Contents

Contents

Top Ten Tips for Writing Children's Books

01 The Importance of Children's Books

A Brief History

Additional Benefits

A Child's World

Not Just Books Anymore

Advancements in Technology

02 Types of Children's Books

The Standard Categories

Middle-Grade Books

Young Adult Books

03 Do You Have What It Takes?

Self-Discipline

Tools of the Trade

Dedicated Space

A Realistic Outlook

Words of Encouragement

04 Furthering Your Education

Opening Yourself to Criticism

Writers' Groups

Consider a Class

Degree Programs

Writers' Organizations

Seminars and Workshops

Working One-on-One

05 Researching the Market

Knowledge Is Power

The Big Picture

Staying Up-to-Date

Finding a Gap in the Market

Directing Your Attention

06 Cultivating the Idea

The Notebook, Your Best Friend

Personal Experiences

Using the Media

Organizing Your Ideas

07 Writing Your Story

Getting Started

Writing Dialogue

08 Revising Your Story

Distancing Yourself

Testing One, Two, Three

Hiring an Editor

Learning When to Let Go

Revision Checklist

It's Your Story

09 Putting Pictures to Words

To Be or Not to Be an Illustrator

Presenting Your Work

Publisher's Choice

Working with the Illustrator

10 Finding the Right Publisher

Narrowing the List

Gathering Information

Guidelines from the Publishers

Subsidy Publishers

Self-Publishing

11 Considering an Agent

Researching Your Agent

Submitting to an Agent

The Final Decision

12 Submitting a Manuscript

Preparing the Manuscript

Submission Guidelines

The Cover Letter

Query Letters and Proposals

Multiple Submissions

Tracking Submissions

13 Coping with Acceptance or Rejection

Exploring the Unknown

Rolling with the Punches

Degrees of Rejection

When Rejections Begin Piling Up

What Comes Next?

14 The Writer's Rights

An Overview of Contracts

Understanding Royalties

Subsidiary Rights

Plagiarism, Permissions, and Fair Use

15 The Editorial Process

Your Main Contact

Types of Editing

Fact-Checking or Technical Review

The Waiting Room

16 The Production Process

Elements of a Book

The Art of Design

The Production Manager

17 Marketing and Publicity

Conference Displays

High-Profile Promotions

18 Promoting Your Book Yourself

Working with the Publisher

Creating an Online Presence

Book Publicity the Old-Fashioned Way

Visiting Bookstores

Visiting Libraries

Getting Help from Friends

Public Speaking

Go the Extra Mile

19 Grants and Awards

The Newbery Medal

The Caldecott Medal

National Awards

Honorable Mention

20 Where Will You Go from Here?

Finding a New Publisher

Exploring New Areas

Teaching Creative Writing

Accepting that You Are a Writer

Appendix A: Resources

Appendix B: Children's Book Publishers