Tips for Writing Children's Picture Books - podcast

Thank you so much the information you gave me was very helpful!

Hi Stacy Usually to get published with a traditional publisher like Scholastic you'll need an agent. The agent will shop your book around to publishers looking for a buyer. To get an agent you'll need to write a query letter and use it when submitting your book to potential agents. Likely you'll need to submit to many, many agents before finding one. If you search here on the ALC for "agent" and "query letter" you'll find some good info to guide you on your way. Good luck with your project.

Hi Heather -- Check out the book launch tool here on the Author Learning Center and see if that helps you. It is designed to walk you through the steps of each phase in the process...writing, publishing, an marketing. It sounds like your writing is done but I can't tell if you still need an illustrator or not. If so, you'll want to look for a freelance illustrator or a publishing service provider who sells service packages that include illustration (AuthorHouse is a good option). You can use the book launch tool to walk through the steps. For instance, if you click on the publishing tab then you'll see a list of common tasks. You can hover over the question mark icon next to each task for sample pieces of content that can help you complete the task. You can also status each task, drag and drop them to rearrange them into an order that works for you, delete tasks you don't need, and even add your own tasks. To get started, go to your Author's Space and click the BOOKs tab. Then click "Start a Book". You'll see the book launch tool at the bottom of the page once you save all your book project info. Also, consider searching here on the ALC for info on Children's books, illustrations, freelance (for finding illustrators), and more. We have tons of good info to help.

I have written and illustrated the story as well. My book has been getting praise for the illustrations and the story plot. I have only released one book so far, but I have written and illustrated seven books. My question is how do I get my story in the hands of a reputable publisher like Scholastic our Firefly?

Hi, Thank you for your words of advice. I have a text of 450 words to put in a picture book with up to 30 pages with just a few words on most pages. Does that sounds feasible? What do I do next? Thanks