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Peter Economy. Writing Children's Books For Dummies
Writing Children’s Books For Dummies® To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Writing Children’s Books For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box. Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Guide
Pages
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
The ABCs of Writing for Children
Exploring the Basics of Writing Children’s Books
Knowing Your Format, Genre, and Audience
Getting into a Good Writing Zone
Transforming Yourself into a Storyteller
Polishing Your Gem and Getting It Ready to Send
Selling Your Story
Promoting Your Book
Improving Your Chances of Getting Published
Delving into Children’s Book Formats
Dissecting the Anatomy of a Book
Grouping Types of Children’s Books
Illustrated Books for All Ages
Baby-friendly board books
Beginning with the basics of board books
Writing great board books
Picture books for toddlers
Pondering picture book basics
Becoming a picture book author
Other books that have pictures
THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH POETRY
Coloring, activity, and how-to
Novelty books
Graphic novels
PICKING THE BRAIN OF A CHILDREN’S BOOK EDITOR
Working through Wordy Books
Early readers
Surveying early reader basics and age levels
Writing early readers
First chapter books
Focusing on the basics of first chapter books
Writing first chapter books
Middle-grade books
Getting down to the middle-grade basics
Writing for the middle grades
Young adult books
Diving into YA basics
Writing YA books
Exploring the Genres
Going Out of This World
Science fiction
Fantasy
Graphic novels and manga
Horror and ghost stories
Getting in on the Action (and History)
Action/adventure
True stories
Historical fiction
Mysteries
Writing About Real People
Biography/memoir
LGBTQIA
Gender-oriented series books
Friendship
School issues
Developmental milestones and first experiences
Prose poetry
Romance
Giving Stories a Message
Learning/educational
Religion
Aspirational and inspirational
Diversity
Family issues
Pets and animals
Cultural issues
Addiction, abuse, and mental illness
Keeping Them Laughing with Humor
Quirky characters
Parody, satire, and jokes
Slapstick and gross
Dark humor
Wordplay
GETTING ADVICE ON GENRE WRITING FOR CHILDREN
Understanding the Children’s Book Market
TALKING WITH A SMALL-PRESS PUBLISHER
Getting Insight into Book Buyers’ Needs
For chain and big-box bookstores
For independent bookstores
Recognizing What Reviewers Offer
Discovering What Librarians Add to the Mix
FROM LIBRARIAN TO AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR
Taking a Look at How Teachers Use Books in Their Classrooms
Considering Parents’ Perspectives
Thinking Like a Kid
Going after what kids like — regardless of Mom and Dad
Knowing what kids don’t like
Immersing Yourself in the Writing Process
Setting Up for Success: Finding the Time and Space to Write
Finding Time to Write
Figuring out when you’re most productive
Sticking to a writing schedule
Evaluating your commitment
Optimizing Your Writing Environment
Locating your special writing spot
Keeping helpful references handy
Cutting down on clutter and getting organized
Preventing and dealing with interruptions
TIPS FROM AN AUTHOR AND EDITOR ON STAYING FOCUSED
Starting with a Great Idea
Once Upon a Time: Coming Up with an Idea
SETTLING ON FICTION OR NONFICTION
Relying on specific ideas rather than big ones
Tapping into your own experiences
THE HEART OF YOUR STORY: THEME
Digging through childhood mementos
Flipping through a photo album
Drawing from other children’s experiences
Pulling ideas from the world around you
Stumped? Break through with Brainstorming
Doing it all by yourself
Giving free association a whirl
Taking up journaling
Buddying up to the buddy system
Asking the advice of classmates and writing professionals
Seeking help from your audience
