hows and whys of researching your audience, figuring out what children like and what they see as important in their lives, and then researching the topic itself in Chapter 7.
Transforming Yourself into a Storyteller
By making sure your fiction story features these key elements, you can get yourself one step closer to publishing success:
Memorable characters: Whether it’s a child who can fly, a really hungry wolf, a boy and a slave floating down the Mississippi River, or a smelly green ogre, characters are the heart and soul of children’s books. So how can you create characters who jump off the page and into your readers’ hearts? Chapter 8 reveals how to build and flesh out great characters and how to avoid stereotyping and other common pitfalls.
An engaging plot: What exactly is a plot, and how do you figure out what constitutes a beginning, a middle, and an ending? We answer that question in Chapter 9, as well as defining conflict, climax, and resolution.
Realistic dialogue: Kids can tell when dialogue doesn’t sound right. Chapter 10 features tips and step-by-step advice for writing realistic, age-appropriate dialogue for each of your characters. We also look at ways to make sure your characters sound different from one another.
Interesting settings: One way to engage young readers is to set your story in places that intrigue them. In Chapter 11, we give you some pointers on how to create interesting settings and build worlds that ground your story in a particular context and draw in your reader.
Of course, you also need to consider your author voice or tone. Do you want to sound playful by incorporating word play, rhyming, and rhythm (the music inherent in words well matched)? Or do you want to make youngsters giggle uncontrollably? We give you the tools you need to create your character’s voice in Chapter 12. And if you’re struggling with sticking to a consistent point of view, Chapter 12 can help you out there, too.
Polishing Your Gem and Getting It Ready to Send
After you write your first (or tenth) draft, you may be ready for the revising or editing process. Revising and editing aren’t just exercises to go through step by step; they are processes in which you, the writer, get to know your story inside and out. You flesh out characters, hone and sharpen the story, fine-tune the pacing, and buff and polish the writing. In Chapter 14, we guide you through the steps of revising and editing, addressing in detail how to fix everything from dialogue issues to awkward writing, advising when to adhere to the rules of grammar (and when it’s okay not to), and giving you a few simple questions to ask yourself to make the process much smoother and less complicated.
And what about illustrations? Should you illustrate your book yourself, or should you partner with or hire an illustrator to create the pictures you envision to complement and enhance your manuscript? For writers wondering about whether art should be included with their manuscript, we give you the pros and cons of partnering with an illustrator. For those with artistic talent to pair with their writing skills, Chapter 15 also provides step-by-step examples of what illustrating a picture book really looks like.
In the process of rewriting and editing your story, you may find that you have some serious questions about your manuscript, such as, “Is this really final, or does it need work?” or “Is this supporting character turning into more of a distraction than anything else?” Seek out feedback from others to help you find answers to any and all questions you may be asking. You can join (or start) a local writer’s group, attend book conferences or writing workshops, or participate in writing groups online. For the full scoop on all things feedback-related, see Chapter 16.
Selling Your Story
After you have a well-written, carefully edited, perfectly formatted manuscript in your hands, you’re ready to launch it on its first (or 20th) journey out into the big, bad world of publishing. Chapter 17 explains
the difference between the big, traditional publishers and smaller presses or independents
the pros and cons of working with a hybrid or vanity publisher
the option of self-publishing
At this point in the process, you have a few different options:
Agents: You can send your manuscript to an agent, a person who will best represent your interests and do all query-letter writing, submitting, tracking, and negotiating on your behalf. The good ones are well worth the 15 percent they typically charge to take your career from amateur to professional. Finding the right one, getting their attention, and then negotiating your contract is a process unto itself, which we tell you all about in Chapter 18.
Traditional publishers: You can submit your book to traditional publishers on your own. Finding the right match and submitting to only the right-fit publishing houses is an art form requiring in-depth research and quite a bit of sleuthing. Turn to Chapter 18 for advice on finding the traditional publisher who’s looking for stories just like yours, as well as how to get what you want in your contract.
Hybrids: You can go to a hybrid publisher who can help you out with the process. Chapter 19 digs deep into hybrid publishing, including what to expect and what to look out for.
Self-publishing: You can opt out of the submissions game altogether and choose to publish your book all by yourself. Chapter 20 introduces you to the world of self-publishing, offering you tips, options, and guidelines about how and where to start with print or digital versions of your book.
