15 Benefits of Reviewing for Aspiring Children’s Authors
January 17, 2011 by admin
Filed under Writing for Children
If you’re an aspiring children’s author, the benefits of reviewing children’s books are enormous. If you already review books, you know how true this is.
When you review books…
1. You learn about the craft of writing because you get to identify both the weaknesses and strengths of a book. You learn what works and what doesn’t, and eventually you become more apt in avoiding amateurish mistakes when you write your own books. You can do this because you’re able to look at someone else’s book objectively, something that it’s hard to do with your own writing. In this sense, reviewing can make you a better writer and a better judge of literature.
2. Your writing becomes easier and better. Reviewing is writing, after all, and the more you write, the better it gets. Reviewing helps to hone your skills as a word builder.
3. Your thinking skills become sharper because you have to ponder and reflect on why you liked or disliked a book. This sometimes takes keen perception.
4. You become familiar with publishers and the type of books they publish. This is especially helpful if you review in the genre that you write in and if you’re looking for places to submit your work.
5. You become familiar with agents and the type of books they like to represent. How do you know this? Most authors thank their agents in the acknowledgements page.
6. You network with other authors who in the future might help you promote your book. Authors are very thankful to reviewers for taking the time to review their books, especially if the reviews are positive.
7. You develop an online presence, a platform. If you have an attractive blog where you post honest, intelligently written reviews, eventually you’ll build a good reputation as a serious reviewer and readers, publishers, authors and publicists will want to become your followers. Having lots of followers will instantly make you more attractive in the eyes of a publisher when you submit your book for consideration.
8. You develop an identity as an expert, especially if you review in the same genre you write in. For example, if you review only young adult novels, and you write reviews often enough, soon you’ll acquire a thorough knowledge of the genre and what’s new out there, and your reviews will become more insightful because you’ll be able to compare works by different authors who write in the same genre. It’s difficult to become an expert in all genres, but this is doable in one genre if you’re dedicated enough.
9. You may land a contract with a publisher. This happened recently to one of the reviewers at one of the sites I review for. Her reviews were so well and thoughtfully written, they caught the eye of a publisher. They asked if by any chance she had a manuscript around. Well, she did and the publisher ended up offering her a contract!
10. You can build yourself a pretty nice library if you’re one of those reviewers who read and review quickly. I know some reviewers who review several books a week.
11. You’ll discover authors you didn’t even know existed. Review blogs are especially attractive to small press authors and publishers because they usually have trouble getting reviewed by the big publications.
12. You build relationships with publicists who work at major publishing houses. Once they’ve come to trust you as a serious reviewer, you can request those books you’re most interested in.
13. You get to feed your addiction—for free!
14. You can build a resume with publishing credits. They will come very handy when you start sending out those queries to agents and publishers.
15. You can eventually get paid by submitting your reviews to those sites and publications that pay their contributors.
As you can see, book reviewing can be extremely beneficial for aspiring authors. What are you waiting for? Take out your book, pen and paper, and start reviewing. All you need is a love of books and a passion for words!
About the Author
Award-winning author Mayra Calvani writes fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. In addition, she is co-editor of ezine and a reviewer for SimplyCharly.com. She’s had over 300 reviews, interviews, stories, and articles published in print and online.
Mayra is a member of the Children’s Writer’s Coaching Club and the Working Writer’s Club.
For a list of paying markets for reviewers, check out her book, The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing.
Visit her website at www.MayrasSecretBookcase.com.
The Market for Rhyming Picture Books
January 13, 2011 by admin
Filed under Writing for Children
If you’ve attended a writing conference, you’ve probably heard the mantra of many children’s book editors: “No submissions in rhyme!” Yet if you visit the book table, you might be surprised to find their newest release—a rhyming picture book. What’s going on?
Editors say, “Never submit rhyming text” because they receive so many manuscripts filled with poorly written verse. Critique groups abound with wannabe writers who pour out stories in rhyme, yet are offended and confused when the member who teaches English points out their poem lacks rhythm, contains forced rhyme, and isn’t properly formatted. If you don’t know the rules for writing in verse, resist the temptation to write a manuscript in rhyme.
