Write Books for Kids (Fiction)

Lesson One

Books for Kids

What Kind of Book Are You Writing?

Welcome to Write Books for Kids (Fiction). In this course, you will receive the nuts and bolts of becoming a professional children's book author.

Let's begin by talking about you.

Think about the first couple of pages in a picture book that might be written about you. What would it say? Remember that children like action. What would you be doing?

Here is what mine might read:

Sheila had to get ready. She did not comb her hair. She did not brush her teeth. She did not even change out of her pajamas.

Sheila turned on her computer. She went online. Sheila was ready to teach a class about writing children's books.

Now write a few lines featuring you in a children’s picture book.

Once you have finished the exercise, take a look at your course textbook. Instead of referring to page numbers, I will refer to section numbers.

Why?

Because every year Jeannie and I update the e-book to make sure it remains on the cutting edge of the children’s book industry. Therefore, some page numbers have changed, but the section numbers remain the same. Therefore, no matter which version you read, you will be able to follow this course.

Reading Assignment

READ section one in the FabJob Guide to Become a Children's Book Author, "Introduction to Becoming a Children's Book Author." This section includes “1.1 Essentials for Becoming a Successful Children's Book Author," “1.2 Do you Know Yourself," and “1.3 Skill Practice."

As you go through this section, look at and fill out the free study guide found at: http://home.rmi.net/~seifert/id21.html (If the link does not work on your computer, go to: http://home.rmi.net/~seifert, and click on “Writing Books for Kids” and then on “WBK – Lesson One / The Essentials”).

READ section two "Getting Ready" in your textbook. This section includes “2.1 Do the Right Research," "2.2 Have the Right Equipment," "2.3 Get Ideas Down on Paper," "2.4 Focus Your Idea," "2.5 Use Vocabulary Words Effectively," and "2.6 Skills Practice."

As you go through this section, look at and fill out the free study guide found at: http://home.rmi.net/~seifert/id24.html . (If the link does not work on your computer, go to: http://home.rmi.net/~seifert , and click on “Writing Books for Kids” and then on “WBK – Lesson Two / The Basics”).

Once you have completed the lesson’s reading assignments, continue reading the lecture.

Ebb and Flow

If you are reading this, you want to become a children’s book author. Perhaps you are wondering if the market for children’s books is big enough for you and everyone else who wants to be a children's writer. From the statistics found in your textbook’s section two “2.1 Do the Right Research” under “Know Your Audience,” it is safe to say that there are plenty of children.

Perhaps what you should be asking about are market fluctuations. Why do publishers clamor for first chapter books today and 8-12 year old books next year? The answer is simple. Those reading first chapter books today will be reading 8-12 year old books next year.

The children’s book publishing industry follows the ebb and flow of children as they grow. A few years ago, board books were hot commodities. The following year, publishers wanted storybooks. So if you keep an eye on birth statistics and trends, you will have an idea what publishers need this year and next.

Age Group Categories

Children’s books cover kids who range from infants through the age of twelve. Book for kids older than twelve are geared toward the young adult and adult markets.

After decades of studying 0-12 year olds and the general market, publishers have grouped children into specific categories that are roughly based on their age group. As you have read in your textbook’s section two, "2.1 Do the Right Research" under "Know Your Audience," children are broken into 0-3, 4-7, and 8-12 year old age groups.

Now keep in mind that these groups are general and that each publishing house has its own breakdown of children’s age groups. You must go online or send for writer’s guidelines from publishers to fully understand what a specific company’s age breakdowns are.

If you completed the textbook’s study guide on my website, you found that I stressed this next point. Now I will stress it again.

Who is your audience?

It isn't enough to say that you write for children. Your book must be of interest to children but first your book must be able to pass the approval of an editor.

So you must gear your manuscript toward an editor’s perspective of what a child wants.

Let’s say that an editor approves of your book, and it is published. Next, bookstore owners and librarians read it. At this point, you are still working with adults. Therefore adults are your initial audience.

