Board books have extra thick coated pages that small hands can turn and chewing babies can sink their teeth in. Browse any discount store and there will shelves full!
3 Reasons Board Books are Popular
Cost
They cost under $10, even less if reduced for warehouse and big box stores. They make excellent last-minute gifts, stocking stuffers, spontaneous check out purchases. Sometimes they cost less than the card that accompanies them!
2 Durability
Babies easily grab and chew on the pages. Just wipe off. They are easy to throw in a bag for use in a doctor office or restaurant. No torn pages or ripped covers.
3 Fun
With attention grabbing colors and not too much story, having two or three at bedtime is easy. Babies can be distracted easily and begin to learn the stories and simple concepts.
3 Types of Board Books
1 Concept
The focus is on one specific concept (ABC, shape, color) without much of a storyline. However, because there are so many concept books out there, one that can manage a story line while counting to 10 or learning opposites will have an extra appeal to publishers.
2 Novelty
The physical experience (lift the flap, sound buttons, touch and feel) is the focus of the book. Many are concept books where children feel animal fur. The book can have an actual story line with sound buttons for noises.
3 Mini versions
Many publishers print reduced versions of a best-selling picture book as a board book. It is the entire book reduced in format, leaving pictures and type smaller than normal. Other times sections of the story are omitted to keep the number of pages low.
3 Tips on Writing a Board Book
Words
Board book manuscripts are 10-14 pages and often under 150 words. Chose the very best possible words and make any rhyme perfect.
Pictures
They will be larger than the words. Make sure each page of text can be represented in a clear and simple picture.
Series
Always look for ways to develop at least 4 ideas for a series with a connected theme and art. Holidays and seasons, Bible stories, nursery tales, toys, pets, families!
One day you may see a baby chewing on your book!
Award winning author Robin Currie led children’s departments of Midwestern public libraries before being called midlife to ordained ministry. She has a special love for children’s literacy and Bible storytelling. Robin annually volunteers teaching English in developing countries. She and her husband actively grandparent 5 wonderful kids.
Robin has published seven library resource collections of creative ideas for library story times, and more than 20 Bible story books for children.
Coming in March 2022: A BOARD BOOK! How to Dress a Dinosaur, illustrated by Alicia Pace and published by familius.
I once asked New York Times bestselling author Melanie Benjamin her top tip for writing historical fiction. She gave me two: write to entertain, and connect with readers on issues in the past that resonate in the present. Although Benjamin writes for adults, her advice proves equally applicable to middle grade historical fiction authors.
New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner answers this question by focusing on a paraphrase of Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory. “Research the iceberg, then write the tip.” Writers of middle grade historical fiction would do well to keep these three suggestions in mind.
Write to entertain.
Write to connect the past with the present.
Write the tip.
Write to Entertain
In order to entertain, MG writers must first provide readers with a strong protagonist—one generally two years older than the age of the author’s target audience (8-12-year-olds). The story should embroil this sympathetic character in historical situations that compel the protagonist to respond. Unlike YA or adult stories, these MG characters are not out to “save the world.” They make decisions based on their immediate circumstances with a focus on friends and family.
The Bicycle Spy provides a good example. Twelve-year-old Marcel discovers that his friend’s entire family is in imminent danger. He knows he can help, but it will involve a risky bicycle ride to pass along covert information. When his plans go awry, he must keep pedaling and think quickly… because his friend, her family, and his own future hang in the balance.
Enable Readers to Connect the Past with the Present
In addition to crafting an entertaining story that involves the main character’s friends and family, middle grade authors must also connect events in the historical novel with situations experienced by their target audience. According to Linda Levstick, a professor at the University of Kentucky, embedding history within this kind of a narrative arc will help middle graders make sense of, personalize, and remember historical events. Evoking readers’ emotions helps young readers forge important connections.
All middle grade readers have experienced loss of some kind. They also know how it feels when adults have them do things they’d rather not do. Tapping into these common emotions can bring historical characters to life. The past becomes more memorable when readers connect historical events with their own experiences.
For example, in my middle grade novel, California Trail Discovered, orphaned thirteen-year-old Daniel and his ten-year-old stepsister Hannah (fictional characters) must travel West with their guardian, Jim Savage (a historical figure). Daniel doesn’t want to go. He wants to stay in Illinois and solve the mystery of his parents’ deaths. Forced to join Jim’s wagon train and travel to California, Daniel and Hannah become friends with Virginia Reed, a historical figure and member of the Donner Party. Together, Daniel, Hannah, and Virginia face the trials and triumphs of life on the trail.
Write the Tip
Lisa Gardner’s advice to research the iceberg (the history surrounding an event you want to bring to life) and then writing only the tip, is sound advice for historical fiction writers. Just as only ten percent of an iceberg floats above the surface, so too, authors of historical fiction should only reveal ten percent of the research they discover. The ninety percent of the information writers withhold acts as the bulk of their story’s iceberg, providing substance and weight. As literary agent Rachelle Gardner warns, writers must always make a story’s message subservient to its plot. This is especially true of middle grade fiction.
Conclusion
Middle grade historical fiction authors who write to entertain, connect the past with their readers’ present realities, and reveal only ten percent of the research upon which their novel is based will not only reach this age group at a very formative time in their lives—they help them become life-long learners.
Marie Sontag, a former middle school teacher, writes historical fiction for middle grade and young adult readers. A member of ACFW and SCBWI, she has a BA in social science, a masters in instructional technology, and a Ph.D. in education. She and her husband reside in the Texas DFW area. When not researching or writing her next book, she can be found helping her grandson capture his superhero or Lego-created stories on video (after, of course, he shows Grandma his storyboard!), or acting our princess stories with her granddaughter. You can connect with her at www.mariesontag.com.
“Many books for children feature children. Your writing will be more natural if you are aware of the rhythms and patterns that youngsters adopt when they interact with each other. Children often say the first things that come to mind. They repeat phrases – and rework their sentences as they speak. Try writing short, staccato sentences or long rambling ones just to get a feel for pacing. Reflecting on your childhood memories can also help draw out an authentic voice.”
Author Alan Dapré A former TV scriptwriter who now spends his time writing zany story books, usually about a Tartan Cat.
When I came across Dapré’s quote while doing some research on the Internet one afternoon, I loved it! I actually said out loud, “Yes!” You see, to write for children, we need to be where they are and listen to how they talk. We need to watch how they move and interact with the world around them.
This was much easier to do when my daughters were at home because we were “that house”—the house where all of the neighborhood kiddos gathered. I never had to work at being around children. Today, as an empty nester, I find myself having to work a little harder when I want to interact with my readers.
If you find yourself in that same situation, or if you write for the picture book market and you only have teens in your house, you’ll also have to get a little more creative to observe and interact with your readers. So, here are four tips to help you in that quest.
Volunteer: Offer to babysit for your friend’s children or take your turn in the nursery at church. Work with Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, or other children’s groups. Be a coach. (I was a cheerleading coach for a stint, and out of that experience, I was inspired to write my YA devotional, “Get Your Spirit On! Devotions for Cheerleaders” (SonRise Devotions, 2018). You could also volunteer to read to children in your public library. Those are all win/win scenarios. You get to feel good about volunteering, and you will get quality time with your readership.
Strategically Observe: You will want to observe children at play. Watch how they interact. Listen to how they talk—their pacing, their word choice, their voice inflection. Observe how they move and engage with one another. Good places to do this? Go to the park. (Walk your dog there so you don’t look like a creeper—ha!) Hang out in the toy section at Wal-Mart. Go to the zoo and do double duty. You can observe kids and animals and take notes for future books.
Research: fill in the gaps with online research. When you can’t be with kiddos in real time, watch YouTube videos of kids just being kids. And while you’re at it, find out what kids are reading, watching, and listening to, and then do the same! Get in their world so that you’ll understand it and them better.
Remember: think back to when you were a kid. When you just can’t find a way to be around little ones, you can still make this work. All you have to do is…remember. Slang words and clothing fads may come and go, but the raw emotion of a story never goes out of style. Use your own childhood experiences or those of your children and draw from them. Tap into memories of your proudest, saddest, most embarrassing, or disappointing moments. Feelings are universal and timeless. Childhood memories may be the story buds for numerous future articles and books. The key is to remember with all of your senses—what you saw, how it felt, how it smelled, etc. Become that child again!
Yes, this will take some time, but it’ll be time well-spent. Get to know your audience and watch your writing become more raw, more real, and more relevant.
Michelle Medlock Adams is a best-selling author and an award-winning journalist, earning top honors from the Associated Press, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Hoosier State Press Association. Author of over 100 books with more than 4 million books sold, Michelle is also a New York Times Bestselling ghostwriter and has won more than 70 industry awards for her own journalistic endeavors, including the prestigious Golden Scroll for Best Children’s Book in 2020, 2019 and 2018 for “How Much Does God Love You?” “Dinosaur Devotions” and “My First Day of School”. And, over the past three years, she has added several first-place honors from the Christian Market Book Awards, the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, and the Illumination Awards in multiple categories.