The three R’s of successful children’s books, however, are rhyme, rhythm, and repetition. If you’re still smitten by the “rhyming bug,” take the time to learn how to write in rhyme—and how to write well. Editors welcome submissions of well-written rhyming picture books if it fits into their specific product line—but your manuscript must feature poetry that sings.
Sign up for a class in writing poetry. Read books to learn the rules. Dissect current successful children’s books written in verse until you know which rules the authors followed and which ones they broke—and understand why. Don’t just read about writing rhyming picture book text. Write a children’s book in rhyme. Then another. And another. Examine your manuscripts with a fine-toothed comb. Don’t take your manuscript to your local critique group, however, if none of the members have had success publishing in rhyme, especially if they mostly write for older audiences. They’ll only succeed in butchering your manuscript if they don’t know the rules themselves. Try to find another author who has published at least one children’s manuscript in rhyme. Offer to trade manuscripts.
There is something truly magical about a children’s book that is written in rhyme. Yet how do you know if your story would do better written in non-rhyming text or in verse? Here are several key points to consider.
Will your book be part of a series? If so, you should follow the format already established. When I wrote one of my newest picture books, D is for Drinking Gourd: An African American Alphabet, the publisher already produced a series of books with rhyming verse in large type at the center of the page and nonfiction expository text along the sides. I wrote my sample text to follow their format, submitted it as a proposal, and got a contract—even though that publisher’s website said it was not taking any submissions at that time.
If your manuscript will be a stand-alone project, try writing a section of your story in plain text. Now try writing the same section in rhyming verse. Which vehicle transports your message to your target audience the best?
Study the product line of the publisher you plan to target. Are they currently publishing rhyming text? If so, determine in which genre or format—beginning reader? Board book? Alphabet or counting book? Write your manuscript—whether in rhyme or non-rhyming text—so it fits in with the publisher’s unique style and product line.
Bio: Nancy I. Sanders is an instructor for the Children’s Writers’ Coaching Club and the author of over 75 books and has been published by such houses as Scholastic, Reader’s Digest, Tyndale, and Sleeping Bear Press. Visit her website at www.nancyisanders.com to find out more.
How to Get Published as a Children’s Author, Earn an Income, and Have Fun Writing Even when the Economy Goes Sour
July 6, 2010 by admin
Filed under Writing for Children
Many children’s authors work on a manuscript that they love to write. Then they try to get it published and hope to earn income from it. This all adds up to years of few published credits, not enough income to help pay the bills, and piles of rejections.
At a time when the economy is growing steadily worse, we writers can’t afford to continue in this downhill spiral. It’s time to stop in our tracks, retrain our brains, and utilize a different strategy that will empower us to get published frequently, earn a decent income from writing, and still have fun honing our craft to perfection.
What’s the secret? My strategy is to always be working on three different projects for three different purposes, each with its own recipe for success.
For instance, I know it’s important as a writer to get published frequently and at a steady rate. So I do. Year after year after glorious year. I see my manuscripts in print, my name in bylines, and my published credits accumulating steadily. The upcoming year promises to be the same, in spite of the dismal economic forecast.
If you want to get published, you can do what I do. Every year, I target three to five no-pay/low-pay publishers. Since my only goal for these projects it to get published, I look for publishers who are hungry for writers to submit their manuscripts to them. These same publishers are often overlooked because they don’t pay very much. You can find them in your market guides, on the Internet, or in your local community periodicals. They offer a goldmine of opportunities for publication, so I jump on board and write the kinds of manuscripts each different one needs.
I also know it’s important as a writer to earn an income that helps pay the bills. So I do. Year after year after glorious year. I earn tens of thousands of dollars each year depending on my projected goals. The upcoming year promises to be the same, even though doomsday stories abound in the publishing world’s current economy.
