Advice for submitting picturebook...

[DTKelly]

Hello,

I'm hoping to get some information here. I have written a picturebook (no illustrations). I have a few questions;

1)Should I submit to just one publisher at a time or many?

2)When I submit it, what should the format be? A line break to indicate pages, no line breaks, what's the standard? (It's written in ballad quatrain)

Thank you for your time.

[DTKelly]

UGH.. no one?

:(

[KimJo]

Towerkel, I'll try to answer your questions. I don't do picture books, though, so if I'm wrong about any of this, I hope someone will correct me.

1. In the Children's Writers and Illustrators Guide or whatever market guide you use, it should tell you which publishers prefer that you submit only to them, and which ones allow simultaneous submissions. For the most part, if you're submitting the complete manuscript, it's best to send to one publisher at a time.

Pay close attention to the publishers' guidelines, though; some of them, even for a picture book, want just a query letter. From what I've been told, you can send out as many query letters as you like (most authors recommend no more than 5 at a time), since a query isn't actually a submission, it's asking permission to submit.
2. Don't indicate page breaks. The publisher will determine where page breaks should occur, based on the text and illustration opportunities. At the SCBWI conference I went to last weekend, a panel of two editors and an agent read part of a picture book manuscript in which the author had indicated page breaks, and the panel agreed that this is the mark of a newbie author who hasn't done her/his research. You're ahead of the game; you're doing your research!

I hope this was helpful. Good luck with your book!

[DTKelly]

KimJo,

Thank you for your response. :)

I just picked up a copy of the 2005 children's market, and it answered my questions, so not I feel like a dolt for not going there first. :o

It did mention something that I found od, and hopefully some people will share there experiences here.

The market suggests that for a mss. less than six pages can be sent 'fold[ed] in thirds... in a #10 envelope."

I don't know, there is something about this advice that rings 'unprofessional' to me. Anyone have experience with it?

Thank you in advance.

[Inspired]

I think you can, but I don't like to do that. I want my pages to look clean and unwrinkled. It's going to take more than that to get you a rejection - I would think.

[Torgo]

Folded, unfolded - don't really think it matters. The smaller the parcel, the less editors and post room staff have to lug about, though.

[JuliePgh]

I've submitted quite a few, some with personal replies, though not about the envelop. I believe for picture books, a 9 x 12 manilla with a #10 SASE is best. I personally don't care how wrinkled or folded they come back to me, but I want the editor to have a clean copy in great shape. It comes across more professional and when you're up against hundreds of other people, it's best to give the editor the best impression possible so your manuscript isn't rejected before even being read (which does happen).

[Dewayne]

I have the same questions. I am writing and self-illustrating a series of children's books which revolve around the characters in my signature (below). I don't have a single clue as to whom my manuscript should be sent, nor do I know in what format it should be submitted. I have been told some publishers allow digital work to be submitted on cd, while others require hard-copies printed on paper.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

[Christine N.]

No, but your characters are CUTE!

[Trapped in amber]

My guess would be to look at books in bookstores that are similar to yours and query them, find out their guidelines. Good luck.:Sun:

I want that Dragon!

[bevmacrina]

Hi. First, you gotta know what the requirements are for picture books. The best way to do that is to read 'em, read writing books written specifically for children's writers, and realize that if it's a rhyming pb, or a poetry pb, the poetry and rhyme have to be way above standard to be considered.

In picture books, shorter is better - 1,000 words is the usual max - and yes, you will find ones longer than that, but the writer will have a track record, and the publisher knows they'll sell.

You type the picture book manuscript up the same way you would any other manscript - don't indicate any page breaks, don't do up any illustrations, or indicate where illustrations should go. That's the editor's and illustrators job.

Submission to more than one publisher depends ont he publishers, and if they accept multiple submission - check out the Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market book for publishers and their preferences. the nice thing is that normally, becuase the ms. are so small, most publishers will still accept a full manuscript, and not a query and sample chapters.

The best way to increase your chances of being accepted is to immerse yourself in the world of children's writing, and learn all you can about the industry.

It's hard but it can be done. Good luck.
Yours, Bevmacrina

[watcher]

Great Illustrations Dewayne. You may want to submit to agents too. Some agents handle illustrators as well as writers. There are some listed in Writer's Market, I don't know about Children's Writers and Illustrators Market. There are also a couple of Agent Reference books. Check your local library in the reference section. You do want to check Preditors and Editors.com and the Bewares board here, just in case to verify reputable publishers and agents.

[Dewayne]

Hey, thanks for the tips, and I'll check into that. I've wondered how to go about selling some of my cartoons, etc, as well.



Great Illustrations Dewayne. You may want to submit to agents too. Some agents handle illustrators as well as writers. There are some listed in Writer's Market, I don't know about Children's Writers and Illustrators Market. There are also a couple of Agent Reference books. Check your local library in the reference section. You do want to check Preditors and Editors.com and the Bewares board here, just in case to verify reputable publishers and agents.

[Torgo]

Obviously I haven't seen what you've written, but be careful about picturebooks in verse. There are two big problems with these:

Verse texts can be absolutely brilliant. Think of The Gruffalo, for example. However, the vast majority of verse texts that I see are poor, precisely because they're difficult to write. Make sure that what you've written really works as verse; that you haven't ever forced a rhyme or used a weird bit of syntax to fit the structure; that it scans and has a proper meter. If you can get it to work, all well and good. If not, you might be better off with prose (if it's a good story, you shouldn't lose too much.)
Verse texts are very hard to translate into different languages. These days it's important to be able to sell books in overseas markets as well, with coedition partners. If your market is the USA, this isn't so much of a problem, as it's probably big enough to support the book on its own, but submitting to UK publishers might be difficult unless you've written something as good as The Gruffalo.
Best of luck!

[DreamWeaver]

Make sure that what you've written really works as verse; that you haven't ever forced a rhyme or used a weird bit of syntax to fit the structure; that it scans and has a proper meter.
Just a suggestion for checking this: ask your spouse, friends, relatives, even strangers at the library to read it back to you. If one stumbles over a line, that's a warning, but it could be just that person. If more than one reader stumbles over a line or reads it wrong, that's a really good sign you need to fix that verse. The really good children's rhyming stories roll off the tongue almost effortlessly, with very little opportunity for the adult reading them to mess up.

From a long-time fan of Captain Kitty,
Kris

[Torgo]

Good advice for just about any piece of writing, 'weaver...

[jsc]

I have similar questions. I understand that when submitting to a publisher you dont send illustrations however what about when your selecting an agent. I have a complete manuscript for a childrens pic book. I envision what I'd kind of like to see.
Is it alright to give an idea of whats in your head or forget having any creative ideas?

[icerose]

I would suggest first getting it accepted. I have heard some writers are able to work with the illustrators. But you are worrying about something that you don't have to at this stage. :)



I have similar questions. I understand that when submitting to a publisher you dont send illustrations however what about when your selecting an agent. I have a complete manuscript for a childrens pic book. I envision what I'd kind of like to see.
Is it alright to give an idea of whats in your head or forget having any creative ideas?

[Torgo]

You should leave decisions about illustrations to the illustrator and art director that the publisher assigns to you in the end (never get your text illustrated before you submit it.) However, you should always be conscious when writing a picture book that every page is going to need text that will allow some sort of interesting illustration. Don't be too prescriptive, but do give an illustrator something to work with.