Writing Children's Books For Dummies E-Book

Lisa Rojany Buccieri

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 641

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

Everyone loves a children's book. And many dream about writing one. But is it actually possible for an unpublished writer--armed with a good story idea and a love of kids--to write, sell, publish, and promote a book? Yes, it is! Veteran children's book publishing executive and author Lisa Rojany Buccieri and author Peter Economy show you how, in their incredibly useful 2005 first edition of Writing Children's Books For Dummies®. Buccieri and Economy begin by explaining the basics of the children's book business, from the nuts and bolts of the various formats and genres--with helpful illustrations to aid you--to the intricacies of the book publishing market, a list of recent award-winning books, and a first peek into the particular mind set that writing children's books requires. (Hint: Throw out the adult rules, and think like a kid!) Then the authors dive into the actual writing process itself, with tips on setting up a workspace, brainstorming great book ideas, researching the subject you decide on, even speaking with the sorts of kids you hope will eventually read the book. They show you how to create compelling characters and develop them in the manuscript; how to outline and write a plot "arc" of conflict, change, and resolution; how to master the difficult art of writing dialogue; and how to use active (rather than passive) language to keep your story moving along and interesting to young minds. Or, if you're planning to write a creative nonfiction children's book--on a topic such as science, nature, or a historical figure, for example--the authors include a chapter on this, too. Ready, set, go... it's time to sit down and write! Once you've finished your book, however, the process has only begun. Now you will refine, submit, and hopefully sell your manuscript. Here again, the authors of Writing Children's Books For Dummies come through for you. They deliver solid advice on hiring an illustrator--or not; participating in workshops and conferences to learn the business and hone a story; finding an agent; and, finally, submitting the manuscript to publishers and--if you are successful--signing a contract. Along the way, the authors also include tips on handling rejection; a quick primer on the various editors in publishing houses (and how they work to make your book its best); and making a plan to publicize the book, including hiring a publicist if necessary. Like all For Dummies® books, Writing Children's Books For Dummies highlights "The Part of Tens," which includes the Ten Best Ways to Promote Your Story and More Than Ten Great Sources for Storylines. And the ever-helpful Cheat Sheet includes Tips for Editing your Children's Book Manuscript, Children's Book No-No's, Twelve Commandments for Writing Younger Children's Books, and Tips on Promotion. From setting down that first word on paper to doing a successful publicity tour, Writing Children's Books For Dummies gives you the confidence and the insiders' know-how to write and sell the story you've always wanted to write.

Leseprobe

Writing Children's Books For Dummies

by Lisa Rojany Buccieri and Peter Economy

Writing Children's Books For Dummies®

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax [phone]. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online at http://www. wiley.com/go/permissions.

Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or Website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.

For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax [phone].

For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport.

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2005923239

ISBN: 978-0-7645-3728-8

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7

1O/RV/QU/QV/IN

About the Authors

Lisa Rojany Buccieri is a publishing executive with over 15 years’ experience in the industry. Lisa has also written nearly 40 children’s books and co-written a New York Times-bestselling adult nonfiction hardcover, Fund Your Future (Berkley, 2002), with Julie Stav. Her books have received various accolades, such as reaching Number 1 on the Publishers Weekly bestseller list two years in a row (Make Your Own Valentines, PSS/Penguin) and winning the American Bookseller’s Pick of the List (Giant Animal Fold-Outs: Kangaroo & Company, PSS/Penguin). King Arthur’s Camelot (Dutton) was selected to be a Book of the Month Club selection; Child Magazine chose her Exploring the Human Body (Barron’s) as one of its Best New Parenting Books; and The Magic Feather (Troll) won a Parent’s Choice Silver Honor Award. Lisa is currently spearheading a new children’s book packaging and publishing division at Americhip Books, focusing on integrating light, sound, animation, paper engineering, and other cutting-edge technologies with stories and art. She has been Editorial/Publishing Director for Golden Books, Price Stern Sloan/Penguin Group USA, Intervisual Books, Gateway Learning Corp (Hooked on Phonics), and others. She speaks about children’s publishing, writing, and editing at U.C.L.A. Writer’s Program Extension courses and other venues and is currently working on a book of fiction for grown-ups. Lisa also runs her own company, Editorial Services of Los Angeles, in which she helps other writers make their work the best it can be. You can contact her at www.editorialservicesofla.com.