Since graduating with a journalism degree from Indiana University, Michelle has written more than 1,500 articles for newspapers, magazines, and websites; and served as an adjunct professor at Taylor University. Today, she is President of Platinum Literary Services, Chairman of the Board of Advisors for Serious Writer, Inc.; and a much sought-after speaker at writers conferences and women’s retreats all over the United States. When not working on her own assignments, Michelle ghostwrites articles, blog posts, and books for celebrities, politicians, and some of today’s most effective and popular ministers.
Michelle is celebrating the recent release of her books, Cuddle-up Prayers; I Love You Bigger Than the Sky and Writing & Selling Children’s Books in the Christian Market: From Board Books to YA coauthored with her agent Cyle Young.
Michelle is married to her high school sweetheart, Jeff, and they have two daughters, Abby and Allyson, two sons-in-law, two granddaughters and two grandsons. She and Jeff share their home in Southern Indiana with a miniature dachshund, a rescue Greyhound/Lab mix, and two cats. When not writing or teaching writing, Michelle enjoys bass fishing, cheering on Indiana University sports teams and the Chicago Cubbies, and all things leopard print.
I was in the window seat, thumbing through my recent issue of “Writer’s Digest,” just waiting for the plane to take off when a mother and her young daughter sat down next to me.
“Don’t worry, babe,” the mom comforted. “You’re going to be all right. We both will.”
But the little girl didn’t seem so sure. She fidgeted, hid her face in her stuffed unicorn, and eventually, her tears flowed.
She was afraid. Very afraid.
The mom in me wanted to help. I was so thankful I had listened to that still small Voice when I packed my briefcase that morning.
“Is this your first flight?” I asked the little girl.
Without looking at me, she nodded.
“It’s a first flight for both of us,” her mom quickly added. “And, we’re both a little scared.”
I locked eyes with the mama and asked, “I’m a children’s author. Would it be Ok if I shared a book with your daughter? I think it might be helpful.”
“Of course,” she answered.
I reached down and pulled out my book, “I Will Not Be Afraid” (Concordia Publishing House) and handed it to the little girl.
“I wrote this book for my little girls when they were afraid,” I told her. “I want you to have it.”
She looked up at me with her big brown teary eyes and gave me just a hint of a smile. She and her mama read every page and every accompanying bible verse about fear, and by the time the plane took off, a calmness had blanketed our row.
That, my friends, is why we do what we do.
Our words, whether written in rhyme or narrative, hold great power. They can encourage, empower, educate, and comfort our readers. They can bring much-needed laughter, and they can provide a temporary escape into a world of story.
As Christian writers for children, we can make a difference, and just knowing that fact makes all the difference. Knowing you’re not just throwing together a manuscript for the sake of another sale, but rather you’re crafting a story that might encourage a child who never receives any support at home, or that you’re writing a book that could bring comfort to a scared little girl, that’s what keeps us writing.
That should be what drives us when we’re putting in the hours—studying the craft, learning the market, revising and rewriting, praying over every word, and promoting so our books can go everyplace they were intended to go and do the work they were destined to do.
Felt needs
Many publishers call these kinds of books “felt need” books, which basically means these children’s books fill a void. They address a need or they deal with a difficult situation in a very kid-friendly way. I love writing these kinds of books because it feels like ministry. You know why it feels that way? Because it is!
Some common felt-need topics include being afraid, being sad, feeling overwhelmed, feeling angry, and not feeling good enough. These types of needs can be narrowed down through story to address a very specific aspect of the felt need. For example, it’s not just that the child is afraid. The child in your story might be afraid of the dark. That’s a very common childhood fear. My daughter Abby was very afraid of the dark, which is why I wrote “Operation Moonbeam” (Little Lamb Books) which debuts in 2021. Or, it’s not just that your main character feels sad, it’s that she feels sad about her best friend moving away. Now, you’ve got the seeds of a story.
Felt need books are also referred to as issue oriented books. For example, there have been several books released in recent years about a grandparent’s battle with dementia. It’s very sad when Grandpa no longer remembers his grandson’s name. Helping a child understand the disease a little more and assuring the child that Grandpa’s lack of memory certainly doesn’t mean his love for the child is diminished, provides education and comfort to that reader. This can be handled through fiction or nonfiction, or you can combine the two by addressing the situation through story as well as providing nonfiction backmatter about the disease and resources to learn more.
As I walked through Book Expo in New York City last year, I couldn’t believe how many more companies had begun felt need/issue oriented lines. Just as I walked into the main room at Book Expo, I saw a whole wall of board books that all began the same way, “When I feel…”
Do you know why these kinds of books are becoming more and more popular? I believe it’s because they are becoming more and more needed. Kids today are facing adult situations, and as these little kids battle big problems, they often suffer anxiety, fear, anger, and hopelessness.
I’m not saying that as Christian children’s writers we are expected to have all the answers, but I am saying this—we know the One who does! He can help us help them! And, it’s our privilege to hold the little hands of our readers and walk them through these difficult seasons.
In order to do this with skill, however, we need to study others who have done it well. Here are just a couple of suggestions to get you started. Read “The Rough Patch” by Brian Lies to see a masterfully written children’s book about dealing with grief. Read Crystal Bowman’s book, “I Love You to the Stars: When Grandma Forgets, Love Remembers “ that tackles the topic of dementia head on. And, of course, you can check out “I Will Not Be Afraid” to see how I handled many of the most common childhood fears in one book.
Let me also challenge you to make a list of the things that most bothered you as a child or a teen. Was it anxiety over being bullied? Was it feeling embarrassed over not being good enough? Be specific when you make your list, attaching emotions to events or situations. Next, look at your list and ask, “Do children today face these same types of situations? Is there room on the shelf for another book addressing this topic or emotion? And, am I the one to write it?”
Once you’ve answered those questions, pray and ask God the best way to share your story so the pain you experienced as a child (or the pain your own children have gone through) has purpose. Let it motivate you to write a life-changing book for children, or maybe just a comforting book for a little girl sitting next to you on your next flight. Be excited that God has chosen you for such a time as this…your healing words are needed now more than ever.
So write.
(This post is an excerpt from Michelle’s upcoming book with Cyle Young: Writing & Selling Children’s Books in the Christian Market: From Board Books to YA being published by Iron Stream Media.)
Michelle Medlock Adams is an award-winning journalist and best-selling author of over 90 books with close to 4 million sold. Her many journalism and book awards include top honors from the Associated Press, AWSA’s Golden Scroll for Best Children’s Book, and the Selah Award for Best Children’s Book. Michelle currently serves as President of Platinum Literary Services, a premier full-service literary firm; Chairman of the Board of Advisors for Serious Writer, Inc.; and a much sought-after speaker at writers conferences and women’s retreats all over the United States.
When not writing or teaching writing, Michelle enjoys bass fishing and cheering on the Indiana University Basketball team, the Chicago Cubbies, and the LA Kings.
Michelle is celebrating the recent release of her books, Cuddle-up Prayers; The Perfect Persimmon; I Love You Bigger Than the Sky and is anticipating the upcoming release of her book Writing & Selling Children’s Books in the Christian Market: From Board Books to YA (Iron Stream Media) with her coauthor and literary agent Cyle Young.
Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie Alexander, and Bethany Jett, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!
“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”
The Challenge of Writing for Children with Crystal Bowman
Writing for children can be more difficult than one might think. However, in this episode of Writers Char, Crystal Bowman discusses how she’s navigated the muddy waters successfully and shares, from years of experience, some of her how-to’s of writing for children—from first steps to sub-genres to marketing. If you’re an experienced children’s author or are curious about writing for children, be sure to check out this week’s replay.
Watch the September 15th replay.
Crystal Bowman has written more than 100 books for children and seen more than two million copies of her books sold internationally, and translated into more than a dozen languages. She and her daughter, Teri McKinley, are the co-authors of Our Daily Bread for Kids. She is also a regular contributor to Clubhouse Jr. Magazine, and writes lyrics for children’s piano music. You can find Crystal on FaceBook, Linked-In, Pinterest and at https://crystalbowman.com/
Embrace the Wait with Annette Marie Griffin
The writing journey seems to have long periods of waiting. What should one do during these long times of waiting? Well, on today’s episode of Writers Chat, Annette shares with us ways to handle insecurities, expectations, and family during the waiting process. Annette writes,
“As a new author one thing that has been particularly challenging for me is the waiting part of writing. Funny, I never considered myself an inpatient person before I pursued publishing. Rarely does anything in the publishing journey come easily or quickly. Whether looking for an agent or waiting for a response to a query or proposal, long wait times seem to be the norm in the publishing industry. For Christian writers who want to ‘run the race with endurance’–the sitting part can seem like torture. But God is showing me that there’s more to the wait than meets the eye. In fact, some of the most powerful lessons Christians can learn are hidden within those seemingly pointless spaces of time.”
Watch the September 22nd replay.
Annette Marie Griffin is an award-winning author who’s worked with children and youth for over twenty years. She has developed curriculum for elementary-age children, facilitated parent training seminars, and worked with at-risk youth. She and her husband have adopted two children with learning challenges and continue to look for opportunities to help children with special needs. With over 3,000 social media followers and climbing, Annette enjoys connecting with people of all ages. You can connect with her on FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter, and at annettemariegriffin.com
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Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET on Zoom. Here’s the permanent Zoom room link.