If you want to earn income from your writing, you can do what I do. Every year, I line up deadlines and children’s book contracts like ducks in a row. Some are work-for-hire assignments that provide cash up front. Others are royalty contracts that guarantee income spread out over future years. How do I achieve my goals? I target children’s book publishers who accept queries. I study market guides, attend conferences, read writer’s magazines, and look for editors who are open to receiving queries. Then I study my target publisher’s website until I think of three to five brand new ideas that might fit into their unique product line. I write a little paragraph about each and ask them if they’d like to see a proposal for any of those potential ideas. Then I send off the query letter to that publisher. As soon as I send out that query, I don’t wait around. I choose a different publisher to target. Oh sure, there are lots of children’s book publishers who require an agent, demand an exclusive submission, or say they only want the entire, finished manuscript. I skip over those. There are plenty of publishing houses these days who accept queries as well. Those are the publishers I contact. I send each one a different query with unique ideas for books not yet written that fit into their one-of-a-kind product line. I keep sending out queries until I land a contract with one of them to write a book or article. Then I land more contracts until my year is filled with deadlines to write. It’s scary and it’s daring. The topics I write about might not be my passion. But it guarantees a reliable income in the upcoming year.
I also know it’s important as a writer to work on a manuscript I love. So I do. Year after year after glorious year. I write books I’m passionate about, pour out my heart on the printed page, and find personal fulfillment as a writer. The upcoming year promises to be the same, and I won’t stop even if we face the worst economic crisis in history.
If you want to write for personal fulfillment, you can do what I do. Every week, I carve out precious time from my other writing commitments to write what I want to write. I submit these to the publishers of my dreams. I just make sure I keep these projects separate from my projects I’m working on to earn income and get published.
My recipe for success works for me, and I’m confident it will work for you. Use three different approaches to meet three different goals. Make this year your best year yet—even in the midst of a tough economy!
Nancy I. Sanders is the award-winning and best-selling author of over 80 books including Anyone Can Get Published—You Can, Too! A Practical Strategy for the Christian Who Writes. She has also written the groundbreaking new book Yes! You Can Learn How to Write Children’s Books, Get Them Published, and Build a Successful Writing Career, available at www.YesYouCanLearn.wordpress.com. She currently writes the column, Writing for Children for The Writer’s online magazine. Visit her website at www.nancyisanders.com.
Nancy I. Sanders is an instructor for the Children’s Writers’ Coaching Club. Learn more about earning a living as a children’s author by listening to any of her recorded teleclasses, available here.
The Right Amount: When and How Much to Write
March 14, 2010 by admin
Filed under Writing for Children
The important goal for a writer is to actually sit down to write new material at a regular pace. If you don’t take your commitment to write seriously, you won’t get serious results. If you don’t treat your writing as a career, you are, in essence, supporting a hobby.
A writing career is a job. Treat it as such. If you want a part-time job, schedule part-time hours for writing on your weekly calendar. A part-time job means you probably won’t be writing every day. If you want a full-time job, however, actually mark down forty hours each week on your calendar dedicated to writing. This means you’ll probably be writing eight hours a day, five days a week. Post your upcoming schedule each week, just as employers do in the workplace. Rearrange your other commitments around your writing schedule, just as people do who drive to work. Show up at your writing workspace on time each day according to schedule. Sit down at your computer. And write.
The life of a writer today is vastly different than the life of a writer in yesteryears. Stories abound of writers from long ago who retired each day to a solitary spot, curled up in a blanket with a pot of coffee nearby, and wrote uninterrupted from sunup to sundown.
Today’s writers have editors’ e-mails to answer, blogs to maintain or read, and writers’ chatrooms to visit. Even though these tasks are part of our writer’s day, they must not take the place of writing new material at a regular pace.
If you find yourself spending time each day in front of your computer but not actually typing new pages of publishable material, it’s time to reassess your priorities. Prioritize the hours you type new content each day before you tend to the other tasks.
It’s also important to write with purpose. A writer’s goal is to get published regularly and earn a steady income. Develop a cycle of studying target publishers and writing queries for potential contracts until you land that next manuscript assignment. Don’t spend all your time just submitting old manuscripts, however. In the extremely competitive world of children’s publishing today, randomly submitting even a well-written manuscript is like trying to win the lottery. Career writers know most manuscripts that reach publication are written AFTER the contract is landed or the assignment is given. Whether writing fiction or nonfiction, make it your goal to type out a brand new query each week or so for a new potential project not yet written. If an editor responds and is interested in your query, you can then prepare a formal proposal to submit.
Perhaps you already have a contract with a scheduled deadline. Is it important that you write and work on that manuscript every single day? Explore your project until you discover the schedule you need to work at to best complete your task. Print out a weekly or monthly calendar to follow until you reach your deadline. Type out a sample page or chapter to determine a realistic measure of the amount of time it will take you to physically sit down and type your manuscript.
