You've written a picture book!
What now?

Congratulations! It’s a great feeling, isn’t it? Now what? You want to get it published! Well, a lot of people think the next step is to send that picture book to every publisher on the planet in the hopes that they will publish it. Sadly, this is why every editor at every children's book publisher is overwhelmed by a towering, toppling Slush Pile. This is a bad thing. They have piles of submitted manuscripts that measure in FEET tall and 95% of it is NOT publishable. Ninety-five percent! Ninety-five out of one hundred manuscripts the publishing houses receive are NOT even close to being published. You really don’t want your manuscript to be one of those, do you? I don’t either. In fact, I wish those piles didn’t exist, so that editors were not overwhelmed and the children’s publishing industry were not so slow because the editors are so overwhelmed.

So, what do you DO with your newly-written picture book? You put it in a drawer in your desk and leave it there for a month. Really. I know, it’s hard, but completely necessary. It must age, like fine wine or cheese. You will be able to examine it and appreciate it in a new way. You may, of course, share it first with your family, so that you can bask in the glow of their enthusiasm and admiration for that interminably LONG month that it’s in the drawer.

But, besides basking in the glow of admiration, what else do you do while that fabulous manuscript is sitting in there? Well, I’m sure, in addition to being a future published author, you’re a busy mom, dad, teacher, salesman, grandma, whatever, and you go lead your busy life, and in your spare time (and by spare time, I mean every second of every day which is not fully occupied by all that other junk), you answer the following questions:

Question 1 - Have you joined SCBWI yet?

If yes, good move! Now go to Question 2.
If your answer is no, quit wondering if it’s worth it, go to SCBWI and join. Yes, it costs money. Yes, it is totally worth it, especially for beginners. I’m still a member! After you have joined, and read every page on their site, move to question 2.
If your response is What’s SCBWI??, pour yourself another cup of coffee. In fact, make a whole new pot. You’re at Square One and you’re really going to need it. Now, go join.

Question 2 - Have you joined a critique group yet?

If yes, great! Tell them all I said “Hi!”
If your answer is no, you need to find one. Post a notice on the SCBWI message boards that you need a group, or are forming a new group, or answer one of the postings from groups looking for new members. Critique groups are actually not a necessary component of getting published and they are not for everybody. But, you should experience one, at least one, at some point. You will find a support network (maybe even make some new friends!), gain an understanding of where you and your writing are at on the children’s writing spectrum, and learn to give and take criticism. Trust me, though you are currently basking in the glow of their admiration, your husband/wife and/or children are NOT good judges of your writing.

Question 3 - Do you know what the BlueBoard is?

If yes, you have made your way to the front lines of children's writing. Utilize this resource as much as you can- for help, knowledge, camaraderie and reassurance. It is a wonderful community. Move to Question 4.
If your answer is no, go to VerlaKay.com and join. It doesn’t cost any money at all and has TONS of information. One caveat- I hang there and it’s a nice place, so play nice!

Question 4 - Have you studied picture books?

Have you read more than 100 picture books written in the last 2 years? Have you read another 100 picture books written between 2005 and 2010? Have you read another 100 picture books written in the 1990's? And another 100 written in the 1980's? And another 100 written before 1980?

If yes, great! Does any other business have research that is this fun??
If your answer is no, go to the library and READ. And have FUN! There are great books out there to discover! Find ones you LOVE (mine are here) and figure out why you love them. Study their plot, structure, language. Study the inter-play between text and illustration. Read them out loud to yourself. Read them out loud to your kids. Read them out loud to someone else's kids. Think about WHY each book got published. Think about what the author was trying to say and how they say it. Think about how YOU would say the same thing. Find books you don't like and figure out why. And then, after you've read all these books, don't stop. You can go back to writing, but never stop reading!

