So You've Written a Picture Book...Now What?

So you’ve written a picture book? That’s fantastic!

You should take a moment to celebrate. Writing your first book is a big milestone! I’d treat myself to something chocolate; but however you choose to celebrate, enjoy this feat. The path to publication can be wild and windy, so feed your creative soul. Because next up is more work…

Okay, you’ve celebrated. Now what?

I recommend exploring a variety of free or low-cost options to make sure the book is ready for submission. Educating yourself on children’s publishing will take work, but it doesn’t necessarily require a lot of money.

1. Know Your Craft

Do you know the typical word count for a fictional picture books? What if it’s nonfiction? Do you know how many pages?

You need to know how they the basic mechanics of what makes a picture book a book, so consider reading about the craft of writing them.

Your local library probably has these:

• Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul

• Writing With Pictures by Uri Shulevitz

• The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Children’s Books by Harold Underdown

There are many other books and blogs on writing picture books. Sometimes it can be hard to sort out who’s giving solid advice from who’s just loud—or worse trying to sell you something. Search for information by editors with experience at legitimate publishing houses or agents representing picture book clients.

2. Know the Market

Before submitting your picture book for publishing consideration, you should read at least 100 books (preferably 200 books) published within the last five years.

This will give you a good idea of where your book fits in the market, how it’s different from what has already been published, and what makes a strong hook.

Note the difference between stories that sell for author-illustrators vs authors-only. Also preferably read mostly books that aren’t written by Hollywood celebrities or for licensed characters (unless you happen to be a celebrity or licensed character). These types of books tend to have different standards than the regular trade market.

As you read, note the different publishers. This will give you a good sense for who publishes what.

Finally, always read the jacket flap (this is excellent practice for learning to craft your own pitches when the time comes).

3. Join a Critique Group

If you aren’t already a member of a critique group, find one. Every book should be read by at least five writers before sending it out. It helps if these people also write and regularly read current books in your genre.

Reading to your children/students/grandchildren is nice but doesn't count. Sorry.

The end goal of writing for publication is to—HAVE PEOPLE READ YOUR WORK. Before sending out work for mass consumption, consider having a few people give feedback first. You’ll get feedback after it’s published whether or not you ask for it. Better to find out that “innocent” title you chose also has a sexual meaning BEFORE it’s published.

Here are a few free resources for finding critique groups:

Kidlit411: http://www.kidlit411.com/p/ms-swap.html

Sub It Club: https://www.facebook.com/SubItClub/

I found my first critique group by going on JacketFlap.com and looking up local writers in my area. That was a loooong time ago. No promises that would work these days.

SCBWI.org also has resources for finding critique groups. The cost of a membership is modest and I recommend the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) to anyone seriously pursuing a career in children’s literature.

You could also find other writers by joining a writing challenge. A few free options include:

StoryStorm (January)

Nonfiction Fest (February)

Reading For Research Month (March)

Julie Hedlunds 12x12 is a year round challenge (and one of my favorites) but not free.

4. Write At Least Five Picture Books Before Submitting Anything

When you’ve only written one book, it’s your best work. But it’s also your worst. As you write more stories, you’ll develop a better sense for the types of stories you’re passionate about, and your authentic writing voice.

Maybe you only ever want to write one book. In that case, (assuming you’ve done everything else above) go ahead and submit directly to publishers. You’ll probably find that most major publishers are closed to submissions without a literary agent. While there are great publishers still open, it might take work finding them. FYI, if anyone asks you for money as part of a deal, they aren’t a reputable publisher.

Everyone else: write, write, write. As I mentioned above, most major publishers are closed to submissions without an agent. That means, you probably want to query agents first. Most agents start with one picture book query. If they like that story, they’ll ask to see more. Usually, you’ll send two to five additional stories. These stories shouldn’t be sequels to the first. Why? If an agent can’t sell your first work, the rest of your portfolio is toast. Even rock star agents can’t sell every story. So…write, write, write.

By the way, as part of your literary agent query-quest, I recommend buying a one month subscription to Publishers Marketplace (~$25). Look under the deal history of agents you are considering. What types of stories do they sell and to what publishers? Look up deals for their agency. It’s normal for newer agents not to have many (any) sales. However, newer agents should be at an agency with a good track record—hopefully they are receiving mentoring from more experienced agents.

That’s as far as I can take you.

I offer events through bookstores, schools, and writing organizations. However as a general rule, I don’t provide one-on-one writing consultations or publishing coaching sessions. If I opened myself to the “writing services” side of things, I wouldn’t have time for my own writing. Writing for kids is what I love, and I want to stay true to that.

Other authors offer direct critique services. See SCBWI.org for more resources if you are still interested in paying for a professional critique.

However, I hope this post gives you some resources to start your own writing journey.

Happy writing trails! I look forward to seeing your work in print!