HOW BARNEY SALTZBERG GETS HIS BEST BOOK IDEAS
Going to the source
Checking the “best of” book lists
Fighting Writer’s Block
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF WRITER’S BLOCK
Researching Your Audience and Subject
Hanging Out with Kids
Going back to school
GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS
Becoming a storyteller
MONSTERS DON’T TOUCH
Borrowing a friend’s child for a day
HOW AUTHOR BARNEY SALTZBERG RESEARCHES BOOK IDEAS
Dipping into Popular Culture
Watching kids’ TV shows and movies
Playing kid-focused digital games
Reading parenting and family magazines and blogs
Perusing pop culture magazines and blogs
Surfing the web
Browsing bookstores
Visiting children’s stores online or in person
Studying kids’ fashion trends
Eavesdropping where kids hang out
Researching Your Nonfiction Topic
Outlining the research process
Getting around locally
Going far afield
Visiting the web — a lot
Creating a Spellbinding Story
Creating Compelling Characters
The Secret Formula for an Exceptional Main Character
Defining your main character’s driving desire
Show, don’t tell: Fleshing out your main character
Getting to Know Your Characters through Dialogue
Compiling a Character Bible
Surveying a sample character bible
Creating consistency
Writing Stories with Two or More Main Characters
Choosing Supporting Characters
Calling All Character Arcs
Character Don’ts — and How to Avoid Them
Steer clear of stereotypes
Don’t tell us everything
Toss out passivity and indefinites
Don’t rely on backstory or flashbacks
Developing Characters through Writing Exercises
Describe your first best friend
Borrow your favorite children’s book characters
Revisit a painful or joyful experience from your childhood
The Plot Thickens: Conflict, Climax, and Resolution
Plot: It’s All about Action
Centering on the Story
Giving Your Story a Beginning, Middle, and End
Propelling Your Story with Drama and Pacing
Drama: A reason to turn the page
Pacing: How you keep the pages turning
Outlining to Structure Your Plot
DEFEND YOUR PROSE — OR LET IT GO
Creating a step sheet
Fleshing out your outline
TALKING WITH MICHAEL GREEN, FORMER PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER OF PHILOMEL BOOKS
Knowing when to circumvent an outline
Preventing Plot Problems
Writing Your First Draft
Can We Talk? Writing Effective Dialogue
The Fundamentals of Good Dialogue
Dialogue has a function
Giving information
Developing characters
Moving the story forward
Dialogue has drama
Listening to Real-World Dialogue
How kids talk
How grown-ups talk
Adding a Speech Section to Your Character Bible
Testing! Testing! Reading Dialogue Out Loud
Avoiding Common Dialogue Mistakes
Failing to have conflict or tension
Repeating information: Showing versus telling
Describing dialogue
Using too many speaker references and attributions
Creating heavy-handed and unrealistic dialogue
Filling space with unnecessary dialogue
NIT-PICKY DIALOGUE PROBLEMS
Improving Dialogue by Using Writing Exercises
Talking on paper
Introducing your first best friend to the love of your life
Setting the Scene
Giving Context to Your Story and Its Characters with Scenery
Creating a Context Bible
Knowing When to Include Scenery and Context
When place figures prominently
When place plays an important role
When description of place doesn’t interrupt flow of action
When you must mention an exotic locale
When you mention a specific place at the beginning
When you use place to transition to a new scene
Providing the Right Amount of Setting
Engaging Your Readers’ Senses
Knowing When Not to Make a Scene
Exercising Your Nose through Smellography
Finding Your Voice: Point of View and Tone
Building a Solid Point of View
Reviewing POV options
Picking your POV
Matching tense with POV
STORYTELLING VERSUS STORY-SHOWING
Having Fun with Words through Wordplay, Rhyming, and Rhythm
Engaging in wordplay
Taking different approaches to rhyming