Peter Economy is a veteran author with nine For Dummies titles under his belt, including two second editions. Peter is coauthor of Home-Based Business For Dummies, Building Your Own Home For Dummies, Consulting For Dummies, The Management Bible, Why Aren’t You Your Own Boss?,Enterprising Nonprofits: A Toolkit for Social Entrepreneurs, and many more books. Peter is also Associate Editor of Leader to Leader, the award-winning journal of the Leader to Leader Institute. Check out Peter’s Web site at www.petereconomy.com.

Dedication

To writers and illustrators everywhere, aspiring and published, who use their creativity, imagination, perseverance, and courage to write children’s books that make a difference.

Authors’ Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the busy publishing professionals, teachers, librarians, book buyers, and bookstore owners who agreed to be interviewed for this book: Lesleigh Alchanati, Michael Cart, Cindy Chang, Michael Green, Sharon Hearn, Chuck Hurewitz, Bitsy Kemper, Leslie McGuire, Erin Molta, Stephen Mooser, Chuck Murphy, Glenn Murray, Judy Ostarch, Susan Patron, Susan Goldman Rubin, Barney Saltzberg, Lauri Smith, Deborah Warren, Doug Whiteman, and Debra Mostow Zakarin. Your words of wisdom and experience are deeply appreciated — and any errors are all our fault. We are also grateful to the authors, illustrators, and publishers who gave us permission to reprint book covers and interiors. Thanks as well to the folks at Wiley who cared enough to make this book the best it could be: Joyce Pepple, Tracy Boggier, Jen Bingham, Tricia Sprietelmeier, Corbin Collins, and the amazing Tere Stouffer. Laura Backes, your comments were right on target — thank you!

Lisa’s additional thanks: I take off my hat to my co-writer, Peter Economy, whose unfailing sense of humor, wisdom, and patience kept me going. Heartfelt thanks to Donna Becker, Director of Temple Beth Haverim’s Early Childhood Center, and all the teachers there, for generously giving me those extra hours so I could finish the book. To those who attend my writers’ workshops, I bow to you for continually amazing me and for never giving up on yourselves. Gobs of thanks are due to my mom who gives me big breaks on a regular basis — you make it easier for me to be a good parent. Aba, your generosity allows me little freedoms all writers cherish, thank you. Big, fat hugs of gratitude go to my closest girlfriends, you know who you are, for those monthly dinners and coffee breaks in Malibu that nourish my soul. Thanks to Kristian, a better person I have never met; you are my angel, my inspiration, and one of the best writers I know. And to Olivia, Chloe, and Genevieve — the lights of my life — may the readers of this book supply you with quality reading entertainment for many years to come.

Peter’s additional thanks: A thousand thanks are not enough to acknowledge the debt of gratitude I owe my coauthor Lisa Rojany Buccieri for putting her heart and soul into this book. You are a joy to work with — a real pro — and I am honored to be your writing partner and friend. And to my wife Jan and children Peter J, Skylar Park, and Jackson Warren — you’re what this book is all about!

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor: Tere Stouffer

Acquisitions Editor: Tracy Boggier

Copy Editor: Corbin Collins

Editorial Program Assistant: Courtney Allen

Technical Editor: Laura Backes

Editorial Manager: Michelle Hacker

Editorial Supervisor: Carmen Krikorian

Editorial Assistants: Hanna Scott, Melissa S. Bennett

Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Adrienne Martinez

Layout and Graphics: Andrea Dahl, Denny Hager, Joyce Haughey, Barry Offringa, Lynsey Osborn, Heather Ryan, Mary Gillot Virgin

Special Art: Kathryn Born

Proofreaders: Laura Albert, Leeann Harney, Jessica Kramer, Aptara

Indexer: Aptara

Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies

Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies

Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies

Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies

Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel

Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel

Kathleen Nebenhaus, Vice President and Executive Publisher, Consumer Dummies, Lifestyles, Pets, Education

Publishing for Technology Dummies

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User

Composition Services

Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Contents

Title

Introduction

About This Book

Conventions Used in This Book

What You’re Not to Read

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I : The ABCs of Writing for Children

