’t you do that tomorrow?)
Actual Time: 60 minutes

Make lunch and pack it. Check weather report and take out clothes for tomorrow, jackets, gloves, hats, boots, gloves. Throw out junk mail, sort bills, tack invitations on the fridge and check calendar. Make grocery list. Fold laundry. While helping first child go to the potty, baby grabs pile of laundry. Refold laundry. Put laundry away.

I’ll skip bedtime and instead point you to this poignant little ditty on YouTube. This husband’s inner HPT clock is working perfectly.

So, let’s add it all up for the day…drumroll please…

Husband Perceived Time of All Tasks: 1 hour (only playing with the kids counts)
Actual Time of All Tasks (including 30 minutes potty time): 7.7 hours

Hmmm, out of an eight-hour day, that gives us exactly 18 minutes to blog.

*Please note that HPT exists in households where mothers work outside the home as well. In this case, the HPT may be even more distorted.

Steve Ouch: Can He Twitter to a Best Seller?

March 7, 2009 in Children's Books, Picture Books, Publishing, Writing for Children | 6 comments

steampotvillecover Last week I interviewed author-illustrator Steve Ouch about his indie picture book, SteamPotVille. I had discovered Steve on Twitter in January with 5,000 followers, 19 five-star reviews on Amazon, and a passion for promoting his book.

Today he may have made Twistory by selling 200 copies of SteamPotVille, enough to reach #208 in Amazon’s ranking system, just behind one of Rick Steves’ travel books. What inspired the push? Steve’s banker had promised him a book tour loan if he could sell 200 copies today. So that’s just what he did.

Steve remained on Twitter for 15 hours and made hundreds of posts pushing his book. With over 10,000 followers now, he only needed 2% of them to buy. And they did. He Tweeted when someone made a purchase and promoted that person. He excerpted lines from the book. Suggested adults would love it as much as kids. Offered it as a St. Patrick’s Day gift idea. There wasn’t a sales angle he missed.

If you want to learn something about marketing and self-promotion, follow Steve Ouch on Twitter.

Query Fail: How Not to Land an Agent

March 5, 2009 in Literary Agents, Publishing, Queries, Twitter, Writing | Tags: Query Fail, QueryFail | 29 comments

Today literary agents Lauren E. MacLeod and Colleen Lindsay hosted “QueryFail” on Twitter. Several agents and editors joined in by sharing the worst query lines from their slush piles.

The intention wasn’t to mock writers, but to educate them. “I know writing and querying are hard,” wrote Ms. MacLeod. “So my queryfails have been chosen from people who did not follow submission guidelines.”

Originally I had reposted many of the QueryFail examples here. But after hearing from several writers who were upset by the event, I have removed the specific entries. Instead, I’ll focus on what I learned by following QueryFail.

I apologize to those writers who felt disrespected. My intention in reposting was to share what I thought was good information. I still think it’s good information. But if you know me personally, you know I’m an empathetic soul and I don’t wish to cause another writer distress. Frankly, we’re distressed enough.

So onto what I learned, sans examples…

1. Failure to follow directions is an automatic rejection.

Agents receive hundreds of queries a week. Their submission guidelines help them work efficiently. If you don’t follow those guidelines, it takes more time to read and respond to your query. The easiest solution is therefore not to bother.

2. Don’t include anything in your query other than what is requested. (Typically a one-page letter and first page(s) writing sample.)

What sells a book? The writing. The same goes true for your query. The writing sample’s the thing. Don’t include food, photos, scented paper, stickers, alcohol or anything else. This distracts from your writing, the one thing that will win the agent’s attention.

3. An agent makes a living by selling books. If you don’t have a book available to sell, you shouldn’t be querying.

Do not query until your book is finished, polished and ready for sale. Agents do not write for you, so don’t send ideas you want them to complete. Don’t contact an agent if you have something already published but nothing new to sell.

