Children's Picture Books: Getting Past the Gatekeepers

WOW! Women On Writing
Classes & Workshops

Spotlight Course: How to Write Children's Picture Books and Get Published

In this issue:

Spotlight Course: How to Write Children's Picture Books and Get Published

Greetings!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend with your family and friends! This year I was blessed with a visit from our newest family member. My niece had a beautiful baby girl who I got to meet for the first time via video chat. At nearly three months, she was pretty as a picture and all legs, bouncing around in her walker. You could tell she wanted to take her first step...if only her legs would cooperate! It got me thinking about how important "firsts" are--first steps, first words, and first books.

First books, such as board books and picture books, are crucial to a child's intellectual and emotional growth. Books with bright, simple images and rich, evocative text teach children about language, stimulate brain development, and encourage physical participation. They offer a multi-sensory learning experience (not including taste...although some infants and toddlers might disagree!), and can help a child increase his attention span. As a writer, wouldn't you just love to be a part of that?

If you've ever wanted to write children's picture books, instructor Lynne Garner will guide you through the process with one-on-one support and feedback. Over the course of six weeks, you will learn what makes a good picture book, how to write one of your own, and have a package ready to send to a publisher this New Year!

Lynne's How to Write Children's Picture Books and Get Published starts January 7th and is limited to 15 students. Lynne is a fantastic instructor with 21 books published (3 picture books with a 4th to follow shortly), and her students have great things to say about her (be sure to check out the testimonials from WOW! students). In the article below, she shares some tips on how to get your picture book past gatekeepers such as editors, marketing departments and booksellers, and into the hands of your readers!

We're also offering our final batch of classes that start before year-end. Be sure to check out The Unwilling Grammarian (starts tomorrow, Nov 30), Screenwriting and Playwriting (Dec 5), and Get Paid to Write: Become a Freelance Writer (Special 50% Off discount for Dec 9 only). We also now offer Independent Publishing as a self-study course that starts every Friday.

Happy writing!

Angela & Marcia

Angela & Marcia
Classroom Managers
WOW! Classes & Workshops

classroom@wow-womenonwriting.com

Getting Past the Gatekeepers

By Lynne Garner

When writing a picture book you are not just writing it for the end user but for a list of people--the gatekeepers. This list consists of:

Commissioning editor
Marketing department
Bookseller
Purchaser

That is a lot of people to get your book past before it lands in front of the eyes of a child. You therefore have to ensure your story fulfills the criteria each one of these gatekeepers has. So, let's consider each of them:

Commissioning editor Dog Did It

Editors often like a story to be character led. So you need a strong character that has to overcome a conflict or one where the editor can see the character grow. This means you need a plot with a strong start, an interesting middle and a satisfying end. Editors often like a lesson to be learnt, even if this is as subtle as in my picture book Dog Did It where the message is not to blame others for your own actions.

Marketing department

They want a book that can be sold globally and will sell all year round. This is why some publishers prefer animals as main characters because they can cross most borders. It is the reason why holiday books (Christmas, Easter, etc.) are difficult to get published due to their limited selling period. The marketing department also wants a book that will sell well to a parent or grandparent, but also to someone buying for an institution such as a school or library. Lastly, they want a book that has something they can use to help sell the title; for example, it has a clever twist to the ending as in Tadpole's Promise written by Jeanne Willis and illustrated by Tony Ross.

Bookseller

Similar to the marketing department, they want a book they can sell all year round. One they can place on their shelves and will sell itself. This is why humor often works well. If the adult who picks up the book smiles as they are reading it they are more likely to buy it. A bookseller not only needs a book that looks good but also one a child will want read to them time and again.

Purchaser

Although a picture book is aimed at children it is an adult who purchases it. They are looking for a story that can be read time and again. A book that contains something new each time it is read. This could be in the illustrations, it could be the story, but a book that works really well will have something new in both. The purchaser is not just looking for value for money but also something they won't mind reading ten, twenty, thirty or more times.

So next time you are in a bookshop, pop along to the picture book section and read a few titles. Try to become those gatekeepers and see what they saw in the book. Once you understand what made them pick the title you are reading you will have a better understanding of what your story will need in order to become published.