Participants mute their audio and video during the filming then we open up the room for anyone who wishes to participate with our guests. The “After Party” is fifteen-minutes of off-the-record sharing and conversation.
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Ready or not, September means it is time for heading back to school. As an adult, the phrase “back to school” triggers a spectrum of feelings and behaviors. For teachers, it signals classroom preparation season and team meetings. Parents take “back to school” time as their cue to ready school supplies, new shoes and school clothes, and meal prep.
But for the kids who read middle grade books, going back to school means far more than to-do lists and shopping. School life is a monumental part of kids’ life experience. It’s no surprise, then, that school plays a substantial part in a large number of middle grade works.
Does your work in progress involves scenes at school, about school, or reflecting about school? You may want to read a few of these middle grade titles. Each of these authors incorporate school life in different ways.
There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom! by Louis Sachar
A poignant tale of a “troubled” boy and the counselor who sees him for who he is. Sachar has a knack for revealing the inner life of a character.
Fish in a Tree by Linda Mullaly Hunt
Heart-rending depiction of struggles with dyslexia aside, Hunt builds a delightfully relatable ragtag crew of sixth grade girls.
Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea
The first book of this series introduces readers to seven fifth grade students in Mr. Terupt’s class who must learn how to get along despite their differences. Buyea develops authentic characters, relatable problems, and maintains an engaging pace.
As a new school year begins, I cannot help but wonder whether the effects of a certain virus might linger in how kids experience school. Will we read stories whose main characters wear matching face shields? Will plexiglass dividers be incorporated into epic cafeteria food fight scenes? Time will tell.
Kell McKinney earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and an M.S. in documentary studies from the University of North Texas. She’s a part-time copywriter, double-time mom and wife, and spends every free minute writing and/or hunting for her car keys. Connect with her on Twitter @Kell_McK or kellmckinney.com.
When your critique partners tell you (more than once) your middle grade fiction sounds too adult, how do you fix it?
That depends on what kind of problem it is. If it’s the content that’s too adult, I talk about that in another post.
What I want to talk about today is the voice. How do we, adult authors-in-progress, write with a kid’s voice?
We’ve lived a few miles since we were middle grade readers. So it’s impossible to actually write as though we’re kids. Or is it?
Getting the voice right takes time, patience, practice, and a lot of editing. I haven’t fully cracked this code in my own writing, believe me, but I’ve read enough great middle grade voices to know it can be done.
Here’s what I’ve noticed about some of my favorite middle grade voices:
1) They are borne from a well-developed character or characters.
Imagine any of your favorite middle grade stories told by, well, anybody else. For example, could the opening paragraphs of RJ Palacio’s Wonder be as revealing and compelling if it were written from Auggie’s mother’s point of view? For example:
My name is August, by the way. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse. –Wonder, by RJ Palacio.
Understanding how your characters view themselves, how they think, behave, dream, relate to the world around them, is so important. When you know who they are, you can decide the best words to use to reveal them on the page.
2) They don’t explain the jokes.
Humor is subjective, for sure, but as in real life, if you have to explain the joke, you’re probably telling it wrong. Doreen Cronin employs a delightfully dry humor to acquaint us with the main characters in her early middle grade book The Trouble With Chickens: A J.J. Tully Story, and in the process establishes a fabulously strong voice.
Her name was Millicent. I called her Moosh, just because it was easier to say and it seemed to annoy her. She had two little puffy chicks with her. She called them Little Boo and Peep. I called them Dirt and Sugar, for no particular reason.
If Doreen had added a few sentences that explained why calling the chickens by the wrong name was funny, would it have been as funny? More importantly, would we have learned as much about the character of our narrator, J.J. Tully?
3) They don’t underestimate the reader.
Middle grade readers are dependent upon adults for their well-being, so they seek stories in which the protagonist child is self-sufficient enough to solve their own problems with minimal adult help. In Sharon Draper’s middle grade story Out of My Mind, not only is the protagonist a child, she has cerebral palsy, confined to a wheelchair, and is unable to speak. Through use of voice, Draper skillfully crafts a complete, complex character whose coming of age tale is both triumphant and heartbreaking.
Everybody uses words to express themselves. Except me. And I bet most people don’t realize the real power of words. But I do. Thoughts need words. Words need a voice. I love the smell of my mother’s hair after she washes it. I love the feel of the scratchy stubble on my father’s face before he shaves. But I’ve never been able to tell them.
Draper’s unflinching look at the inner life and challenges of a differently-abled child doesn’t talk down to the reader in any way. She starts from a place that assumes readers are capable of empathy and connection.
These are just a few things I’ve learned from reading and writing middle grade, and I know I have miles to go. What are some techniques you’ve noticed in other middle grade authors’ work? Let me know in the comments.
Kell McKinney earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and an M.S. in documentary studies from the University of North Texas. She’s a part-time copywriter, double-time mom and wife, and spends every free minute writing and/or hunting for her car keys. Connect with her on Twitter @Kell_McK or kellmckinney.com.
In January, I had the privilege of speaking about being a writer at a large private school near Chicago. But before my talk, as an added bonus, I had lunch with a group of award-winning student authors ranging in age from 5 to 13. (These students had been chosen to represent their individual classroom as “the best of the best” and read their work in front of the entire school.) So, while I chatted with these gifted wordsmiths in between bites of cheese pizza, I asked them: “Which was harder for you—writing or editing your story?” As I expected, all but one said the editing process had been way harder. Then, the one who didn’t jump on the editing bandwagon said something I’ll never forget.
She very honestly admitted, “I had trouble with the writing process because I kept editing myself…”
That comment sparked a very interesting conversation about hats and one of my favorite books about writing, Dancing on the Head of a Pen: The Practice of a Writing Life by Robert Benson. In case you haven’t read it, Benson shares about the different hats he wears when crafting his amazing books. He sports a stylish beret when creating story. As he writes his “sloppy copy,” beret man is the guy in the chair. But once this first draft is safely recorded, he switches to his well-loved Yankees cap which he has lovingly named “Gamer”. He wears “Gamer” when editing. But Benson explains that bringing out “Gamer” too soon in the process can totally halt the creativity of “Beret man”—the artist.
That’s what had happened to the student who confessed she’d really struggled with the writing process.
“You switched hats too soon,” I told her, explaining Benson’s theory.
What about you? Are you self-editing (and sometimes self-loathing) as you write and create children’s stories? Are you constantly fixing grammar and spelling or rewriting sentences three and four times before continuing on? If so, I feel your pain. I occasionally stifle my own creativity because I can’t get my baseball “Gamer” cap off my head. It just won’t budge! And, no matter how hard I try, I can’t create with “Gamer” calling the shots!
If you struggle with this premature switching of hats, here are three strategies you can implement to keep your beret safely in place as you create.
Write fast, really fast. Don’t give yourself the chance to edit. Just get that story down on paper or in that computer, whatever your process.
Switch gears, not hats. The moment you feel yourself slipping into the editing mode, switch gears completely. For example, if you’re writing a picture book in narrative and you start to slip into editor mode, stop writing narrative and try writing your picture book in rhyme. That will get your creative juices flowing again and put your editor’s cap back on the hat rack.
Set the Mood with Music. This works well for me. If I’m creating, I have on “mood music” that awakens the creative part of me. So, when I was writing my book, “Get Your Spirit On! Devotions for Cheerleaders” I listened to all of the cheer music compilations that my daughters competed to when they cheered. That music was motivating and put me in the right mindset to write about “all things cheerleading.” But, when I am editing, I almost always listen to instrumental music. When the instrumental melodies fill my writing room, it instantly becomes my editing room. Maybe this tactic will work for you, too!
If you’re like the little girl who struggled with knowing which hat to wear—the beret or the Gamer—I hope you’ll try these three strategies. And, I recommend you purchase your own copy of Dancing on the Head of a Penand glean from Benson’s genius.
Michelle
Medlock Adams is an award-winning journalist and best-selling
author of over 90 books with close to 4 million sold. Her many journalism and
book awards include top honors from the
Associated Press, AWSA’s Golden Scroll for Best Children’s Book, and the
Selah Award for Best Children’s Book. Michelle currently serves as President of
Platinum Literary Services, a premier full-service literary firm; Chairman of
the Board of Advisors for Serious Writer, Inc.; and a much sought-after speaker
at writers conferences and women’s retreats all over the United States.
When not writing or teaching writing, Michelle enjoys
bass fishing and cheering on the Indiana University Basketball team, the
Chicago Cubbies, and the LA Kings.
Michelle is celebrating the recent release of
her books, Get Your Spirit On!, Fabulous
& Focused, Dinosaur Devotions, and
C Is for Christmas, and she’s anticipating the upcoming release of What Is America? (Worthy Kids) and They Call Me Mom (Kregel), a devotional
book she co-authored with Bethany Jett.
It’s a mystery titled Remains To Be Seen (to be
published by Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky)
Days before school is set to
begin for thirteen-year old Coop Goodman in the small town of Windy Bottom, a
skeleton is uncovered at the abandoned playground. All signs point to murder
and Coop’s beloved Gramps is the number one suspect!
