Early readers, anyone?

MsJudy · Aug 8, 2007

Does anyone know who to contact about early reader series ideas? I'm talking Cat-in-the-Hat, Golden Books level first readers. Scholastic and Random House won't take unagented material, but I haven't found any agents listing they represent early readers. I'm an experienced first grade teacher and literacy specialist, so I have some qualifications and I know where there's a huge hole in what's on the market. Everything's cutesy, no drama that would appeal to cartoon-and-video-game-loving boys. I'd love to see more pirates and dragons....but if it's a closed world, then I won't waste my time on it.

Elektra · Aug 8, 2007

I think most Early Readers fall under the heading of "Children's", so you could try looking for agents that rep that.

Elektra · Aug 8, 2007

Just reread your post. Do you have an actual book you want to sell, or are you just trying to sell an idea?

JLCwrites · Aug 8, 2007

I agree that there is a demand for them. I have a couple of ideas bouncing around in my head that I plan to work on after I am done with my current YA.

I think Elektra is right, you should find early readers under the children's umbrella.

lostgirl · Aug 8, 2007

I definitely think that you should have a manuscript written especially if you're a first time author with no publishing credits under your belt if you're planning on contacting an agent.

EDIT: I write early reader chapter books and I just contacted agents that represented children's. I've had a lot of great rejections.. LOL Personal ones are always the best.

MsJudy · Aug 8, 2007

My manuscript is along the lines of the Biscuit series by Alyssa Satin Capucilli. We're talking really early readers--8 pages, one sentence per page. Writing using only short-vowel words, the 100 most common sight words, and a very few vocabulary words that can be figured out by the pictures. Really early readers.

Elektra · Aug 8, 2007

I'm definitely no expert, but I'm fairly sure that what you're talking about still qualifies as a children's (picture) book. Early readers--I think--are along the lines of VERY short chapter books (think Magic Tree House).

lostgirl · Aug 8, 2007

Elektra is right. They are only called early readers if they have chapters. What you're describing, although quite fabulous, would fall under picture book definition by agents and publishing houses. I started out in picture books.

Hope that helps.

MsJudy · Aug 9, 2007

Thanks. I'm getting the feeling the terms change when things are marketed and sold to teachers! Scholastic markets Biscuit and Dr. Seuss as "early readers" and Magic Tree House as "chapter books." More advanced chapter books like Newberry winners are called "novels." Picture books are bigger, prettier and fancier than "early readers," which are usually narrower and have much more controlled language. Picture books are literature; "early readers" don't pretend to be. Their purpose is to be accessible to beginning readers. So it's very hard to tell if agents interested in "picture books" are also interested in "early readers." I know, for example, that Andrea Brown is not.

Lauri B · Aug 9, 2007

Hi JudScotKev,
I'm thinking that your best bet would be to pitch the ed publishers such as Capstone, Franklin Watts, etc., directly with your proposal rather than trying to break into the trades with it at first. I would go look at which publishers exhibited at the last PLA convention (Public Library Association). I went to the one in Boston a couple of years ago and every ed publisher was there. Most of them are open to direct submissions, and it sounds like your expertise and ideas are right on for them. Good luck!

cwgranny · Aug 9, 2007

Actually those very beginning readers are a bit of a catagory unto themselves and the publishers who publish them often have them written rather than accepting manuscripts. I've been told by those who write them, that the publishers give them a specific list of words many times and different publishers have different criteria -- some have a very strong phonics angle, some are more sight word-ish (like the 100-word list). I am pretty sure that none involve agents. Look at the publishers producing that level of material, contact them with a resume and sample and see if they bite.

MsJudy · Aug 9, 2007

thanks, Nomad and cwgranny! that's exactly the kind of information I was looking for.

Early readers, anyone?

MsJudy

Elektra

Don't Call Me Sweetheart

Elektra

Don't Call Me Sweetheart

JLCwrites

lostgirl

Always Watching

MsJudy

Elektra

Don't Call Me Sweetheart

lostgirl

Always Watching

MsJudy

Lauri B

I Heart Mac

cwgranny

MsJudy