How to Write Children's Picture Books and Get Published

Instructor: Lynne Garner

Workshop Length: 6 Weeks
Price: $175
Start Date: January 7, 2012
Limit 15 Students

Course Description: During this 6-week course students will learn what makes a successful picture book by studying titles already published. They will be introduced to devices used in the writing of a picture book, how to present their work and research who to send their work to. By the end of the course each student will hopefully have completed a picture book manuscript and a cover letter, which they will be encouraged to send to a publisher.

Course objectives:

To understand what makes a good picture book
To hone writing skills and build confidence
To learn how to find the right publisher/packager
To complete one story plus write an accompanying query/cover letter

Visit the Classroom Page for a complete listing and what you'll be learning week by week.

About the Instructor: Lynne Garner has been a freelance writer and author since 1998. Since that time she has written for a large number of magazines both in the UK and the US. She has 21 books published; this includes three picture books, with hopefully a fourth to follow shortly. Her first title The Best Jumper'was recorded for the CBeeBies children's radio channel (part of the BBC) whilst A Book For Bramble has been translated into five languages including Korean and Indonesian.

Upcoming Classes & Workshops

Below are some classes and workshops that are starting soon. Click on the links to be taken to a full listing that includes a week-by-week curriculum, testimonials, instructor bio, and more. Keep in mind that most class sizes are limited, so the earlier you register the better.

All the classes operate online--whether through email, website, chat room, or group listserv, depending on the instructor's preferences--so you do not need to be present at any particular time (unless a phone chat is scheduled and arranged with your instructor). You can work at your own pace in the comfort of your own home. If you have any questions, please reply to this email or email us at: classroom@wow-womenonwriting.com Enjoy!

Starts Every Friday (Self-Study Course):
Independent Publishing | $99 or $150 with 1 Hour Phone Consultation

November 30
The Unwilling Grammarian | 4 Weeks | $140 | Limit: 10 Students

December 5
Introduction to the Craft of Screenwriting | 6 Weeks | $150 | Limit: 10 Students

Introduction to Playwriting | 6 Weeks | $175 | Limit: 10 Students

How to Get the Right Agent for Your Manuscript | 4 Weeks | $299 | Limit: 10 Students

December 9
Get Paid to Write: Become a Freelance Writer | 8 Weeks | $75 (Holiday Discount! Receive 50% Off this session only! Normally $150) | Limit: 15 Students

January 2
Digital Revolution: How to Publish Your Book as an eBook New! | 4 Weeks | $299 | Limit: 10 Students

January 4
Writing Your Novel From the Ground Up New! | 8 Weeks | $250 Introductory Rate | Limit: 20 Students

January 7
How to Write Children's Picture Books and Get Published | 6 Weeks | $175 | Limit: 15 Students

How to Write a Craft Book | 5 Weeks | $175 | Limit: 15 Students

January 9
Empower Your Muse, Empower Your Writing Self | 4 Weeks | $75 (New Year's Discount! $50 Off! Normally $125) | Limit: 25 Students

Querying and Writing Non-fiction Articles | 5 Weeks | $125 | Limit: 20 Students

Write From Your Soul: Memoir Workshop | 6 Weeks | $249 | Limit: 10 Students

January 10
Breaking Into Magazine Writing With Regional Markets | 5 Weeks | $125 | Limit: 10 Students

January 16
Literary Devices Writing Workshop | 8 Weeks | $175 | Limit: 8-10 Students

January 18
Social Networking for Writers: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and More | 4 Weeks | $100 | Limit: 20 Students

January 20
Spark and Sizzle: Crafting Flash Fiction New! | 5 Weeks | $170 | Limit: 10 Students

February 1
Writing Character-Driven Fiction New! | 6 Weeks | $180 | Limit: 20 Students

February 6
How to Write a TV Pilot New! | 4 Weeks | $150 | Limit: 10 Students

February 10
Blogging 101 | 5 Weeks | $125 | Limit: 20 Students

February 22
Writing a Middle-Grade Novel | 6 Weeks | $150 | Limit: 20 Students

March 5
Writing for Children: Short Stories, Articles, and Fillers | 7 Weeks | $175 (Winter Sale! Regular price: $200) | Limit: 15 Students

March 21
Vampires Optional: Writing Young Adult Fiction New! | 6 Weeks | $180 | Limit: 10 Students

Click here to see all of our upcoming workshops

Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011