Why do you write? Do you have a
theme, message, or goal for your books?
I write for the general market so my goals are to write fun
clean books that are exciting (and hopefully humorous) for kids, teachers, and
families to read.
How long have you been writing?
Since 2006
And how long did it take you to
get your first major book contract? Or are you published non-traditionally? How
did that come about?
I am traditionally published. I have three different publishers: Sleeping Bear Press, Sky Pony, and Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky. My first book, Whole-y Cow! Fractions Are Fun was published by Sleeping Bear but the paperback rights were sold to Scholastic—so to me that was “major”. I started sending Whole-y Cow out in 2006 then stopped after a few months because we began a remodel on our home and I was pregnant. Then, in 2008, I received an email from SBP asking if the project was still available! I’d forgotten all about it! I signed with them and then the book released in 2010. People don’t always realize how long publishing can take, but that was an eye-opener for me. Then I got an awesome agent, Sally Apokedak of Apokedak Literary Agency. My first middle grade novel was Dead Possums Are Fair Game (with Sky Pony), followed by a two-book contract with Sourcebook/Jabberwocky. They published How to (Almost) Ruin Your Summer and will also be publishing Remains to be Seen.
How long does it take you to
write a book?
I’m a slow writer—it takes me a couple years to produce a
book that I’m happy enough with to send to my agent. Sally then usually edits
and sends me suggestions that take a couple more months.
What’s your writing work
schedule like?
Because I have school-age children still, I usually don’t
get a lot of writing done during the summer. If I’m in the middle of story,
ideally I’d like to knock out around 600 words a day. I take the weekends off
to spend with family.
Do you have an interesting
writing quirk? If so, what is it?
Well, I MUST have coffee—but I think a lot of writers have
that requirement! I always listen to music. And if I run into a snag (writer’s
block or a plot hole) I usually walk around the house talking to myself to try
and work out the problem.
What has been your greatest
joy(s) in your writing career?
When How to (Almost) Ruin Your Summer made Florida’s Sunshine State Young Reader Award list I was ECSTATIC! I got absolutely no work done that day and stayed on cloud nine for weeks. I was just as excited when Dead Possums Are Fair Game made the Georgia Children’s Book Award list the following year.
What has been your darkest
moment(s)?
Rejections are never fun so when I get a few of those in a
row, I tend to feel sorry for myself. But my husband is a great support and so
are my critique groups. I’m part of Word Weavers International and SCBWI.
Which of your books is your
favorite?
I think I’d have to say Remains
to be Seen. I absolutely devoured mysteries as a kid and have always wanted
to try my hand at one. I love my characters and their struggles, but I also
love my southern heritage so combining a mystery with the south was a lot of
fun!
Who is your favorite author to
read?
It’s a toss up between Gary Schmidt, Sheila Turnage, and
Lisa Lewis Tyre
What advice can you give
aspiring writers that you wished you had gotten, or that you wished you would
have listened too?
I have two pieces of advice. First, read hundreds of books
in the genre you want to write. Learn what is appropriate for that age group.
Study the dialogue, the characters, and how the plots are developed. The more
you read in that genre, the better!
My second piece is to join a critique group. Critique groups
are awesome for seeing problems or plot holes (and such) that we can no longer
see since we’re so familiar with our work. Learn to listen to constructive
criticism without stopping to justify
your work.
How many times in your career
have you experienced rejection? How did they shape you?
Countless—I’ve lost track! But with the rejections, editors
have often provided a reason why and that helps me to make changes and
hopefully strengthen my writing. I realize not all editors do that—and if an
agent doesn’t represent you the chances are you may not find out why your
manuscript was rejected. But don’t give up!
Do you have a favorite character
or scene in one of your books?
I truly love the first couple chapters of Remains to be Seen. The reader meets a
good chunk of the cast and there’s a nice dose of humor.
Where do you get your ideas?
I get my ideas from my life experiences and those of my
kids. I mix a bit of my history with some imagination and then wait to see what
comes out!
What are common mistakes you see
aspiring writer’s make?
Dialogue is often one of the areas that can show if a writer
is a novice. It can read unrealistic, stilted, or very adult. New writers also
seem to be cautious of using the word said.
They want to exclaim, shout, yell, cry,
etc. Said is an invisible word, and
is great to use because our brains tend to skim right over it. Don’t be afraid
to use it!
And of course there’s the classic, Show, don’t tell mistake. Don’t tell your reader someone is angry.
There’s a better way to show anger in conversation than simply adding an
exclamation point and the dialogue tag of yelled.
Have someone slam a door, throw a shoe, or tear up a photo and then speak. It’s
far more exciting to read and shows the character’s emotion better.
Where/How do you recommend
writers try to break into the market?
Conferences are a GREAT place to meet agents, editors/publishers,
and other writers. If an agent or publisher can put a name with a face, they
are more likely to remember you when you submit your manuscript. Conferences
can be expensive so joining organizations like Word Weavers International or
SCBWI (The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) is helpful
because they usually offer scholarships to conferences!
Taryn’s first book, Whole-y
Cow! Fractions Are Fun was published by Sleeping Bear Press
(2010), and became a non-fiction best seller for Scholastic’s Book Clubs.
Her middle grade novel Dead
Possums Are Fair Game was released by Sky Pony and was a 2016 Crystal
Kite finalist. It was part of the 2016 Battle of the Books in Birdville ISD in
Texas, the 2017 Battle of the Books in Chicago, and a 2018-2019 Georgia
Children’s Book Award nominee.
How to (Almost) Ruin Your Summer was a 2017 Crystal Kite Finalist and
was also named to the Sunshine State Young Reader Award 2017-2018 book list.
Her fourth middle grade novel, a mystery, Remains
to be Seen, releases Spring 2020.
Taryn graduated from the University of
North Texas with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and a specialization in
Mathematics. She taught middle school where she learned the art of sarcasm. Now
she stays at home and writes.
Taryn is a member of both SCBWI and Word
Weavers, International. She currently lives in Sorrento, Florida with her
husband, David, their three children, and two cats—an overly fuzzy Ragdoll
named Mordecai, and a polydactyl Hemingway named Sebastian—who sleep on the
sofa all day (the cats, not her husband or children). Her website is www.TarynSouders.com
Eva Shaw, author of “Ghostwriting: How to Get Into the Business” beautifully sums up the heart of being a ghostwriter:
“You put your ego aside to perform an invaluable service, write brilliant words, produce wonderful copy, and work harder than anyone believes is humanly possible.”
Yep, that pretty much describes
every ghostwriting assignment I’ve ever had but I’d also add—the hard work is
totally worth it. And, ghostwriting isn’t just reserved for those of us who
write nonfiction for adults; children’s writers are often
called upon to ghostwrite for celebrities, politicians, TV personalities, and
even ministers of megachurches.
To date, I’ve ghostwritten over 25
books for adults and six children’s books, and I will probably do more as time
allows. In case you’re interested in the possibility of ghosting in the future,
here’s some vital information to get you started.
The 411 on Ghostwriting
*Definition: Ghostwriters are behind-the-scenes writers. Unnoticeable. Usually unnamed, though you can sometimes get a “with” on the cover if negotiated in the contract. And, ordinarily, well paid. Yay! (For more information about what fees to charge, visit this informative article: ghostwriting-advice-what-to-charge/)
*Duties: A ghostwriter writes on an assigned topic, under someone else’s name, with that person’s consent and input. Some of the clients I’ve worked with are very involved—talking through every line of the manuscript—and others, not so much. Each client is different, and every assignment is a challenge.
Why so challenging, you ask? Well,
if you’re like me, you’ve worked very hard your entire career to find your
voice. In ghostwriting, you are asked to lose your voice and find the client’s
voice. You have to wear an entirely different hat.
*Process: So, how do you get the story? Sometimes you work from transcripts of recorded talks/interviews with your client. Other times, you’ll be working from interviews you’ll be conducting. Still, other times you’ll get very little direction, and you’ll simply have to come up with text that sounds like your client. If your client has spoken in public a lot, take time to listen to those recordings. Listen to the way he/she phrases things and the cadence and pacing of his/her storytelling. Are there certain expressions or phrases your client uses often? Your goal is to write totally in your client’s voice so when someone picks up that book—even if it’s a short children’s book—people who know your client will say, “Wow, that sounds just like (insert name of client).”
Marketing Yourself As
A Ghostwriter
Get a Website:Develop a website that tells what services you offer, comments from satisfied clients (you can use first names only), your bio, etc. Or, simply add a dropdown ghostwriting menu on your existing website.
Get a Brochure: Vistaprint.com is a very inexpensive way to put together a professional-looking brochure that touts your writing skills and ghostwriting services. Carry the brochures with you because you never know when or where you’ll encounter your next ghostwriting client.
Talk it Up: When you’re at conferences, let publishers and agents know you offer ghostwriting services specializing in nonfiction/fiction children’s articles and books. Because I do this, I’ve had more than one agent contact me with high-profile clients in need of a ghost.
Also, talk it up on social media and list it under your
skills on LinkedIn. You might even consider advertising yourself on www.upwork.com as a ghostwriter for children’s
projects.