Question 5 - Is your picture book about :

a. a memory you have from your childhood
b. a cute thing your own child did
c. grandmas
d. squirrels
e. the tooth fairy
f. the first day of school
g. a lesson you want to teach children
h. a child that gets a new brother/sister

If the answer is yes, you have a bit of an uphill climb. While your story may be unique and wonderful and subtly written, the above-mentioned topics have been (over)DONE and are frequent pitfalls of new writers. They are not the only topics, of course, and it doesn’t mean that your book is not good or not publishable. Books on these subjects are published every day! What it does mean is that you need to make sure you are being realistic about your chances of getting published. You should be aware of the realities of the business of writing for children. You need to hear someone tell it like it is. I would suggest starting with EditorialAnonymous and The Rejecter. It’s a hard business to succeed in, and being realistic about your expectations will help you out a LOT. And I say this as someone who is guilty of a, c, f, and g from above :)

Question 6 - Is your book in rhyme?

If your answer is no, you get to skip a step! Yea! Have a doughnut with your coffee, then skip ahead to Question 7..
If your answer is yes, know that you are going about this the hard way. It is VERY hard to write in rhyme and the learning curve to learn to write well in rhyme is HUGE. It took me well over two years. Even when you think, "NOW I get it," you still might not. I had LOTS of "A-ha!" moments that still never got me all the way there. However, a well-written rhymer is also one of the most rewarding things you can write and well-written rhyme sells. So if you are determined to do it, do everything in your power to make sure yours is well-written. Buy a good rhyming dictionary. Go here and here and read every word. Understand every word too! Type out the text of ten of your favorite rhyming books. Study the rhythm, meter, flow, end-rhymes, word choice and story development. And read every book ever written by Lisa Wheeler.

Question 7 - Do you have the most recent issue of CWIM?

If yes, it should look like mine- dog-eared, highlighted, marked-up, tabbed, annotated, well-used and in a very handy place on your writing desk.
If you answered no, it is the Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market book and you NEED to go buy it. Here is their website. Read it cover-to-cover. Enjoy the articles. Then use it as a starting point for researching publishers. Visit their websites, study their lists, learn what they publish and what they are looking for. TARGET your submissions. Do not send a picture-book manuscript to a publisher who does not publish picture books. Do not send a folktale to a publisher who does not want folktales. You get the picture...

**AND, CWIM is a wonderful resource EVERY year. Don't rely on an old issue to have current addresses, editor names and submission information. The children's publishing industry may be a slow one, but that sort of stuff changes a LOT.

In addition to the CWIM, there are many other places to find information about writing for children. I spent a LOT of time on The Purple Crayon and the Verla Kay transcripts page and the ICL transcripts page when I was just starting out. Some authors have far more informative websites than mine-read every word on them (like I did). Start with Cynthia Leitich-Smith and Esme Raji Codell. Check out the authors on the "Read!" page here on my site. These people have written excellent books and many have great sites (if I could find them, they are linked!) Sign up for Children's Bookshelf and Children's Writer. And find good blogs to read daily, like Fuse #8 and Pubrants and Cheryl Klein's blog. Read everything you can find about writing and publishing books for children. Everything.

Market research is a VERY, VERY, VERY important step and one you cannot underestimate. KNOW. THE. MARKET. It is a huge component to success in this business. If you are not interested in doing research, you should try to get an agent, because they will do this part for you. But know it is often harder to get an agent than a book contract, especially with picture books. And you may find that you enjoy this aspect of the writing business as much as the writing and want to do it yourself. I do!

Now, if you have done all of these things, you are on the right path. You can take that picture book manuscript out of that drawer. Read it again. Do you think it has the potential to get published? If so, get to work. Revise, revise, revise. Have it critiqued. Revise it some more. If you don't see potential, and you can admit it, that's okay. My first one didn't either. Nor did my second one or third one or fourth one... Number NINE was a keeper though :) So, do all of this stuff, but KEEP WRITING. And, more importantly, keep improving your writing.

This is by no means a complete primer to getting published in children's writing. There is so much more I could add- go to a conference, study the craft of writing, take online courses, read writing how-to books, attend storytime at your local library, etc, etc. If you are serious, do it all. I have. It may lead to publication, or frustration, or a writing career, or just a hobby. You need patience. You need knowledge. You need skill. You need persistence. And above all, you need to enjoy the trip.

Good luck with your book!

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