Perhaps you can devote the first four weeks to research, creating outlines, and organizing material, then spend the last two weeks typing. Or, you may feel more confident breaking up those tasks into smaller bites so you see actual progress each day with a steady progression of completed manuscript pages. While working on a recent nonfiction book project for kids, I developed a cycle of daily research, note-taking, and writing that gave me confidence to work toward my deadline.
For each deadline, take time to discover a schedule that works best for you. Whether it’s actually sitting down to type new material each day, or blocking out chunks of time to type after your preliminary writing activities are finished, stick to a schedule that will help you accomplish your goals.
Bio: Nancy I. Sanders is an instructor for the Children’s Writers’ Coaching Club and the author of over 75 books including Anyone Can Get Published—You Can, Too! A Practical Strategy for the Christian Who Writes. Visit her website www.nancyisanders.com to find out more.
Field Trips – They’re Not Just For Kids If You’re a Children’s Writer!
February 27, 2010 by admin
Filed under Writing for Children
by Suzanne Lieurance
It always amazes me when I meet people who want to write for children, yet they haven’t read a single children’s book since they were children or since their own kids (now ages 35 and 42) were little.
Don’t they get it?
Publishers change, publications change, and even children change with the times! If you want to write for children, you need to start taking “field trips” to keep up with these changes. You’ll not only be better informed about today’s markets, you’ll also become a better writer in the process. Besides…these trips are fun!
Take regular field trips to the children’s section of your local bookstores and the public library. If your interest is in writing picture books, start by looking at as many pictures books as you can each time you visit. If you’d like to write beginning readers, or early chapter books, take time to look at some of these. Also, look for children’s magazines. If you go to your public library, they will often have back issues of magazines, so you can read up to a year’s worth of a particular publication. This is great because you need to know what has been published by each particular magazine in the last 6 months to a year so you won’t be suggesting ideas they have recently covered.
Your public library might not have some of the newest books available at bookstores. But you will be able to check out the books and take them home where you can read them and study them. So make a point to visit both the library and a local bookstore on a regular basis.
Once you start making these little field trips, you’ll look forward to them and realize how valuable they are to your writing.
Stay-at-Home Moms – Why Writing for Children Can Be the Perfect Job for You
February 27, 2010 by admin
Filed under Writing for Children
If you’re a stay-at-home mom with small children, writing for kids can be the perfect part-time job for you. Here’s why:
1) You’re in contact with kids 24/7, so you know what kids think about and how they talk. This can be very helpful when trying to develop story lines that kids would enjoy reading. It will also help you write dialogue that sounds like things kids would actually say these days.
As a mom, you probably also read many picture books to your own child or children. And, as every writer knows, one of the best ways to learn to write picture books and other stories for children, is to READ these types of materials. So just think – each time you read to your child, you’ll also be doing something to develop your own career as a writer.
2) Since your full time job is taking care of your family, you’ll probably only have short snatches of time during the day and evening to write. But this is perfect for writing short works for kids – things like picture books, easy readers, and even magazine articles and short-stories.
And, if you carry a pocket-size notebook with you during the day, while you’re watching the kids play at the park, or supervising them as they go about their daily chores, you can take notes for story or articles ideas. And, please note, it IS important to jot down a few notes about your ideas. Otherwise, by the end of the day you will have forgotten them.
3) In addition to writing stories and articles FOR kids, you will also develop a wealth of topics for writing ABOUT kids – articles for parenting magazines, for example, or even tips for classroom teachers.
And, there are usually at least a couple of small regional parenting publications in every large city, so you can gain publishing credits by starting out writing for these publications. If you’re good at it, you might even eventually gain your own regular column in one of these publications.
4) You can develop professional connections and associations with other moms who write, so you’ll have other adults to communicate with on a regular basis every day. Many moms can feel isolated when their only contact during the day is with their children. But as a children’s writer and mom, you can become part of a professional network of other stay-at-home moms who write for children.
5) You’ll build up your writing skills and publishing credits through the years, so by the time your children have grown and left the nest, you will probably be able to make the transition from part time children’s writer to full time children’s writer fairly easily if you so desire.
As you can see, for moms who like to write, writing for children offers the perfect part-time career.