Rhyming sounds
Rhyming patterns
Keeping your story moving with rhythm
Using Humor to Your Advantage
Figuring out what kids consider funny
A CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR WHO WRITES FOR ALL AGES
Turning to the outrageous and the gross
The Mojo of Good Writing: Exploring Voice, Style, and Tone
Finding your story’s voice
Writing with style
Taking the right tone
Knowing When You Need a Voice Makeover
Helping Your Voice Emerge by Playing Pretend
Pretend to be someone (or something) else
Writing Creative Nonfiction Books
The Nonfiction Children’s Book World at a Glance
NONFICTION FOR THE FICTION LOVER
Writing Toward a Nonfiction Masterpiece
HELPING SHAPE YOUR NONFICTION CHILDREN’S BOOK
Choosing a Great Nonfiction Topic
Looking at topics that get kids’ attention
Finding topics that interest you
Branching out into the real world
Checking out the hot topics of the day
Delving into broad topics that need more coverage
Testing Your Topic
Seeking feedback from kids
Seeking feedback from teachers and librarians
Outlining Your Creative Nonfiction
Starting simple
Fleshing out your ideas
Enhancing your outline by using visual aids
Common Creative Nonfiction Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
Writing Exercises for Creative Nonfiction
Pretend you’re a newspaper reporter
Create a funny five-step procedure to wash a dog
More short exercises to get you writing
INTERVIEW WITH SUSAN GOLDMAN RUBIN, AUTHOR
Making Your Story Sparkle
Editing, Revising, and Formatting Your Way to a Happy Ending
Your Revising Checklist: Getting Major Story Elements in Order
Theme
Characters
Plot
Pacing and drama
Setting and context
Point of view
CONCISE, CONSISTENT, AND COMPELLING WRITING
Fine-Tuning Your Text: Editing Important Areas
Strengthening your opening
Keeping your dialogue tight and on target
Transitioning effectively
Trimming wordiness
Keeping your chronologies in order
Formatting Basics: First Impressions Matter
Including the proper information on the first page
Following other children’s book formatting conventions
Not to Put Too Fine a Point on It: Checking Basic Grammar and Style
Punctuation
Style
Miscellaneous
Hiring Help: Working with an Editor or Editorial Service
Finding a good editor or editorial service
Asking the right questions
Digital versus hard-copy editing
EDITORS DON’T AGENT, AND AGENTS DON’T EDIT
Creating Pictures from Your Words: The World of Illustrations
To Illustrate or Not to Illustrate
Recognizing Why You Shouldn’t Hire an Illustrator
LEAVE THE ART TO SOMEONE ELSE
Following the Hand-Drawn Illustration Process with Artist Tim Bowers
Starting with black-and-white pencil sketches
Moving on to finished pencils
Creating color art
Capturing the right cover image
Exploring the Digital Art Process with Author/Illustrator Barney Saltzberg
Interior art
Cover art
DISCUSSING COMPUTER ARTISTRY WITH A PRO
Getting Your Art Seen by the Right Folks
Considering some solid options
Preparing a book dummy
Handling Art When You’re Self-Publishing (and Not an Artist)
DIRECTING A CHILDREN’S BOOK’S DESIGN
Finding and Incorporating Feedback
Deciding When to Seek Feedback
THE PITFALLS OF WRITING TO TRENDS
Getting Help from Friends and Relatives (or Not)
Delving into the pros and cons of friendly advice
Having a friend in the business
Calling on Topic Experts: Beta and Sensitivity Readers
Attending Conferences or Retreats
Exploring the conference scene
CONFERENCES AND WEBSITES FOR THE MORE EXPERIENCED WRITER
Getting away with retreats
Participating in a Workshop
Working with a Writing (or Illustrating) Group
Finding the right group
TAKE DISCRIMINATING NOTES
Starting your own group
Sifting through the feedback you receive
BUILDING YOUR WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING SKILLS
Good questions for writers to ask
Good questions for writer-illustrators to ask
What Feedback Should You Expect During the Publishing Process?
