I get asked a lot how to get picture books published. That's not surprising although there are a few things about it that always intrigue me.
1. It's usually not the writer who's asking. I always find that interesting.
2. The people who are asking don't really want to know. I mean, not really really.
I discussed this second point with my husband and he very logically told me to give people the short answer. So from now on when someone asks they get to hear: "Look up 'picture book manuscript format' online and then submit your story to as many publishers as possible."
The problem with that plan is my pathological desire to answer every question to the best of my ability. So up to this point when people have asked me for their friends, spouses and children how to publish picture books I've generally just stare at them blankly because I don't even know where to start.
So maybe when those people really really want to know how to do it, I can hope they stumble onto this answer (which is really only an outline to the answer in the end--but it's better than the short answer.)
1. If you are anything like me you feel you've written the best picture book on the planet--or at least one as good as some you've read. You feel you've figured it out and all you need is to show it to someone in the publishing industry and you will soon be ordering your own books through Scholastic book orders. After all, how hard can it be? Picture books are only 32 pages long (did you know that?) And they are simple. Just SHOW ME THE PUBLISHER!!!
Okay, the thing is, you may very well have a publishable manuscript. But keep in mind that picture books are the MOST submitted and the LEAST published of all genres. Why? Because everyone thinks they can write them and they're competing with decades' old books that still top the bestseller lists as if they were the newest cool thing (like Goodnight Moon and The Cat in the Hat). Why publish YOUR book when publishers can just get out some already printed crates of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, ship them off and have guaranteed profits rolling in?
Now, this is not to discourage anyone but I would like it to be convincing enough to help people believe me when I say the first step to being published is to learn how to write a picture book. I have said this several times to people and they pale a bit and say something like, "What do you mean?"
2. Here is what I mean: Take a class or two or three in how to write picture books. Rick Walton offers them in Utah often. There is a great children's writing workshop at BYU every summer. There are online courses at WritingInDepth.com and once in a while Caleb Warnock will offer them--look for him at WritingInDepth.com too. I used to do them. Maybe someday I will again.
You will need to learn (in no particular order):
My agent has received comments from editors in today's publishing climate (meaning they are as hard hit by the economy as every else) that they're having difficulties funding new projects with established authors let alone launching new picture book authors' careers--whether their books are publishable or not.
But after all that, I still say don't despair. If I can do it, you can do it. But you will need to want it, you will need to put much more into it than you ever thought you would, and you will have to come to love writing picture books just for the craft itself, not because it seems like it would be fun to see your name on a shelf Barnes & Noble. And if you want to make a living at it, plan on writing an awful lot.
So there's the long answer. And even then, I'm just saying you have to go learn a bunch more stuff.
So short answer: Look up picture book manuscript format and send it off to all the publishers you can.
If only it were that easy.
And for the love of Seuss, DO NOT INCLUDE ILLUSTRATIONS unless you have been trained as a professional illustrator. Trust me. DON'T.
1. It's usually not the writer who's asking. I always find that interesting.
2. The people who are asking don't really want to know. I mean, not really really.
I discussed this second point with my husband and he very logically told me to give people the short answer. So from now on when someone asks they get to hear: "Look up 'picture book manuscript format' online and then submit your story to as many publishers as possible."
The problem with that plan is my pathological desire to answer every question to the best of my ability. So up to this point when people have asked me for their friends, spouses and children how to publish picture books I've generally just stare at them blankly because I don't even know where to start.
So maybe when those people really really want to know how to do it, I can hope they stumble onto this answer (which is really only an outline to the answer in the end--but it's better than the short answer.)
1. If you are anything like me you feel you've written the best picture book on the planet--or at least one as good as some you've read. You feel you've figured it out and all you need is to show it to someone in the publishing industry and you will soon be ordering your own books through Scholastic book orders. After all, how hard can it be? Picture books are only 32 pages long (did you know that?) And they are simple. Just SHOW ME THE PUBLISHER!!!
Okay, the thing is, you may very well have a publishable manuscript. But keep in mind that picture books are the MOST submitted and the LEAST published of all genres. Why? Because everyone thinks they can write them and they're competing with decades' old books that still top the bestseller lists as if they were the newest cool thing (like Goodnight Moon and The Cat in the Hat). Why publish YOUR book when publishers can just get out some already printed crates of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, ship them off and have guaranteed profits rolling in?
Now, this is not to discourage anyone but I would like it to be convincing enough to help people believe me when I say the first step to being published is to learn how to write a picture book. I have said this several times to people and they pale a bit and say something like, "What do you mean?"
2. Here is what I mean: Take a class or two or three in how to write picture books. Rick Walton offers them in Utah often. There is a great children's writing workshop at BYU every summer. There are online courses at WritingInDepth.com and once in a while Caleb Warnock will offer them--look for him at WritingInDepth.com too. I used to do them. Maybe someday I will again.
You will need to learn (in no particular order):
- Picture book length and word count
- Voice
- Writing proper beginnings, middles and ends
- Tensions and Resolutions
- Rhythm
- Pacing
- How to appeal to children
- How to write humor
- How to write a book that is meant to be illustrated
- How to make each word count (EACH WORD).
- What to write a story about in the first place
- Manuscript format and cover letters
- How to target the right publishers
- How to get an agent
My agent has received comments from editors in today's publishing climate (meaning they are as hard hit by the economy as every else) that they're having difficulties funding new projects with established authors let alone launching new picture book authors' careers--whether their books are publishable or not.
But after all that, I still say don't despair. If I can do it, you can do it. But you will need to want it, you will need to put much more into it than you ever thought you would, and you will have to come to love writing picture books just for the craft itself, not because it seems like it would be fun to see your name on a shelf Barnes & Noble. And if you want to make a living at it, plan on writing an awful lot.
So there's the long answer. And even then, I'm just saying you have to go learn a bunch more stuff.
So short answer: Look up picture book manuscript format and send it off to all the publishers you can.
If only it were that easy.
And for the love of Seuss, DO NOT INCLUDE ILLUSTRATIONS unless you have been trained as a professional illustrator. Trust me. DON'T.
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