4. Only include relevant, professional publishing credentials in your query.

If you are writing a middle grade novel, your articles for a food packaging trade magazine aren’t relevant. Neither is adult fiction, unfortunately. And if you don’t have any credentials, don’t apologize. Simply list your membership in a writer’s organization, like SCBWI. Remember, your writing is what matters. Experience is good, but not a requirement.

5. Submit a novel with a unique idea, not a bizarre one.

You may write well, but is your book marketable? Remember, an agent’s job is to sell books.

6. Don’t toot your own horn.

Confidence is an attractive quality. Arrogance is not. Know the difference.

7. Remember correct punctuation and grammar.

If your one-page query contains mistakes, the agent can assume that your manuscript is flawed, too.

8. Use the correct salutation.

Call the agent by their name. They want to know that you know who they are! If they are agent #47 in an email blast, they know you haven’t done your research. Don’t call a female agent “sir.” And don’t address your query “to whom it may concern.”

After all those fails you may be wondering, what is a Query Win?

First sentence hook
Wordcount/genre
One- or two-paragraph blurb
Relevant writing credits/background
Polite closing
Solid writing sample

If you want to read more, search TweetGrid.com for #queryfail.

One last tip from Query Fail: “If you must scream about your rejection, do so into a pillow, not on your blog.”

Yee-haw! It’s the Tammi Sauer Round-up, Partner!

March 3, 2009 in Author Interview, Children, Children's Books, Children's Writing, KidLit, Picture Books, Publishing, Writing, Writing for Children | Tags: Chicken Dance, Cowboy Camp, Sterling, Tammi Sauer | 3 comments

Tammi Sauer is the author of Cowboy Camp, a knee-slappin’, whip-snappin’, giddyup of a picture book.

I predict you’re going to be hearing a lot about Tammi soon. With several gotta-read-’em titles on the way–including Chicken Dance, Mostly Monsterly and Princess-in-Training–we can all say we knew her when!

Tammi is moseyin’ over to my blog today to talk about her trail ride from writer to published author.

Tammi, how did Cowboy Camp gallop from your desk to the bookshelves?

Cowboy Camp didn’t start at my desk, it started on my front porch.

One evening, there was an unexpected knock at the door. I opened it and was greeted by a young boy. He was selling newspaper subscriptions in an effort to go to…COWBOY CAMP. I looked at this kid with his everywhere hair and thick glasses and uncowboy-like everything and knew I had a story.

I wrote the manuscript, revised it, and sent it out in under a week—my fastest ever. Early on, Cowboy Camp made its way to three acquisitions meetings. Oh, the joy. But each time the manuscript was returned to me with regret. Oh, the agony. Many personal rejections rolled in as well. Then I discovered a house that was just starting up a picture book line. I thought, “Maybe this is it!”

I sent Cowboy Camp to Sterling Publishing. Within two weeks, I learned the manuscript was going to acquisitions. Shortly thereafter, the editor emailed and told me the acquisitions team loved the manuscript, but the house wanted to find the perfect illustrator before offering me a contract. Yes, more joy. More agony.

Months went by. I decided to send Cowboy Camp to SmartWriter’s first W.I.N.! (Write It Now!) Competition. Cowboy Camp ended up placing second in the picture book division out of more than 400 entries. I shared the news with my editor contact at Sterling. Within weeks, I had an offer. Yee-haw!

You said Cowboy Camp was your “fastest ever.” How many picture book manuscripts did you write before Cowboy Camp? Are any of those slated for publication?

I’m not sure how many picture book manuscripts came before Cowboy Camp. Maybe four or five? I do know that they were collectively awful. I consider them my “practice manuscripts.” And ha! No, none of those early works are slated for publication.

So how long had you been writing for children when you got the contract for Cowboy Camp?

tammisauer In 2000, I started toying with the idea of writing children’s books (this meant I would write for a couple of hours one day and not write another word for the next, oh, ten months or so). I didn’t get serious about writing children’s books until the spring of 2003 when an illustrator paid a visit to my daughter’s preschool. Seeing a real live person who was involved in the creation of children’s books was the push I needed to make writing a priority in my life. I received Cowboy Camp’s offer the following year.