Chapter 1: The Basics of Writing Children’s Books

Knowing Your Format and Audience

Getting to a Good Writing Zone

Transforming Yourself into a Storyteller

Polishing Your Gem and Getting It Ready to Send

Submitting, Selling, and Promoting Your Book

Chapter 2: Children’s Book Formats and Genres

Children’s Book Categories and Formats

Books with Pictures

Books with Lots of Words

Genres for Different Readers

Chapter 3: Understanding the Children’s Book Market

Book Buyers

Librarians

Teachers

Parents

Thinking Like a Kid

Part II : Immersing Yourself in the Writing Process

Chapter 4: Setting Up Your Workspace

Finding Your Time to Write

Optimizing Your Writing Environment

Chapter 5: Starting with a Great Idea

Once Upon a Time: Coming Up with an Idea

Stumped? Break Through with Brainstorming

Fighting Writer’s Block

Chapter 6: Researching Your Audience and Subject

Hanging Out with Kids

Dipping into Popular Culture

Researching Your Nonfiction Topic

Part III : Creating a Spellbinding Story

Chapter 7: Creating Compelling Characters

Creating Your Exceptional Main Character

Using Dialogue to Define Characters

Making a Character Bible

Stories with Two or More Main Characters

Choosing Supporting Characters

Avoiding Character Don’ts

Calling All Character Arcs

Developing Characters through Writing Exercises

Chapter 8: The Plot Thickens: Conflict, Climax, and Resolution

Centering on the Story

Beginning, Middle, and End

Conflict: Using Pacing and Drama

Outlining Tools to Structure Your Plot

Writing Your First Draft

Chapter 9: Can We Talk? Writing Dialogue

When to Use Dialogue

Listening to the Kids

Dialogue and Your Character Bible

Common Dialogue Mistakes

Reading It Out Loud

Improving Dialogue through Writing Exercises

Chapter 10: Setting the Scene

Giving Context to Your Story and Its Characters

When to Include Scenery and Context

How Much Setting and How Often

Engaging Your Readers’ Senses

Scene and Setting Writing Exercises

Chapter 11: Finding Your Voice: Point of View and Tone

Building a Solid Point of View

Word Play, Rhyming, and Rhythm

Using Humor to Your Advantage

The Mojo of Good Writing: Voice, Style, and Tone

Writing Exercises to Find Your Voice

Chapter 12: Writing Creative Nonfiction and How-To Books

Understanding Nonfiction

Choosing a Great Topic

Outlining Your Creative Nonfiction

Part IV : Making Your Story Shine

Chapter 13: Editing and Formatting Your Way to a Happy Ending

What to Check for at the Rewrite Stage

The Power of a Good Edit

Hot Editing Tips

Hiring an Editor or Editorial Service

Formatting: First Impressions Matter

Chapter 14: To Illustrate or Not to Illustrate

Editors Match Manuscript to Illustrator

Illustrating Your Own Book

Chapter 15: Finding Feedback and Encouragement

Why You Need Feedback

Getting Help from Friends and Relatives (or Not)

Attending Conferences

Participating in a Workshop

Joining a Writing Group

Part V : Getting Published and Promoting Your Book

Chapter 16: Getting an Agent to Represent You

Defining the Perfect (and the Not-So-Perfect) Agent

Finding an Agent

Understanding Typical Agency Agreements

Terminating Your Agency Relationship

Chapter 17: Finding the Perfect Publisher and Signing a Contract

Identifying the Right Publisher

Drafting Query Letters and Proposals

Copyright: Protecting Your Work Before You Send Anything

Advances, Royalties, and Work for Hire

Dealing with Rejection

Self-Publishing

Chapter 18: Following the Publishing Process

Moving through the Publishing Process

What to Expect After Your Book Is Published

Chapter 19: Donning Your Publicity Cap

Doing Your Own Publicity

Book Tours, In-Store Signings, Readings, and More

Hiring Your Own Publicist

Part VI : The Part of Tens

Chapter 20: More than Ten Great Sources for Storylines

Fairy Tales

Fables

Folk Tales

Mythology and Mythological Heroes

Nursery Rhymes

Bible Stories

Sibling Issues

Family Changes

First Experiences

Common Childhood Fantasies

Friendship and Social Issues

Growing Pains (Emotional and Behavioral)

