This is the first time I have actually posted anything on here except for comments so bear with me in my hour of need ,oh kind and gentle readers. please?
In the summer, en route between Greece and Italy via ferry I wrote, to amuse my children on the long journey, a children's story of the kind that come in large hardback covers with wonderfully jolly and bright illustrations. It is about 2,500 words and is , in style, a cross between Rudyard Kipling and Doctor Zeus on some sort of mind altering drugs possibly( oh best beloveds!). This is not my normal genre at all but it just popped into my addled brain and would not shut up until it was snuggled deep in my Alpha smart and safely saved.
Now, here is the rub, does anyone have any experience of creating this sort of book and if so can they offer any sensible next steps towards finding someone in the mean world of publishing who might at least look at it? Since no one in their right mind seems keen to take on my Un Peu Loufoque Novel, now finished and re edited and waiting for me to get up nerves of steel to send it out again, I am a trifle unsure as to what to do with this new literary baby of mine.
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The illustration is by Renoir and depicts, as you can clearly see, two small girls discussing a book. I have captioned it " Oh for goodness sake, who wrote this drivel!".Which about sums up my feelings about my writing at present..
Yours written in haste from the bottom of a treacle well...
Un peu Loufoque
9 comments:
Sounds great!
Try the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators for fab resources, tips on submitting and so much more:
http://britishscbwi.jimdo.com.
or www.scbwi.org (international)
I can't praise them highly enough! They run fantastic events, workshops and conferences worldwide and are hugely encouraging to new writers. Members can subscribe to an email forum which often has great insider info on who's accepting submissions and general support for writers and illustrators.
I'd also recommend getting the Children's Writers and Artists Yearbook (UK) or the Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market (USA), (both available at Amazon) for up to date info on what publishers deal with picture books and submission guidelines.
Have fun!
Good for you! I don't really have any suggestions, but I think it's great that you wrote a children's story. I'm sure you'll find the right person to submit it to. And, while I can't speak for what's going on over there, children's works seem to be the only sector not getting slammed by the economy over here. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you to see it in print.
=o)
Can't help at all I'm afraid but don't give up with either childrens book or novel. By the way what is the bottom of a treacle well like, except sticky that is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good luck.
I can't help, I'm afraid, but don't give up on the novel. I adore your writing!
I'm not going to be any help either, I'm afraid, but just wanted to wish you luck.
I can't help but wanted to tell you that your photo caption made me giggle! Good luck.
Apparently the young illustrated kids' book market is fiendishly difficult to break into. Problem being that market is already saturated and young children are too young to be advertised to, whereas their parents will tend to go for old favourites.
But as with all books, the thing to do is send it out to as many suitable publishers and agents as you can find.
You don't need to provide illustrations, publishers prefer to do that for themselves. You do need to be very sure what exactly your target age range is and be able to state that authoritatively in covering letters. You might want to edit to make sure age pitch is consistent throughout. Also make sure there is nothing encouraging kids to do dangerous stuff, think health and safety, yadda yadda.
I've written a few of these but I'm afraid I gave up on the idea of getting them published and self-published instead - not that there's any money in it, it was just for the pleasure of seeing them in print.
Good luck!
Thanks for all your helpful ideas and kind words..will keep pootling along...and after christmnas will gird myself into action!
Thanks for all your helpful ideas and kind words..will keep pootling along...and after christmnas will gird myself into action!
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