OK, so now the story you have stayed up nights creating is finally finished. The main character has been refined and developed to bring life to the story. The magic of the words printed on the page march to a designated plot created from your heart. Your desire to write stories that will touch the heart of children has almost become a reality. All that is left to fulfill this dream is to submit to the publishers. In searching for a publisher, it is important to research what exactly the publisher wants to see and learn to write around these requirements.
One of the first things a children's book publishers will be looking for is if you have followed the publishing guidelines. These guidelines spell out specifically what they want to pay for. If a publisher says it does not want stories where animals talk and you present them with a talking Lassie as the main character, your manuscript will automatically be rejected, no matter how good the plot is. The guidelines will tell you exactly what the publisher is looking for when it comes to accepting unsolicited material, how many words they are looking for as well as what type of stories they will be looking for. It is imperative that you learn to write and follow the publisher guidelines exactly. To receive the guidelines, simply request them in hard copy. Send this letter with a SASE (self addressed stamped envelope). Some guidelines are on the web others request that you write for them.
In addition to the guidelines, the next thing a children's book publisher will be looking for is the cover letter. It should be the very top page. The cover letter should give interest. I should invite the publisher to read your children's book. The editor should know from reading the cover letter, what you are sending, who the target reader is and why you are sending it to that particular company. It should also include a little bit about you. This information should be fairly straight forward but interesting. It should make him want to carry on reading the rest of your work that is on the following pages.
Proper format is the next thing a publisher will be interested in seeing. You can learn to write in the proper format by searching the web and there are many books on writing children's books. Primarily it should have good margins all around, top left-hand margin with your your identifying information, center the title midway down first page, followed by your name. Make sure it is double spaced throughout. It is absolutely vital that your manuscript be checked, double checked and even triple checked for grammatical correctness. Editors look for good sentence structure with lots of variety and dialogue. Good writing is usually written in active voice and describes the character doing the activity. Try to form your sentences with this type of action. Always get someone else to proof read your work before it is mailed, and preferably not a family member.
Learn to write what the publisher wants to see by following these very important suggestions before sending your children's book to the publisher. Each children's book publishing house receives hundreds or thousands of manuscripts in any given month. This advice will give you a strong chance at seeing your story in print. Pay attention to these ideas and you may be the next new children's author.
Author Resource:-
You can learn to write children's books and have great success! It has been proven that there has been no affect in the sales of children's books during the recession! There will always be a need for well written children's books. Sign up to our FREE newsletter at http://www.learntowriteachildrensbook.com where you will receive regular writing tips and articles on writing for children. Delivered straight to your inbox today!
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