Bodies and Their Functions

Historical Figures, Historical Moments

Nature and Science

Chapter 21: Ten Best Ways to Promote Your Story

Create a Web Site

Build a Platform

Send Sample Copies

Get in Your Local Newspaper

Do Readings in Stores, Schools, and Libraries

Get on Local Radio and TV

Perform (G-Rated) Publicity Stunts

Put On a Play

Hire a Publicist

Aim High: Prizes and Awards

Introduction

I f you’ve gone through the trouble and expense of buying this book, we’re going to take a wild guess that you dream of writing your own children’s book and getting it published. Your desire may come from a deep-seated yearning to communicate with young people or to share experiences with them. Or it may stem from an interest in a subject that you think children may also be interested in. Regardless of where your desire comes from, we want to help you turn that desire into a well-written, saleable manuscript. Our goals in writing this book are to help you understand the children’s book writing process and give you the tools you need to turn your children’s book dream into reality. Many people think writing a children’s book is child’s play. Actually, it’s not. Writing a children’s book takes a lot of hard work.

We’ve seen plenty of people just like you attempt to tackle the process of writing a children’s book. Some haven’t the slightest idea where to start. Others have a good idea where to start, but don’t know what to do with their manuscript after they’ve written it. Still others have published a children’s book or two, but would like to try writing a new type of children’s book. Good news: We understand the process and what it takes to move through it with as little stress as possible. In the pages that follow, we provide you with the very best advice our many years of experience have to offer.

About This Book

There’s a lot more to writing a children’s book and getting it published than simply knocking out a manuscript and mailing it to a publisher. If you’re serious about getting your book published, then you need to understand the entire children’s book process and how to deal with the different challenges that present themselves along the way. Where do you start? Who at a publishing house does what? How do you get your manuscript in front of an editor? How do you help market your book after it’s published? This book answers these questions, and hundreds more like them — and all in an easy-to-use reference that you can take with you anywhere.

We also include interviews with extremely knowledgeable veterans of the children’s book industry — authors, editors, agents, illustrators, publicists, and more — in each chapter to provide you with their own unique perspectives and experience.

We divide each chapter into sections, and each section contains information about some part of the process, such as:

The basics of the children’s book market — who your buyers are (and who they’re not)

The many different formats of children’s books, from board books to picture books to chapter books

Elements of good writing explained, from writing good characters to setting up a strong plot to transitioning from scene to scene

Writing exercises to spark your creativity

How to get an agent or publisher interested in your book

How to help publicize your book after it’s published

Conventions Used in This Book

We use the following conventions throughout the text to make everything consistent and easy-to-understand:

All Web addresses appear in monofont.

New terms appear in italics and are closely followed by an easy-to- understand definition.

Bold text indicates keywords in bulleted lists or highlights the action parts of numbered steps.

What You’re Not to Read

We’ve written this book so that you can find information easily — and readily understand what you find. We also simplify it so you can identify “skippable” material. Sidebars are the shaded boxes that appear here and there. They share fun facts, but nothing that’s essential to the success of your children’s book. Many of the sidebars include interviews with veterans of the children’s book industry — authors, editors, agents, illustrators, publicists, and more — who provide you with their own unique perspectives and experiences.

Foolish Assumptions

We wrote this book with some thoughts about you in mind. Here’s what we assume about you, our reader:

You’ve long been dreaming about writing your own children’s book and getting it published.

You may have already written a children’s story but are not sure how to ready it for submission. You may have already had a children’s book published, but would like to experiment with a different type of children’s story. Or you may even be an experienced children’s book author who is looking for new perspectives on the industry.

You’re looking for a comprehensive guide that demystifies the children’s-book-writing process by focusing on the information that’s most important for you to know.

You would like to improve your writing skills.

You’re willing to take the time to become knowledgeable about the conventions in the children’s book world that will separate you from the wannabes.

You’re interested in exploring different publishing options.

You want to know what you need to do to find an agent or publisher.