You have five books slated for release. Do you have an agent now, or are you continuing to submit on your own?

I have an agent. In August of 2005, after much agent research, I sent Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown Literary Agency a query for a humorous, contemporary teen novel. It wasn’t long before she asked for the manuscript. The next thing I knew, she wanted to call me. Eek! Fortunately, a miracle occurred and the phone call went well…so well in fact that I KNEW I found the right match for me and my work.

Around the time that I signed, my PB writing started to take off. And that teen novel of mine? It was getting revision request after revision request after revision request to infinity. I made the decision to put the novel on hold and focus on what I loved and did best–PBs. Laura fully supported me on my decision.

You obviously have the talent to succeed in novels. How did you come to the realization that you were a PB-writer at heart? Do you think you’ll ever go back to that YA novel?

PBs just felt more right.

I don’t think I will ever go back to that novel. There was a lot that I loved in that manuscript (the characters, the humor, the voice). But one day it occurred to me that if I was going to have a novel Out There, I’d want it to be someone’s favorite. I would want others to feel about my book the same way I had felt when I read A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban. My manuscript was nice, but it didn’t have that kind of wow factor.

What do you love most about writing picture books? Is there a particularly satisfying challenge? Are you thrilled to see your words come to life through each illustrator’s interpretation?

I can’t think of the one thing I love most. Coming up with a good idea is awesome. So is finding the perfect word, creating just the right story arc, and discovering new ways to build heart and humor into a manuscript.

As for satisfying challenges? I would have to say getting the “Yeah, baby!” from my critique partner Cynthea Liu is one of the hardest things to come by and therefore one of the most satisfying of challenges. The “Yeah, baby!” is what we give one another when a manuscript is decidedly brilliant and ready to be sent agent-ward. Believe me, getting the coveted “Yeah, baby!” is worthy of fanfare.

It has been a real thrill to see my words come to life through each illustrator’s interpretation. In Chicken Dance, Dan Santat created an Elvis Poultry that absolutely floored me. I recently received Scott Magoon’s sketches for Mostly Monsterly and I was equally amazed. Scott’s take on the main character and her story was better than I had ever imagined. I feel honored to be working with such talented people.

One way for children’s authors to promote their books is with school visits. You just got back from a school visit in Texas. Can you tell us about that? What is a typical Tammi Sauer visit like for the students?

I absolutely love doing school visits–especially when schools work hard to make the day an event. On my web site, I list some tips for a successful school visit and Holliday Elementary certainly made the most of it. The kids–as well as some of the faculty and staff–gussied up in their best cowboy and cowgirl gear. Cowboy grub was served. Stick horse races took place in the gym. Bandana-wrapped trail mix was passed out. A guess-the-number-of-beans contest was held in the library media center… It was truly a cowboy-themed day.

I always strive to make my school visits fun, engaging, and informative. I offer a lot of opportunities for audience participation, perform a couple of magic tricks and/or an impromptu theater experience, and do what I can to really connect with the kids. Creating a memorable and meaningful experience for students is my top goal.

Yee-haw, honey! That sounds like a rootin’-tootin’ good time!

Once your picture book is accepted, the publisher has to find an illustrator. How much input do you give your editor regarding illustrator choice?

Some houses ask for illustrator input. Some don’t. I was thrilled when my editor at Simon & Schuster asked me for an Illustrator Wish List. So fun! One of the names at the very top of my list was Scott Magoon. I was astounded when Scott signed on for Mostly Monsterly. Total writerly dream come true!

I am happy to say I have formed good email relationships with Dan Santat and Scott Magoon. They are both so funny and brilliant and beyond what I had ever hoped for as partners for my books.

How do you stand the wait until your book is released? Most picture books take 1-2 years to hit the shelves!

tammichicks I WISH it only took 1-2 years! Chicken Dance will hit the shelves three years after I received the offer. Mostly Monsterly debuts two and a half years post-offer. The waiting is pretty horrible–especially since I am not a patient person. At all.