Join a Ghostwriters National Association/Group: such as associationofghostwriters.org This is just one of several associations/groups geared specifically for ghostwriters.
Ghostwriting is quite lucrative, so if you’re not married to
that coveted cover credit, go for it! It’s a great way to make money, meet some
very interesting people, and tell some amazing stories—even if they aren’t your
own. It’s truly an honor to help others share the stories that God has put on
their hearts.
Michelle
Medlock Adams is an award-winning journalist and best-selling
author of over 90 books with close to 4 million sold. Her many journalism and
book awards include top honors from the
Associated Press, AWSA’s Golden Scroll for Best Children’s Book, and the
Selah Award for Best Children’s Book. Michelle currently serves as President of
Platinum Literary Services, a premier full-service literary firm; Chairman of
the Board of Advisors for Serious Writer, Inc.; and a much sought-after speaker
at writers conferences and women’s retreats all over the United States.
When not writing or teaching writing, Michelle enjoys
bass fishing and cheering on the Indiana University Basketball team, the
Chicago Cubbies, and the LA Kings.
Christmas comes every year. And so does Easter. And so does Thanksgiving. And so does the Fourth of July. Are you seeing a theme here? Writing holiday books for children is a great way to remain relevant for years to come in both the CBA and ABA markets.
When I first wrote “What Is Easter?” during my lunch hour while working for a Christian magazine back in 2000, I had no idea I’d sell it to Ideals Children’s Books (which is now WorthyKids/Hachette Book Group) in 2003. Nor did I have any idea that 16 years later, it’d still be selling thousands of copies every single Easter Season, making the ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) Juvenile Bestsellers List most every year. In fact, it was in Wal-Mart again this year!
Of course, with the success of that little holiday board book, I decided a “What Is?” series might be a good idea.
It was.
Next came “What Is Christmas?” and then “What Is Thanksgiving?”—both of which still sell amazingly well every year. Just this past holiday season, “What Is Christmas?” was part of a collection of “Christmas Classics” board books exclusively sold in Costco! We tried “What Is Halloween?” but it didn’t sell as well in the CBA Market, however, it’s being re-released this year and we’re hopeful it will do much better this time around. In just a few weeks, “What Is America?” debuts, which will hopefully spike in sales around Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, President’s Day, Veteran’s Day, and around election time.
The beauty of writing holiday children’s books is two-fold—both the general and Christian book markets sell them, and publishers need new holiday picture and board books each year. Here’s more good news: successful holiday books have staying power. In other words, holiday books may only sell seasonally, but they tend to enjoy many selling seasons.
Okay, full disclaimer here. Over the years, I’ve also written “Memories of the Manger” “The Shepherds Shook in Their Shoes” “Happy Birthday, Jesus!” “Trunk Or Treat” “Sparrow’s Easter Song” “Little Colt’s Palm Sunday” “Hooray For Easter! A Baby Looney Tunes Book” “My Funny Valentine” and “Ha Halloween!” Some of those titles—though they had an initial good run—are now out of print. But, as mentioned above, many of my holiday titles keep doing well season after season, year after year. And, because I know a good thing when I see one, I have yet another Christmas picture book that just released called, “C Is for Christmas” (Little Lamb Books). I plan to keep on writing holiday children’s books as long as there are holidays on the calendar, and I suggest you follow my lead.
Here are seven tips to help you craft your own holiday children’s book:
Read all of the bestselling holiday books that your title will directly compete against, and be inspired by them, but don’t copy them.
Brainstorm ideas and come up with a theme that will make your holiday book unique. (For instance, in “Little Colt’s Palm Sunday” “Sparrow’s Easter Song” and “Memories of the Manger,” the story is told from an animal’s POV—a colt, a sparrow, and an old dove. The POV in this series made my holiday books unique and fun.)
Don’t try to rhyme your story unless you’re gifted at rhyme because “near rhyme” won’t fly with most editors. (I highly recommend taking Crystal Bowman’s “Rhythm, Rhyme, and Repetition: Mastering the Skill of Writing in Verse” class through Serious Writer Academy.)
Even though we know the ending of most holiday stories, you still need to create a sense of urgency and build suspense as you write.
Think about the illustrations that will go hand-in-hand with your words when writing board books and picture books. You don’t have to provide the artwork but you should create word pictures without saying everything. You want to leave something new for the picture to communicate.
Let the emotion drive your story. To get in the right state of mind, put on some holiday music and jot down all of the words that come to mind when you think about that particular holiday.
Ask God to help you share what He wants you to share. After all, He is the Master storyteller.
Michelle
Medlock Adams is an award-winning journalist and best-selling
author of over 90 books with close to 4 million sold. Her many journalism and
book awards include top honors from the
Associated Press, AWSA’s Golden Scroll for Best Children’s Book, and the
Selah Award for Best Children’s Book. Michelle currently serves as President of
Platinum Literary Services, a premier full-service literary firm; Chairman of
the Board of Advisors for Serious Writer, Inc.; and a much sought-after speaker
at writers conferences and women’s retreats all over the United States.
When not writing or teaching writing, Michelle enjoys
bass fishing and cheering on the Indiana University Basketball team, the
Chicago Cubbies, and the LA Kings.
Michelle is celebrating the recent release of
her books, Get Your Spirit On!, Fabulous
& Focused, Dinosaur Devotions, and
C Is for Christmas, and she’s anticipating the upcoming release of What Is America? (Worthy Kids) and They Call Me Mom (Kregel), a devotional
book she co-authored with Bethany Jett.
We’re story-tellers! So, we often want to tell every scrumptious detail of our stories as we write.
But not so with picture books.
For me restraint is one of the hardest things to master in writing picture books.
A picture book isn’t simply a story with lots of big, colorful illustrations.
A picture book is a seamless weaving of text that tells a story and illustrations that simultaneously show the same story. The two elements must be woven together so that one depends greatly upon the other, so that neither can stand alone.
So, for word people like me it’s difficult to learn what NOT to say in the text of a picture book.
For instance:
Fine details like the color of clothes, skin, hair, eyes, size, age—unless that detail is critical to telling that story.
Descriptions of minor characters and scenery—again, unless that detail is critical.
Facial expressions. These should be implied in the text by dialogue and reactions so the illustrator can run with their interpretation.
Sometimes even the gender of the MC isn’t critical to the story. So, the author doesn’t need to mention it.
Specific brands, colors or types of houses, cars, toys, animals etc.—unless it is critical to that particular story.
So, what IS a picture book author supposed to put in the text?
Show actions and reactions
Dialogue
Conflicts, problems, difficulties
Solutions and resolutions
Relationships
Show changes or lessons learned
Show inner character traits through actions and speech
Isn’t it curious that the illustrator needs to tell the story with pictures, and the writer needs to show the story with words?
Writing and illustration might just be flip sides of the same artistic coin. You think?
Maybe that is one of the reasons picture books are forever popular among children and adults alike. They hit us with a double-whamie. They both tell us AND show us a memorable story.
I know when I’m typing words to a screen, I’m seeing characters and actions in my head. And, since I’m not an illustrator of any fashion I NEED others (illustrators) to make my picture book stories come alive for the children and adults for whom I write. I need illustrators to make my stories become amazing experiences shared between children and the adults who love them.
Note: I do NOT need illustrators to reproduce exactly what I see in my head. I need illustrators to flesh out my story and add new dimensions to it. I need them to make my story bigger and better!
And THAT is what makes for great picture book experiences!
Jean Hall lives in Louisville, Kentucky. She is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary. Her premier picture book series Four Seasons was recently signed by Little Lamb Books. Jean is a member of the SCBWI, Word Weavers International, and the Kentucky Christian Writers. Visit Jean at www.jeanmatthewhall.com, on Facebook at Jean Matthew Hall, and on Twitter as @Jean_Hall.
While doing research for my latest children’s devotional book, “Dinosaur Devotions: 75 Dino Discoveries, Bible Truths, Fun Facts, and More!” (Tommy Nelson), I realized that children’s writers can learn a lot from our dinosaur friends, so here are a few of my “Dino Do’s” for my fellow children’s writers.
Do be like a Compsognathus (comp-sog-NAYTH-us)—This little dinosaur, about the size of a chicken, didn’t try to reinvent the wheel. Though he chased after and munched on small prey, he sometimes watched and waited and let the more powerful predators kill unsuspecting dinos, and then the Compsognathus would sneak in and snack on the dead animals. It’s not that this dino was lazy; it was just smart.
What does this mean to you?
Find a mentor text. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Learn from those who have already written an amazing book on the topic (in the genre) that you are desiring to write.
Be inspired by those who’ve gone before you. Don’t copy but imitate greatness.
Do be like a Corythosaurus (ko-RITH-o-SORE-us)—The Corythosaurus had exceptional eyesight and hearing.
And you’ll have to as well if you’re going to keep children entertained, engaged, and reading.
Listen to how children talk.
Watch how they move and interact with the world around them.
Make sure you use all of your senses when sharing your stories.
Do be an Amargasaurus (ah-MARG-uh-SORE-us)—The Amargasaurs lived in a dry, hot environment, and scientists believe it might have used its sails to cool off when it became overheated.
