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Within the picture book genre, there are certain sub-genres and I’ll cover some of these in the next few days. Picture book biographies are hot commodities these days, but are very hard to get right. How to Write a Picture Book Biography Remember that picture books are 32 pages and are usually written for kids [...]
Within the picture book genre, there are certain sub-genres and I’ll cover some of these in the next few days. First, the ABC books. How to Write a Good ABC Book Story Oriented Alphabet Books. If you want to write an ABC book, you should first read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, a rollicking story with [...]
The illustrator doesn’t tell YOU what to do, so don’t tell the illustrator what to do! Professional Respect You do your professional job with the text and the illustrator does his/her professional job with the art. Respect is the key here. If you want to dictate some of the art to the illustrator, please put [...]
UPDATE: See the 2009 List of Picture Book Topics to Avoid Dial editor, Liz Waniewski (ONE–es-key) spoke at the Arkansas SCBWI 2007 conference. For a couple months before the conference, she kept track of her slush pile pb submissions by category. Here are the top 12 picturebook topics that she received–thus, the top 12 to [...]
If you want to write a picture book with humor, you must understand the development of humor in kids. Thanks, Tammi, for asking for something on this topic. If you have requests for a certain topic about picture books, send me an email, or put something in the comments. Writing Funny Picture Books Here are [...]
Page 32, the last page in a picture book is a chance to give the reader a twist, or emphasize an emotion. Page 32 The last page of a picture book is a left-hand single page. Consider ways to use this last chance to connect with the readers. Emphasize the emotional connection. In Officer Buckle [...]
What is the biggest mistake made when submitting a picture book to a publisher? You do NOT need to find an illustrator The question most often asked is this: “How do I find an illustrator for my book?” You don’t. The publisher chooses the illustrator. In fact, you cut your chances of selling in half, [...]
When you’re happy with the revisions of your picture book manuscript, it’s time to make a mock-up, or what is usually called a dummy. Why Make a Dummy? Picture books combine text and words in a short 32 page book. The structure is so unusual, that you need a dummy to refine and polish your [...]
One of the key things I check when revising a picture book manuscript is page turns. Have I given the reader any reason to keep turning pages, or does each page stand alone and the reader doesn’t care if s/he finishes the book? 5 Ways to Make the Reader Turn the Page Stop a sentence [...]
You’ve made some major changes in your text, but it’s time for micro-changes. Examples of microcuts and microchanges Micro-cuts Once you’re happy with your text, go back and edit out another 100 words. Again, it’s an arbitrary number, but it works so well. Think of this as a poem, which is the tightest writing possible. [...]
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