But, wow, when little bits of news trickle in—like finding out who will illustrate an upcoming book or receiving preliminary sketches or seeing the final art for the first time–it makes for some really nice moments along the way.

Tammi, thanks for sharing your story. Before you ride off into the sunset, what’s your best piece of advice for aspiring picture book authors?

My best piece of advice for new writers who dream of becoming published picture book authors is to read–and study!–as many picture books as possible. Knowing picture books inside and out–their feel, their rhythm, their language–is the very first step in creating quality picture books of their own.

OK, cowpokes! You heard Tammi! Now get on back on yer saddle! Read and write!

And don’t forget to visit Tammi’s blog! You can order Cowboy Camp or pre-order Chicken Dance via Amazon.

Love a KidLit Author Month Continues…

March 2, 2009 in Author Interview, Children's Books, KidLit, Picture Books, Publishing, Writing for Children | 3 comments

heartauthors February is over, but fear not, kidlit lovers!

“Love a KidLit Author Month” will continue through March.

That means more interviews with children’s authors and illustrators, both new and established…

…and more chances to win autographed books…

…and don’t forget that gift certificate when the series is done! So remember to leave a comment to be entered!

While you wait, please go vote in Fuse #8’s Top 100 Picture Books poll! Choose your 10 favorites of all time. Deadline is March 31! Go vote now!

SteamPotVille: Little Indie Title Making Big Tweets

February 25, 2009 in Author Interview, Children's Books, Children's Writing, Picture Books, Publishing, Twitter, Writing, Writing for Children | Tags: Author Promotion, Book Promotion | 7 comments

I met author-illustrator Steve Ouch on Twitter several weeks ago and was immediately impressed by his 5,000 followers. (Which has now topped 10,000.) Just who is this guy? Why had I never heard of his book SteamPotVille?

The easy answer is that Steve wrote, illustrated, and published SteamPotVille himself. And now he’s a one-man marketing juggernaut, making connections with parents, teachers and fellow writers through social media.

Smart? You bet. His book, released in early January, already garnered 19 five-star reviews on Amazon. The word-of-mouth is spreading…and spreading fast.

Fascinated by his approach, I had to learn more about Steve and his creation.

SteamPotVille is a topsy-turvy romp through a fantastical dreamland. The illustrations feature animals in impossible situations–a lion riding a pony, a monkey swinging from a straw–created by photomontage. Steve, one has to wonder, what came first? The pictures or the text?

The text came first. Just as in the development of a movie, I changed some of the script as images came to life. Each page has about 150 hours of illustration time. When you spend that much time on one piece, the characters start their improvisations. Adjusting the text to express this phenomena makes the book a better read. That’s a flexibility that comes with being the author and the illustrator.

Wow! 150 hours! Truly a labor of love. And that shows not only through your elaborate, whimsical illustrations, but in the way you’re marketing SteamPotVille via social media.

Can you tell us why you decided to release your book as an independent title? Did you have a viral marketing campaign in mind all along?

I did a logic problem and this is what I discovered:

a. I shouldn’t spend all my time looking for an agent and a publisher when I could be trying to make money selling books.

b. By enacting my own campaign and getting the book viewed, I’m doing a service to a publisher by testing how the product will be received on the market.

c. Once SteamPotVille is established then I can meet with publishers for wider/deeper distribution. I like the idea of getting things done. It’s really taxing to forge new paths all the time, but that’s life. As far as a viral campaign: I don’t see it as a campaign but more of an ongoing experiment.

And you’re definitely getting things done. How did you attract so many Twitter followers? What other kind of online promotion have you been involved in?

Twitter is parallel to human society. All of the general rules of socializing apply to this medium, so I get out there and socialize. The more I do it, the more popular I become.

Online I’m trying to get in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most cousins on FaceBook (add me as a friend and I will make you my cousin). That’s a slow and long term promotion. The other promotions happening at the moment are my inefficiency campaign and sending bottles of the Internet to people who can’t get access.

Ha! And let’s not forget about blog interviews!