When you see books in the marketplace that don’t reflect your values and that makes you angry, cool off like the Amargasaurus and…write something just as cute that showcases your beliefs.
Do be like a Edmontonia (ED-mon-TONE-ee-ah)—This dinosaur was a bulky, armored, tank-like dinosaur. It was covered in bony plates, and along its sides were large spikes. You might say he was heavily armored and protected.
The Edmontonia had very thick skin. You’ll have to guard your heart and feelings if you are in this publishing world very long.
Rejection letters pave the road to publication.
Remember why you’re writing. Remember that if God called you, He will equip you. And, remember that a bad review isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, controversy often brings publicity which almost always increases sales.
Do be like a Utahraptor (Yoo-tah-RAP-tor)—Not much was known about the Utahraptor because so few bones of the large raptor had ever been found. But, that all changed in 2014 when the bones of six Utahraptors were found together on a mountain in the State of Utah. Finding so many Utahraptor skeletons together made experts believe these dinosaurs stayed together and probably hunted in packs.
Like the Utahraptors needed each other to survive and thrive, so do we.
Join a critique group—but not just any critique group. If you mostly write picture books, then join a critique group with other picture book writers because someone who specializes in YA probably won’t provide as much helpful feedback.
Network with anyone and everyone you encounter because you never know who might be a source for your next story or a future publishing contact.
Connect with other children’s writers on social media and exchange ideas. Share each other’s blogs. Promote each other’s work. Celebrate each other’s awards. Engage with your online communities and grow that platform together.
Do be like a Shantungosaurus (shan-TUNG-oh-SORE-us)—While it seemed physically impossible due to this dino’s size, the Shantungosaurus was able to stand on its back legs and actually run.
How does this apply to you? You’ll have to do what might seem like “the impossible” to get published in the children’s market, but you can do it!
Just don’t give up.
Create habits that breed success.
Hang out with people who are better than you.
Attend writers conferences.
Take online classes and keep learning the craft.
So, be like a dinosaur and grow your writing career as big as a Patagotitan.
Michelle Medlock Adams is an award-winning journalist and best-selling author of over 90 books with close to 4 million sold. Her many journalism and book awards include top honors from the Associated Press, AWSA’s Golden Scroll for Best Children’s Book, and the Selah Award for Best Children’s Book. Michelle currently serves as President of Platinum Literary Services, a premier full-service literary firm; Chairman of the Board of Advisors for Serious Writer, Inc.; and a much sought-after speaker at writers conferences and women’s retreats all over the United States.
When not writing or teaching writing, Michelle enjoys bass fishing and cheering on the Indiana University Basketball team, the Chicago Cubbies, and the LA Kings.
Michelle is celebrating the recent release of her books, Get Your Spirit On!, Fabulous & Focused, Dinosaur Devotions, and C Is for Christmas, and she’s anticipating the upcoming release of What Is America? (Worthy Kids) and They Call Me Mom (Kregel), a devotional book she co-authored with Bethany Jett.
Last month we looked at an overview of writing nonfiction for kids. This month we focus in on writing nonfiction magazine articles for kids. Most children’s magazines buy MORE nonfiction articles than fiction.
Here are some helpful tidbits for crafting and selling your nonfiction to children’s magazines (online and print).
Research way more than you think you need. Use print sources and primary sources (interviews with people) primarily. For facts be sure you have three reliable, verifiable sources for each fact you include.
Keep track of your sources. A variety of website and software packages include bibliography builders. Pick one and use it to keep track of the following information:
Title and author (and illustrator) even on websites
Publishing company or magazine title
Publishing date or magazine date, volume and issue
City of publication for books
Page numbers for all printed material. Photocopy or download the actual pages you use.
For online sources the URL
For primary sources their names and date of the interview
Organize your research. If you can outline your article before you write it. If not, be sure you can outline it logically after it is written.
Be able to sum your article up in one sentence.
Remember the rule of threes.
Use great writing: strong verbs and nouns, clear sentences, keep words and sentence length age-appropriate, write tight, avoid passive voice.
Use visuals if you are a photographer or illustrator. If not, recommend the inclusion of visuals at specific places in your article.
Use humor when appropriate
Try to use a child-character in your article.
Research the publishers (books and magazines) well before submitting. Follow their guidelines exactly.
Magazines buy a variety of nonfiction articles. Here are a few ideas to get your brain tumbling.
Step-by-step How-to articles. Be sure the tools, materials and instructions are age-appropriate. Follow magazine guidelines exactly.
Sports articles. Interviews with sports figures, or profiles on them are always needed. Also informational articles should be about unusual sports. Introduce kids to sports they don’t commonly read about or participate in.
Articles about the arts. Focus, again, on famous people or people who have accomplished exciting or unusual things. If your subject is a kid that’s a big plus. Focus your articles on unusual productions, musical instruments, how-to articles for visual arts or literature.
How-to articles are great for sports, the arts, cooking, crafts, science experiments, gardening, pet care. The list is endless. Be sure to organize the article well with headings that clearly show the steps.
Facts or informational pieces. RESEARCH well. Write in a kid-friendly style. Engage and inspire your readers to dig deeper into the subject. Supply them with other sources (books, websites, magazines) they can check out for themselves.
Remember: nonfiction is BIG! It takes lots of research and plenty of patience to get the articles done right. But selling nonfiction magazine articles is a giant step toward publication and a readership of hundreds of thousands of kids. They’re eating this stuff up.
Go for it!
EXTRA: For more handy info about writing nonfiction for children read Cyle Young’s article here.
Jean Hall lives in Louisville, Kentucky. She is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary. Her premier picture book series Four Seasons was recently signed by Little Lamb Books. Jean is a member of the SCBWI, Word Weavers International, and the Kentucky Christian Writers. Visit Jean at jeanmatthewhall.com, on Facebook at Jean Matthew Hall, and on Twitter as @Jean_Hall.
In the publishing world nonfiction is a hot item at this time. For both children’s magazines and books (especially picture books) nonfiction has more publishing options than fiction. So, if you love research, writing nonfiction might be the way to go.
Current children’s magazines are always looking for great nonfiction pieces. But they must be well researched, well documented and well written. If you are an illustrator or photographer offering visuals with your magazine articles is a huge plus.
Whether for books or magazines however, there is one critical rule to always obey:
Present only verifiable facts. Do not add any made-up conversations or situations to your nonfiction manuscripts. Adding such imaginary bits transform your manuscript from nonfiction to informational writing, or to historical or bibliographic fiction.
TIPS
Many of the techniques we use in great fiction also make for great nonfiction. Here are a few tips:
Start with a blast—jump into the article with a true anecdote, amazing facts or questions.
Add humor—even heavy topics can become appealing by adding a little humor.
Surprise!—adding elements of surprise will keep our readers tuned in until the finish.
Zero in on the unusual—especially with familiar topics we need to keep researching deeper and deeper until we find something unique, brand new, curious or little-known about the subject of our article or book.
Use dynamic language—strong verbs and nouns, and a strong voice can make nonfiction just as riveting as fiction.
REMEMBER
Document all sources you use with complete bibliographic information. Photocopy the actual pages you use from magazines and books. Print out information you get from websites.
Avoid online information and encyclopedias, if possible. Emphasize facts you get from books on your subject.
Use the most recent research available.
Stick to verifiable FACTS.
No anthropomorphism.
If your research is boring to you, your article or book is going to bore readers. Choose subjects you find interesting.
DIG DEEPER
For tons of great information about writing nonfiction for kids check out these sources.
Jean Hall lives in Louisville, Kentucky. She is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary. Her premier picture book series Four Seasons was recently signed by Little Lamb Books. Jean is a member of the SCBWI, Word Weavers International, and the Kentucky Christian Writers. Visit Jean at jeanmatthewhall.com, on Facebook at Jean Matthew Hall, and on Twitter as @Jean_Hall.
As I mentioned in my last post, Understanding Early Readers, there are several markets for books for emerging readers. Whether they are published in the trade book market (for bookstores), in the educational market (for schools and libraries), for magazines or other markets most publishers use their own reading levels to distinguish their books and guide parents and teachers.
However, if these books will be used in any way by students and teachers they must follow the guidelines of National and state-wide Standards, and Common Core State Standards.
Nancy I. Sanders’ book Yes! You Can Learn How to Write Beginning Readers and Chapter Books contains a lot of information on these standards. You can also research them at www.corestandards.org. Also, Google “National Standards for Education” and state standards by individual states. It will take quite a bit of time to become familiar with these sites. But, if you wish to write for these markets it’s time well spent.
Another book that is indispensable for writing on specific reading levels is Children’s Writer’s Word Book by Alijandra Mogilner and Tayopa Mogliner. The Introduction explains how to use the lists in the book to keep your writing on a specific reading level.
There are several nationally accepted methods of measuring readability. They are used for different purposes. They include:
Flesch Reading Ease
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Levels
Lexile Measure
Lexile Framework for Reading
Gunning Fog Index
Coleman-Liau Index
SMOG Index
Automated Readability Index
Spache Readability Formula
Dale-Chall Readability Formula
Whew! That’s enough to scare you off, isn’t it?
