The Illustrator Doesn’t Tell YOU What to Do

This entry is part 26 of 31 in the series 30 DAYS TO A STRONGER PICTURE BOOK
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 [...]

12 Picture Book Topics to Avoid!

This entry is part 28 of 31 in the series 30 DAYS TO A STRONGER PICTURE BOOK
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 [...]

What Kids Think is Funny

This entry is part 29 of 31 in the series 30 DAYS TO A STRONGER PICTURE BOOK
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 [...]

Page 32

This entry is part 30 of 31 in the series 30 DAYS TO A STRONGER PICTURE BOOK
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 [...]

The Biggest Mistake in Submitting a Picture Book

This entry is part 1 of 1 in the series Sandra Scofield
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, [...]

How to Mock-up a Picture Book

This entry is part 13 of 31 in the series 30 DAYS TO A STRONGER PICTURE BOOK
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. [...]

5 Ways to Make The Reader Turn the Page

This entry is part 14 of 31 in the series 30 DAYS TO A STRONGER PICTURE BOOK
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 [...]

Playing with Words for Picture Books

This entry is part 11 of 31 in the series 30 DAYS TO A STRONGER PICTURE BOOK
When you have a full text of a picture book, it’s time to PLAY! After all, this is just a story for kids, right? Here are two ways to play with your story. You’ll be amazed [...]

Options for Picture Book Characters

This entry is part 10 of 31 in the series 30 DAYS TO A STRONGER PICTURE BOOK
Picture book characters can make or break the story. We usually think of kids or at least humans as the main character, but there are options
Picture Book Characters

Inanimate objects:
. . .

Read More
After 18 months of free access, the [...]

Shakespeare Helps You Write a Better Picture Book

This entry is part 9 of 31 in the series 30 DAYS TO A STRONGER PICTURE BOOK
Image via Wikipedia
When you’re thinking about writing a picture book, the structure if important. With about fourteen double-page spreads, it’s time to turn to Shakespeare for some help.
Sonnets and Picture Books
I think you can compare picture book structure [...]