Some may call you brilliant and yet others might be cynical about your publisher-come-to-Mohammed approach. What do you have to say to the skeptics?

:chuckle: I wonder if Mohammad had a hard time finding a publisher? That would be a fun story.

I never place judgment on what others choose to do for themselves. Each of us have our own path to go down. I am not saying that mine is the best nor is it right. I am just doing what seems to be right for me for the time. Whether it works to deliver SteamPotVille in the right hands will be like a bad mini-series (to be continued). For now though, I am enjoying the opportunities to chit-chat with people like you and that makes me happy enough.

Thanks, Steve. No wonder you’re so popular!

Can you tell us a little about your photomontage process? How do you start illustrating a spread? Do you make a rough sketch first, or does it all come together on the computer screen?

I spend time breaking apart a scene I have developed in my head, then I rough it out on paper. Next, I take pictures and apply them to the layout on my Mac, over and over, until I feel like the image is strong enough to stand on its own.

Are you working on another book now?

I finished writing my next work. I hope to get started on the montage at the end of the year.

Have you approached traditional booksellers about carrying your title? Will be you making any appearances to promote your book?

I have yet to approach any traditional booksellers, know any buyers? Speaking of, anyone who would like to get my book into any store or chain, I would offer a commission of the sale.

I plan on doing a book tour this summer/fall! If it happens, it will be pretty interactive from a web perspective. 😉

What advice do you have for other authors who are interested in publishing and marketing their own title? Is there anything you know now that you wish you knew when you started?

I would advise anyone who is going to setup their book “indie style” to begin marketing your book before you are done. I wish I knew that one.

I think that’s good advice for any author. Thanks, Steve! Good luck with your books!

Check out SteamPotVille and follow Steve Ouch on Twitter for his book updates.

Overheard at the NJ-SCBWI Mentoring Workshop

February 23, 2009 in Children's Books, Children's Writing, Literary Agents, New Jersey, Picture Books, Publishing, Writing for Children, Writing for Teens, YA Fiction | Tags: Children's Book Editors, Editors, NJ-SCBWI | 10 comments

Random comments on the children’s book industry from editors and agents attending the NJ-SCBWI mentoring workshop on February 22:

On THE ECONOMY:

“Things are getting tighter with budgets. As hard as it was to get published, it’s even harder now.”

“Bookstores are cutting down on their inventory. We can’t get as many books in, so we’re not buying as many books.”

“This is not just a correction of the marketplace, it’s a correction of the mind.”

“We’re going to be seeing far fewer advances for mediocre books.”

“But if you’re a new author, you don’t have a poor track record to hurt you.”

“We may see a return to house authors. Authors and publishers will enter a partnership. They’ll help nuture one another and careers will have a steady progression. If you find a house that loves you, they will love you long time!”

On MARKETING & PROMOTION:

“Learn how to market your books. Do school visits. Use social networking tools. Talk to other writers about your book. Talk to everyone about your book.”

“Get to know your publicist and marketing director. They are your friends. But don’t overwhelm them with 17 email messages a day. Let them know you’re their partner.”

“Realize that the books you see up front in the stores are paid for by the publishers through co-op marketing. If they have a talking slip? Paid for. If they’re on an end-cap? Paid for.”

“Become friends with your local librarian and your local bookstores. But always keep your publicist informed about what you’re doing. Don’t go over their head. Don’t go over your editor’s head, either. That’s bad business for everyone involved.”

“Don’t waste people’s time. Don’t send chocolate to all the Borders buyers in the country.”

“With school visits, you’re a celebrity to those kids. Get yourself out there. Build word-of-mouth.”

“Temper your expectations. If you wrote a teen non-fiction book, the big retailers aren’t going to carry it. That’s not their market.”

“Don’t follow today’s trends. Writing for the market in general is a terrible idea.”

“If you’re a picture book writer, don’t start writing a YA about vampires just because it’s popular.”

On EDITORS:

“Editors are always in the market for a well-written book. But I can’t define for you what that is. I know it when I see it.”

