Publish children’s book? No matter how well written your child’s story is, if you want to get it published, it needs to grab and hold the attention of editors.
#1 Get their attention in 10 seconds or less
10 seconds. That’s the amount of time many editors say they spend on each submission when they’re proofreading.
The first sentence of your presentation is the first thing an editor will read, and if it doesn’t grab their attention, it will be the last thing they read. Be sure to stimulate their curiosity (without being “pretty” or “evasive”) so that they want to read the rest of your presentation and then your manuscript. Remember that your letter may be competing with a huge pile of other similar letters in the beleaguered editor’s “slush” pile. Do not be boring!
#2 What’s in a name?
Go the extra mile to find the name of the person to whom you should address your correspondence. Don’t just use the names listed in the resource books. In fact, call the publisher to make sure you have the correct name (and check the spelling, too). Writing to a real person makes your chances of success that much higher and makes following up much easier too.
#3 Be appropriate
Research has shown that your submission can enter the top 5% simply by being appropriate. Being appropriate means that you are appropriate in genre, theme, style, etc. Having a good idea of the types of books the company publishes also helps you write a better pitch.
It all boils down to researching the various publishers. You can use the resources listed at the end of this report, take an informal survey at your local bookstore, library, or on Amazon.com, or ask your librarian if you can access the publisher’s catalogs that are often kept in the back office. of libraries
#4 A pretty face
The presentation makes the life of the harassed editor a little easier and more pleasant. Leave plenty of white space, use an eye-pleasing font, and make sure there are no misspelled words. Paragraphs should generally be no more than 5-6 lines maximum.
#5 Shipping Format
Be sure to closely follow the publisher’s submission format guidelines. These can usually be found on their website and in some of the reference books listed at the end of this report. You can also usually get catalogs and guidelines for authors or illustrators by sending a written request with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the publisher.
#6 Make it easy to answer
Always include a stamped postcard with your address and boxes for the editor to check (eg, with a query letter, a box would be: “YES, send me your manuscript”). You want to reduce any obstacles to getting the publisher to respond to your query.
#7 Don’t take “NO” for an answer
More and more publishers are putting up the “no unsolicited manuscripts” sign. But contrary to what many authors think, this does not mean that the door is closed to your presentation. You can still send a query letter to ask the editor if they are interested in seeing your project. If the answer is “yes”, you can now submit your manuscript marked as “requested material”, and the chances of it being opened and read increase dramatically.
#8 Tracking
Follow up 3-4 months after you submit your initial inquiry, unless the publisher’s guidelines state that you shouldn’t expect to hear from them for a longer period of time.
#9 Follow up and test
In the world of direct marketing, sales letters are continuously tested and their response rate/success rate is tracked. The card with the best results becomes the “control”. You can do almost the same. Try different variations on your shade and see what kind of results they give.
#10 “PS”…
This advice is from the world of direct marketing. You won’t find it in any book on children’s book publishing.
After the title or header, the “PS” or “post-script” is the most read part of any sales letter. So be sure to include a PS What do you say in a PS? You can reaffirm why your book should be published or present an additional reason, provide more credibility, or communicate urgency (to motivate the publisher to take immediate action).
conclusion
Follow these tips and check out the resource books listed below, and you’ll be well on your way to publishing your child’s book.
resource books
2005 Children’s Writers & Illustrator’s Market, by Alice Pope (editor), Rebecca Chrysler (editor), ISBN: 1582972737
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Children’s Books, Second Edition (Paperback) by Harold D. Underdown, ISBN: 1592571433
Writers’ and Illustrators’ Guide for Children’s Book Publishers and Agents (Paperback), by Ellen R. Shapiro, ISBN: 0761525157
© 2005 Pablo Arinaga. All rights reserved.