Getting Published and Promoting Your Book
The Traditional Route: Signing with an Agent or Publisher
Identifying the Right Publisher
Gathering information from the marketplace
HOW TO WOW (OR REALLY ANNOY) A PUBLISHER
Perusing writer’s guides and directories
Drafting Query Letters and Proposals
Perfecting the query letter
Drafting a great book proposal
Joining Forces: Working with an Agent
Finding and approaching your ideal agent
Obtaining referrals
Researching your heart out
Attending conferences
Managing multiple agent submissions
PITCH WARS AND #PitMad
Understanding typical agency agreements
Sizing up the standard terms and conditions
Distinguishing between exclusive and by-project services
Terminating your agency relationship
DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM PUBLIC DOMAIN WORKS
Copyright: Protecting Your Work
Success! Reviewing Your Publishing Contract
Surveying the two types of publishing agreements
Getting what you want in the contract
Dealing with Rejection
A STORY OF PERSEVERANCE (AND FLATULENCE)
Considering Hybrid Publishing
The Good and the Bad about Hybrid Publishing
The good about hybrid publishing
The bad about hybrid publishers
Vanity presses: Don’t say we didn’t warn you
Identifying the Right Hybrid Publisher for Your Book
Doing your research and asking around
Confirming some important criteria
Approaching a hybrid publisher
Getting the Biggest Bang for Your Hybrid Buck
Fees and payments
What about distribution and marketing?
ASKING AN EXPERT ABOUT HYBRID PUBLISHING
So You Want to Self-Publish?
Weighing the Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing
AMANDA HOCKING’S INSPIRING PATH TO SELF-PUBLISHING SUCCESS
Exploring Your Self-Publishing Options
The print route
Working with an offset printer
Taking the print-on-demand (POD) path
The digital route
Setting a Price for Your Publication
Distributing Your Self-Published Book
Getting in the door at traditional bookstores
Persuading online booksellers
Considering other places to sell your book
Donning Your Publicity Cap
Understanding How Your Publisher Promotes Your Book
Publicizing Your Own Book
Focusing on the digital components
Building an online presence for your book
Sending out press releases
Getting reviews
Touching on the traditional components
Putting together a press kit
Booking radio and television spots
THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BOOK REVIEWS
Promoting Your Work in Person
Planning a publicity tour
Joining the signing and reading circuit
Hiring a Publicist
Discovering what a publicist can do
INSIDER TIPS FOR PUBLICIZING YOUR CHILDREN’S BOOK
Finding the right publicist
Getting the most for your money
Getting Savvy with Social Media
Influencing the Influencers
The basics of influencing others
Understanding the different kinds of online influencers
Figuring out where online your influencers live
Knowing Where to Create a Social Media Presence
Blogs
Podcasts
Goodreads website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok
#BookTok
Pinterest
EXPERT EMMA WALTON HAMILTON ON EMBRACING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR YOUR CHILDREN’S BOOK
Making a Splash: Launching a Social Media Campaign
Reviewing the ABCs of a social media campaign
Getting noticed on social media
Surveying the unwritten rules of social media marketing
Applying search engine optimization
Measuring the Effectiveness of Your Campaign
The Part of Tens
More Than Ten Great Sources for Timeless Storylines
Tales of Yore: Fairy and Folk Tales, Fables, and the Like
Mythology and Mythological Heroes
Nursery Rhymes
Bible and Religious Stories
Family Issues and Changes
Sibling Issues
First Experiences
Common Childhood Fantasies
Friendship and Social Issues
Growing Pains (Emotional and Behavioral)
Bodies and the Brain: Their Functions and Changes
History Makers and History in the Making
Nature, Science, Technology
Ten Children's-Author Recognitions to Dream About
Newbery Medal
Caldecott Medal
Coretta Scott King Book Award
Printz Award
Pura Belpré Award
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
ALA Quick Pick & ALA Notable Books for Children
Stonewall Book Award
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
State and Local Book Awards
Index. Symbols and Numerics
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
Y
Z
About the Authors
Dedication
Authors’ Acknowledgments
WILEY END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