“Know what your editor likes. Know who you’re submitting to. I don’t like gross stories.”

“But I do! Send them to me!”

“We like authors who are agented because the work comes in polished.”

Picture Book Dummy, Picture Book Construction: Know Your Layout

February 22, 2009 in Children's Books, Children's Writing, KidLit, Picture Books, Writing, Writing for Children | Tags: Picture Book Construction, Picture Book Layout, Picture Book Template | 171 comments

Editorial Anonymous provided a great explanation of basic picture book construction a few months ago.

At that time, I skimmed the info. Today, I’m studying it.

Why? An editor asked me to make page breaks on my current manuscript. And know what? I had more page breaks than a 32-page picture book would allow! Whoops. I knew that my manuscript had to fall within the 500- to 800-word length, but I had neglected to pay attention to logical page breaks.

The editor said, “Page turns can make or break a book, and it can be helpful to an editor to see how you envision the text.”

In a 32-page picture book, you don’t actually have 32 pages for your story. You only have 24 pages since 8 are used for the book ends, copyright and title. And 24 pages translates to 12 spreads (an illustration that spans the two opened pages in a book).

selfends

Self-ended means that the printed book block serves not only for the story, but also for the end pages. No additional paper is used to form the book. The printed book block is pasted directly onto the cover.

Another common format is colored ends. This means colored paper (different from the printed book block) is used for the end pages. With colored ends, you’ll gain an additional 2 1/2 spreads since more of the printed book block is available for story.

coloredends

Some picture books have single-page illustrations instead of spreads. One of my favorite devices is when a group of three things are illustrated on one page. But this isn’t done on every page. A debut author’s work might be laid out only in spreads to save on costs (it’s less illustrations to produce), so you may want to think mostly in spreads. As always, publishing is a subjective industry, so this will vary by editor.

You may be asking, why do I need to know this? Won’t the editor and illustrator figure out the page breaks? Sure, they will. Some may not even ask for your page-break input. However, you can write a more appealing picture book if you understand the format for which you’re writing. Knowing the page turns will improve your story’s pacing. You’ll realize which scenes may have too much text. You can make page turns surprising and fun.

So give it a try. Take your current PB and plug it into the format. Does it fit?

I just took a random sampling of 7 picture books from my collection. Interestingly, none had self-ended construction. They all had colored ends. Here’s how they broke down:

pblayouts3

I don’t think I’ll ever look at a picture book the same way again. My kids are going to be frustrated if I count spreads while I read to them!

It’s interesting to note that Cowboy Camp and Spaghetti Eddie are both by debut authors. Cowboy Camp is illustrated in spreads, whereas Spaghetti Eddie is told with mostly single-page illustrations. This “illustrates” that publisher preferences vary (as do manuscripts)!

Keep in mind that when you submit your manuscript, you should do so in the standard format, unless the submission guidelines specifically request that you mark page breaks.

Some editors will never ask you for page breaks, some will insist upon them. Remember that this is a subjective industry where there are many rules to follow but many places to break them, too.

Horse Crazy & Book Smart: Tween Author Jessica Burkhart

February 21, 2009 in Author Interview, Children's Books, Children's Writing, Fiction, KidLit, Middle Grade Fiction, Publishing, Writing, Writing for Children, Writing for Teens, YA Fiction | Tags: Aladdin MIX, Canterwood Crest, Equestrians, Horses, Jessica Burkhart, Take the Reins, Tween Fiction | 3 comments

Are you crazy about horses? Jessica Burkhart is!

She’s the author of Canterwood Crest, a new tween series from Aladdin MIX. It’s The Clique meets The Saddle Club.

In this video, Jessica talks about her source of inspiration, shows off her extensive lipgloss collection, and gives advice to young writers hoping to be published someday. Jessica, now 22 years old, was first published at the tender age of 14.

The 12-year-old fan interviewing Jessica is my neighbor Roshni, who just happens to be my expert source on all things middle school.

Take it away, Roshni and Jessica!