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UPDATE, September, 2011: Harold Underdown reports, “Scholastic Press editor Jennifer Rees is leaving the company. She tells me: “I’m expecting my third child and have decided to move into freelance editing.” One main reason to attend a national conference is to meet editors, listen to how they describe their lists, and find out what they [...]
One main reason to attend a national conference is to meet editors, listen to how they describe their lists, and find out what they are looking for. Attendees are usually offered an opportunity to submit for a short period of time, even if the house policy is no unsolicited manuscripts. Needs Contemporary, Upper Middle Grade [...]
One main reason to attend a national conference is to meet editors, listen to how they describe their lists, and find out what they are looking for. Attendees are usually offered an opportunity to submit for a short period of time, even if the house policy is no unsolicited manuscripts. Needs Picture Books, Middle Grade [...]
Who attends a national conference of writers? Demographics Executive Director of the SCBWI, Lin Oliver, always starts the conference with jokes and then gives a demographics report. This year the conference was attended by 1056 people; 890 women, 166 men. Which, of course, meant that on the ballroom floor, all bathrooms were converted to a [...]
Do picture books need subtitles? Well, no, not strictly. Just like any other book, a subtitle is a chance to tell the prospective reader something more about the topic of the book.
A reader asks, “I’m wondering if there is an objective way of measuring didacticism in an PB manuscript.”
Voice is important, whether you’re writing a novel or a picture book.
One question that often arises is, “Can you revise for voice?” Yes. Here’s an example of how it worked for me.
One of the most important things to keep in mind when revising a picture book is that it needs to be easy to read aloud. Usually picture books are read to kids by adults. If you have to read the same thing over and over and over — and over again, then you learn to appreciate a smoothly written and fun text.
Poetry Collections make great picture books. Write a Collection of Poetry on a Specific Topic Poetry collections make great children’s picture books. The most common type of poetry collection seen in picture books is 15-30 poems on a single, specific topic. This slots the book into a category for use in the classroom, as well [...]
This post was originally published as “When Folktales Fail: Modernize Your Picture Book” Children’s Writer. December, 2005. Picture books: Folk Tale or Modern Story? Despite several sales of picture book manuscripts, I still receive many rejections. Why? That’s what I recently set out to learn. My search began with an article by Jill Paton Walsh, [...]
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