It is NOT necessary that you understand these measuring tools in order to use them. Having a tool that will give you the grade levels and reading levels is all you really need.
You can find a very basic and simple tool in Microsoft Word. Under the “Spelling & Grammar” tool. When the spelling check finishes it will show you the Flesch Reading Ease score and the Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level of your text.
However, if you want more information I highly recommend Readable.io.com. The free version gives you limited use of the tools on the website. For only $5/month you have access to all of their tools, however.
You can check the readability of any document or file on your computer, or on any website or blog. It’s easy to use, too. (No, I’m not a paid spokesperson, but I love this tool!)
All of the above mentioned reading scores and explains them
Rates the quality of the text by counting adverbs, adjectives, nouns, passive verbs, etc.
Gives you word count, syllable count, words per sentence, words per paragraph, etc.
Analyzes for Buzz words, Key words and other details especially useful for online text.
Analyzes other details useful for writing for international markets.
I can see all kinds of uses for it if you especially if you write for school-aged, or for school and library markets.
Try the free version and LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK, PLEASE!
Or, dive into Microsoft Word and measure the readability of your current manuscript. It’s easy! Then tell us what it is, please.
Thanks!
Jean Hall lives in Louisville, Kentucky. She is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary. Her premier picture book series Four Seasons was recently signed by Little Lamb Books. Jean is a member of the SCBWI, Word Weavers International, and the Kentucky Christian Writers. Visit Jean at www.jeanmatthewhall.com, on Facebook at Jean Matthew Hall, and on Twitter as @Jean_Hall.
A few weeks ago I started typing a new manuscript. I thought it was going to be a picture book. But, the story jumped off the screen and shouted, “I’m no picture book! I’m going to be an early reader, so get ready.”
Okay!
I’ve never written an early reader so I thought I should get some expert advice.
I first referred to my absolute favorite reference book—The Writer’s Guide to Crafting Stories for Children by Nancy Lamb. Chapter Three gave me brief definitions of various levels of early readers.
Then, I was off to meet another wizard of writing for children—Nancy I. Sanders. I ordered her book Yes! You Can Learn How to Write Beginning Readers and Chapter Books. I’m now reading, highlighting and digesting a bushel of useful information.
Today I’m sharing with you BRIEF definitions of various levels of beginning readers. Next month I’ll share information about a key element of beginning readers—reading levels and readability scores.
Sanders describes six levels of beginning readers including Hi-Lo Readers. We’ll talk about Hi-Los in another post.
All contain MUCH less art than picture books do. So the text carries the story alone.
With each level an increasing number of words are on each page, and in each book.
With each level print size decreases.
There are two different markets for early readers. Trade books sell at bookstores. School market books are sold to schools and libraries and must meet state or national standards.
Remember—every publisher has their own guidelines. Check with them for specifics BEFORE you write and submit your manuscript.
Now, on to descriptions of five levels of early readers.
Pre-emergent Readers have anywhere from 5 to 250 words and 8-32 pages. They use basic vocabulary and short, simple sentences. Scholastic and ABDO Publishing offer several series of these books.
Emergent Readers have about 250 words total and 16-32 print pages. Sentence length, sentence structure and vocabulary are on preschool to first grade level. Often each page introduces a new word. Scholastic’s Hello Reader! Series is an example of Emergent Readers.
Easy Readers contain 550-900 words and 32-48 print pages. These are sometimes called Level 2 or Level 3 Readers. Sentence length, sentence structure and vocabulary are for grades one through three. Random House’ Step Into Reading Step 2 books are examples of Easy Readers.
Advanced Readers are much longer. They usually have about 1500 words and 32-48 pages. Sentences are ten words or less in length. Various Level 4 readers are examples of Advanced Readers.
First Chapter Books contain 1500 to 10,000 words and 48-80 pages. They are written for grades one through three and contain separate chapters. On one level the chapters are separate stand-alone stories about the same characters. On the second level the chapters continue a running story and often end in cliff-hangers. Examples of First Chapter Books are Nate the Great, Junie B. Jones and Magic Tree House.
Other differences in the levels include the number of characters, the types of plots, the age-appropriate themes and the amount of dialogue.
Sander’s book Yes! You Can Learn How to Write Beginning Readers and Chapter Books is packed with every detail a writer will need to not only write these books, but to break into the markets.
I can hardly wait to pitch this series to my agent!
Next month I’ll share information about a key element of beginning readers—reading levels and readability scores. I’ll share a critical book for your personal library and an amazing website I discovered to help us succeed in writing early readers.
See you in June!
Jean Hall lives in Louisville, Kentucky. She is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary. Her premier picture book series Four Seasons was recently signed by Little Lamb Books. Jean is a member of the SCBWI, Word Weavers International, and the Kentucky Christian Writers. Visit Jean at www.jeanmatthewhall.com, on Facebook at Jean Matthew Hall, and on Twitter as @Jean_Hall.
What do children’s publishers want? That is the question that all children’s writers long to have answered. What is the magic formula for writing a book that is sure to get published? There is nothing sure in publishing but I’ve scoured the internet and attended numerous conferences in search for that answer. I’ve compiled my findings into three categories of what I call the CUT factors. If our stories don’t include the CUT factors, they are more likely to be “cut” from a publishers list of “possibly publishable” books. This is what I’ve discovered, but keep in mind these are guidelines and not guarantees of contracts.
The CUT Factors:
The NUT factor. This means our stories must be entertaining and fresh, maybe a little nutty. Picture books should be enjoyable for adults and children because if the parent doesn’t like reading the book, it won’t be read. The stories could be nutty, funny, amusing, mysterious, joyful, playful, deep, other-worldly as in taking the reader away from this reality, or thought provoking and meaningful. Christine Tangvald, an author of a gazillion Christian children’s books, used to teach a Children’s Writers class at a Christian Writers Conference and talked about the Pizzazz factors. These included ways of energizing our writing to create an atmosphere of suspense, action, adventure, awe, wonder, gentleness, exaggeration, triumph, etc. We should aim to create moods like these.
You’ve heard the scripture that there is nothing new under the sun. Then what do we write to create fresh stories? We should write our passions, whatever gets us excited. What lights our fire? What makes our hearts sing? What moves us or what do we find amusing? We should write that and write it from our hearts. It’s our job to find new twists to old themes. To help kids view the world differently or to look at common elements in a new light, then we should add a new twist to that. Shouldn’t we strive to make our stories so enticing that the readers will want to turn the pages, so that they are longing to see what’s next? We should create new worlds for them in the pages of our books. Maybe they’re nutty worlds, maybe they’re not. But they should be entertaining and fresh. That’s what we write. Nothing less.
The WHAT factor. Our stories must answer the “so what?” question in that it must be educational in some way. The key is educational, not preachy. Children get preached to all day long from parents, teachers, baby sitters, older siblings. They know when they’re being lectured and taught right from wrong. We don’t want to do that outright. But there should be some sort of ‘take home’ message whether they realize it or not. Our job is to get our message across in a fun, unpreachy, and almost un-educational way. Why should a publisher spend upwards of $100,000 publishing your picture book? Novels cost less, but still a substantial amount. What is the point? Is it a deeper understanding of a Biblical truth? A moral action? A lesson in how to treat others? Maybe your story is so fun and entertaining it simply shows children that books and reading are fun. We just don’t want parents and children finishing our books saying, “So what?” We want to leave them with an emotion, a new thought, a powerful message. Somehow make them wiser, smarter, safer, calmer, more aware. Let’s leave the readers somehow better people because they’ve read our books.
The GUT factor. Gary Richardson, an amazing man and previous (late) editor at a Christian Publishing house taught a Children’s Book Writing class at a conference I attended years ago. He said that at their publishing house they always looked for the GUT factor in manuscripts. So this is a real thing. He said they looked for stories that brought tears to their eyes, that made them laugh, made them squirm or jump, that somehow touched their hearts or elicited gut reactions. Those are the stories they would pursue. There must be an ‘aha’ moment somewhere. Maybe it’s an unusual ending or a funny, unanticipated twist in the drama. We should write the unexpected. We want to leave the reader changed somehow, maybe refreshed. Maybe elicit emotions they hadn’t felt in a while, maybe leave them laughing hysterically, or left more aware. We want the reader longing to read it again and more than excited to share our books with friends so that they too, may be changed for the better.
That, my friends, is why we write. That is a sampling of what publishers want. If you are an editor or publisher and desire different criteria, please let us know below. Thanks!
When I was in India recently, our team leader told of an Indian child who asked her if the streets in India were anything like the streets in America. Umm. No. Not one street in India resembled any form of a street in America. She explained that we don’t generally have men walking their oxen, camels or goats down the streets in America. At which point the child quickly asked, “Then where do you walk your goats?”
Where do we walk our goats, indeed! That is a question a children’s writer needs to ask.
What would happen if a shepherd walked his goats through the streets of San Francisco? What might Los Angeles look like if a woman rode her camel down the boulevard? What if a farmer’s pigs got loose and wandered through Macy’s in New York? Would they try on the dresses, shoes, jewelry? Ride the escalators up and down?