Foolish of us, maybe, but we assume that you trust us to do our very best when writing this book. We hope you enjoy reading it, discover new approaches and processes, and move your dream of writing a children’s book closer to reality.

How This Book Is Organized

This book is divided into six parts — jump in wherever you want. The following sections explain what you’ll find where.

Part I: The ABCs of Writing for Children

In this part, we introduce you to the world of children’s books and take an in-depth look at the many different formats of children’s books as well as who actually buys children’s books and why.

Part II: Immersing Yourself in the Writing Process

Above all, writing a children’s book involves writing. In this part, we help you get a jump on the writing process, looking at how to set up your workspace, develop great story ideas, and build upon your great ideas with research.

Part III: Creating a Spellbinding Story

A spellbinding story includes a plot that makes sense and doesn’t leave out details that make the story believable, characters you care about and root for, dialogue that sounds real, a setting that transports you to a different world, and so on. This part helps you create all of that and more, whether you’re writing a picture book, a chapter book, or a work of nonfiction.

Part IV: Making Your Story Shine

In this part, we show you how to rewrite and edit your manuscript yourself and where to get outside help. We also look into formatting and illustrating your manuscript. Finally, we give you some information about where to find other writers and great teachers.

Part V: Getting Published and Promoting Your Book

After you’ve written your book, it’s time to sell it. In this part, we consider the pros and cons of working with literary agents versus approaching publishers directly yourself. We provide detailed information on book deals and contracts and give you some quick tips on dealing with copyright law. We also take a close look at the publication process and where your manuscript goes when your editor starts it off on its publication journey.

We consider how to deal with the sad reality of rejection and when it may be time to look into self-publishing. We wrap up this part by discussing how you can promote and publicize your book.

Part VI: The Part of Tens

This part includes quick resources that provide information in an easy-to-digest fashion. Explore some tried-and-true, classic children’s book storylines, and understand the very best ways to promote your book. Above all, have fun. (And sell lots of books.)

Icons Used in This Book

To make this book easier to read and simpler to use, we include some icons in the margins that can help you find and fathom key ideas and information.

These tidbits provide expert advice to help you save time, money, or frustration in the book-writing process.

This icon highlights important information to store in your brain for quick recall at a later time.

Avoid mistakes by following the sage words of advice that appear by this icon.

This icon tells you that we’re covering a topic that is new and innovative in the children’s book industry.

Where to Go from Here

The great thing about this book is that you decide where to start and what to read. It’s a reference you can jump into and out of at will. Just head to the table of contents or the index to find the information you want.

If you’re new to the business of writing children’s books, you may want to start at the beginning of this book and work your way through to the end. You’ll find a wealth of information and practical advice. Simply turn the page and you’re on your way!

Part I

The ABCs of Writing for Children

In this part . . .

The world of children’s books can be a bewildering and foreign place for the aspiring author. The diversity of this world’s products — and customers — is unequaled in any other corner of the publishing world. In this part, we provide you with a broad overview of the world of children’s books. After covering the basics, we take a very detailed look at all the different formats of children’s books — from board books to chapter books to young adult novels, and much more — and delve deeply into the children’s book market.

Chapter 1

The Basics of Writing Children’s Books

In This Chapter

Defining the children’s book world

Getting into the writing process

Creating a story that children clamor for

Polishing your book until it squeaks

Publishing and promoting your book

F or many, dreams of writing a children’s book remain just that — dreams — because they soon find out that writing a really good children’s book is hard. Not only that, but actually getting a children’s book published is even harder. If you don’t know the conventions and styles, if you don’t speak the lingo, if you don’t have someone to advocate for your work, or if you don’t come across professionally, you’ll be hard pressed to get your manuscript read and considered, much less published.

We wrote this book to help you as you go through the process of writing your children’s book and getting it published. In many of the chapters, we provide insightful, candid interviews with publishing pros who answer common questions with incredible candor and honesty and, often, a great sense of humor.

Every bestselling children’s book author started with a story idea — just like yours. Many of today’s most successful writers were rejected time after time, until they finally found someone who liked what they saw and decided to take a chance. Follow your dreams. Never give up. When your children’s book is published one day, we’ll be cheering for you.

Knowing Your Format and Audience