Why might a shepherd even end up on a street of San Francisco? Well, his goat was sick of course and he’d heard that an ingredient in sour dough bread could cure his sick little goat. Or maybe he was chasing his dream of becoming a chef and making the best clam chowder. He was done being a shepherd. Play around with your idea until you find the story, the goal, the lesson, the mystery. Was the shepherd following a suspect whom he thought had been poisoning his goats? What brings him to San Francisco? How can he get there? Then what happens? Do others help him achieve his goal? Is he ridiculed? Is he forbidden from bringing his goats, then how will he ever find the cure? His goat is dying! Each minute counts!
Children’s writers seem to ask the question, “What if?” And a story is born. What if a man placed gold tickets in candy bar wrappers as tickets to visit his chocolate factory? What if a boy was actually a wizard and attended a wizard school? What if a man was bitten by a spider and took on spider qualities and could sling himself across buildings with his silk webbing?
Thinking differently is what creates amazing stories. What was a little lamb thinking when he saw Jesus born? What other animal could have been present? How could they make a difference? What would it have been like being in the garden when Jesus arose from the dead? What did the giraffes see from their point of view on the Ark? Or a slug’s point of view? Was he being trampled? Ridiculed for being invited on the cruise? Did he feel stomped on? Did this little slug matter in the scheme of things?
We don’t always need to know where a story is going from the onset. Ask the questions and pursue it. See if an interesting, amusing, or sweet story emerges. Other stories may blossom far different from your original story, but ones that may not have even budded had you not started with the first idea.
Be observant in your world. Listen for interesting comments. Watch for strange ideas, or new slants to established concepts. Twist it around. Ask the ‘what if’ questions and run with it. Have fun on the journey! Create a new world for children. Take them to new places. Help them view normal things in a fresh way. Open up their world of dreams, stretch their imaginations. Take them deeper, higher, swifter, slower. Show them a new side of Jesus, an amazing side of God. A new truth in a fashionable way.
There is nothing new under the sun. But as writers of children’s stories, it is our goal, our adventure, our desire to create new twists and slants to common entities. So roll up your sleeves, put on your specs, and jump in with both feet. But watch where you step, there may be goats out there.
The third item to include in your full proposal submission for a picture book is your mighty manuscript. This is the reason you are submitting to a publisher in the first place. Once you’ve written your killer picture book manuscript, tightened it, strengthened it, had it critiqued, rewritten it several times and feel it’s ready to send, now it’s time to put it in the correct submission format.
Always use Times Roman Numeral 12-point font and double space your text. Always. Editors read all day long and this is easiest on their eyes. More importantly, they may not read it if its in a different format. Create one inch margins on each page and stick to it. Don’t adjust these to squeeze in more text. Create a title page with your name, address, phone number, email and web address in the left upper corner. One third to one half of the way down in the middle of the page place the Title in Caps and Bold if you’d like. This can be 14-point font though nothing fancy. Don’t include clip art or any form of pictures on this page.
On the first page of your manuscript in the header in the top left put your name – brief title. In the header upper right put page numbers with the exception of the first page. This is in case your manuscript gets dropped, they’ll know if pages are missing and to which manuscript a stray page may belong.
Begin the text one third to one half the way down again with the title centered. Four spaces below this begin your text. I usually put my suggested page count and pages of text below the title.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I support and suggest breaking your picture book manuscript into spreads and pages. The publisher may not stick to your lay out and has the right to change it as they desire, but it makes for easier reading and gives them an idea of how it will fit within the pages. The right side of a spread are odd pages, the left are even. Remember the book will have front matter so keep in mind as you lay out your text in spreads that the text does not begin on page 1. If you choose to submit in this format, this is the way it may look:
Title
32-page manuscript
26 pages of text
Introduction
Page 6-7
Begin text here with your hook. I usually indent the text but it may not appear that way in this blog.
Spread 1
Page 8-9
Continue your story for these pages. I add a space between the spreads for ease in reading but it may not appear that way here.
Spread 2
Page 10
You may break the spread into separate pages like this.
Page 11
And continue your text here, which your text would indicate the pictures needing two pages for this spread.
Spread 3
Page 12-13
Break your spreads into a combined pictures across both spreads and separate pictures on each page to break up the monotony of each spread looking exactly the same.
I continue on like this and end with my conclusion.
Conclusion
Page 30-31
Ta Da! The fabulous conclusion of your manuscript.
Look through multiple picture books and notice the layout of the spreads. Watch where the pages turn. Are there pictures on each page or across the full spread? How often does this change?
Make sure you don’t put too many words on a page as you want to keep the children’s attention.
Have fun with it and keep in mind that the editor will most likely change your layout so remain flexible.
The editor may change your page count.
Do not suggest specific pictures as your beautiful writing should elicit the images for the illustrator to create.
Keep in mind that this is just one form of picture book submissions. If you have found success with another form, please comment below. I’d love to hear about it. Good luck and happy submitting!
So, you’ve written your masterpiece of a story. You finally put your great idea onto the pages. What a fabulous accomplishment. Great job! However, it’s still not ready to submit to a publisher. Now it must be strengthened.
Rewriting is the next step where your great story becomes magnificent! Don’t dread this stage. The fun continues. You get to play with your words. First, check your word count. It doesn’t matter at this point how many words you have. Your job was just to get it on paper – to let it flow and hopefully you did. But the first part of rewriting is to know how many words you need to eliminate.
[bctt tweet=”Rewriting is the next step where your great story becomes magnificent! #rewrite #editgoal” via=”no”]
Keep in mind your target age group. Here are word count guidelines for each group. These may vary from publisher to publisher so check the Writers Market Guide for each publisher’s guidelines.
0-2 board books (less than 250 words)
2-4 toddler board books (500 words or less)
5-8 picture book (roughly up to 1000 words)
7-10 chapter books (up to 15,000 words)
9-12 tween (20,000-35,000 words)
13+ young adult (55,000-70,000 words)
If a publisher states they accept picture books up to 1200 words. Don’t send them a manuscript with 1500 words hoping they’ll make an exception. Send them what they publish.
Check to see if each sentence, thought, idea moves your story forward. Is it all necessary? Shave off a part and see if the story still flows. If it doesn’t, put that part back in and shave off a different part. Sometimes the shaving actually strengthens the story.
For picture books, circle all the verbs. That’s right. All of them. Picture books contain few words so choose them wisely. Try to eliminate the weak verbs: is, are, am, was, were, will, have, had, has, be, been. Then strengthen them. Check for synonyms and plug in other words. Play with it.
Next, underline your adjectives and adverbs. Try to eliminate ‘ly’ words and find stronger words.
Here is an example:
Sally ran quickly to get out of the rain. Suddenly she stopped when she saw a bright rainbow. Now she was happy.
All pretty weak. Let’s see if we can tighten it up a bit.
Sally raced from the rain but slowed when a sparkling rainbow appeared. She smiled.
14 words. Not an exciting story, but the same point is made with less but somewhat stronger words.
Now, highlight words you’ve used more than once. In the first example I used ‘she’ three times, which is too many. In the second example ‘she’ is used only once.
If you’re writing a story about a kitten, how many times did you use the word kitten? Unless repetition is your goal, can you replace it with another word while keeping the words age-appropriate? Kitty, cat, ball of fur, fluff ball.
So you have this fabulous idea of a story for children. You’ve told bedtime stories to your children every night from this one story idea and they’ve loved it! It could sell millions of copies! You may never have to work again but will live off the royalties from your story idea.
The only problem is… ideas don’t sell. Books sell.
Let’s look at some things to consider as you begin moving your idea from story to book form.
For what age group do you wish to write? When you pitch to a publishing house, you shouldn’t say your book is for newborns up through young adults. Twelve year-olds don’t generally enjoy the same book as their two-year-old siblings. So, narrow your range. Here are some acceptable age brackets:
0-2 newborn – concept books
2-4 toddlers – board books
5-8 picture books
7-10 chapter books
9-12 tween books
13+ young adult
While these ages may vary a year either way between publishing houses, check the Writer’s Market book for the publishers you wish to submit to and market to one of their stated age ranges. Keep these ages in mind as your write.
Which point of view do you wish to use? Do you want the child to tell the story? This would be first person. If you use this, you can only write what the child would feel, see, think, and experience. The pronouns used would be I, my, me, we.
Do you want to write from a parent’s point of view or have a narrator tell the story? This is third person. Limited third person is when the narrator knows only the thoughts and feelings of one person. Omniscient third person is when the narrator gets inside each of the characters’ heads. Omniscient can be confusing for young children, so generally stick to a point of view from one person. The pronouns would be he, she, they. Figure out which POV you wish to use and stick with it.
Next, get writing! Don’t let your head get in your way by editing at this point. Just let the words flow and pare it down later. Write as if the story is ready to burst out of your head onto the page. Let it flow. Let it flow. Don’t hold it back anymore… (That should be a song.) We’ll look at editing and perfecting your story in future blogs. For now, pick an age group and point of view and write! Oh, and have fun. Play with it. Crafts should be fun!
[bctt tweet=”The only problem is… ideas don’t sell. Books sell. #picturebook #kidlit” via=”no”]