If a bookstore owner or librarian decides to purchase the book, only then does it reach the consumer. When the book reaches the consumer, it must get past a parent’s perspective of what a child wants or needs. Finally, if a parent decides to purchase the book, it will reach a child.

(Depending on your Internet connection speed, the slide show could take up to ten minutes to download. Please be patient. You can click on the scroll bar to go to the next slide or press the "Page Down" button on your keyboard. After you have viewed the slide show, you can return to your lesson by clicking on the "Back" button.)

Click Here to Download a Slide Show on Audience

Children's book authors write for both adults and children.

Types of Books

There are many different types of books created for children. Over the years, publishers have set up specific categories for these book types.

A Storybook

Curious George Flies a Kite by Margret Rey

PICTURE BOOKS

The following are some of the more well-known types of picture books:

Concept Books

In addition to the information found in your textbook in Section Three, "3.1 Writing Picture Books" under "Types," what you need to remember is that concept books contain only one idea or purpose. They are for very young readers, who often cannot talk or are just beginning to talk.

Board Books

Board books are those that have cardboard pages. Because of the thickness of each page, board books are often shorter than other picture books. Board books can be concept books, novelty books, and storybooks, too. If their pages are made of cardboard then they are board books.

Novelty Books

In addition to the information found in your textbook in Section Three, "3.1 Writing Picture Books" under "Types," what you need to remember is that novelty books have something extra, something beyond flat sheets of paper. Perhaps the paper will pop up or the book will look like an animal.

Storybooks

In addition to the information found in your textbook in Section Three, "3.1 Writing Picture Books" under "Types," what you need to remember is that storybooks are what most people think about when picture books are mentioned. They are the most popular type of picture books, and their stories follow the general rules of all stories.

Early Reader Example

The Tortoise and the Hare by Betty Miles

EARLY READER

Early readers are just what their title implies. Beginning readers enjoy them. Although a good story is important, the story is secondary to the words used. If a writer can come up with a fantastic story with minimal words that are found at the beginner's reading level, then it is a great early reader. Often these books will have pictures or photographs like picture books. The major difference is the age level of the words used.

CHAPTER BOOKS

Like early readers, the name of this category defines its purpose. Chapter books are those books whose stories are broken into chapters. They are one step up from early readers, but chapters are short and geared toward second to fourth graders. Authors of these books must know their readers' vocabulary level and must also have a solid story.

A Junior Novel

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

JUNIOR NOVELS

Juvenile novels are directed at the 8-12 year old and have solid stories. They can range from 5,000 to 50,000 words, depending on whether the author is writing for the eight or twelve year old reader. In addition to length and a more complex storyline, juvenile novels are classified in the same way that young adult or adult novels are. In other words, you will find books that are

Mysteries

Coming of Age

Humor

Choose-Your-Own-Adventures

Adventures

Science Fiction

Sweet Romances

Slice of Life Stories

Click Here to Download a Slide Show on Types of Books

OPTIONAL: If you feel you need a better grasp of some of the more popular genres in our modern culture, you can look in your optional textbook under "3.2 Fiction" in the category of "3.2.1 Genres Within Fiction" and read the 28 pages that explain some of the more common genres within novels today.

The Elusive Illustrator

Okay, let's say that you know the age group and type of book that you want to write for children. Since illustrations play a major role in all but the juvenile novels, you might be wondering how you can find the right illustrator for your book.

If this is your first book, your job is to craft a magnificent story and to send that manuscript to an editor. If an editor chooses to send you a contract, s/he will find the illustrator. That is the editor’s job and role.

Now, if you are trained as an illustrator and have already made a name for yourself in the artistic world, then you can include illustrations with your words. (If you do this though, you must find a seminar on how illustrations need to be submitted. Before the end of this course, I will tell you how to submit only your writing.)

If you send in a manuscript and illustrations and an editor does not like the illustrations, you will be rejected.
If you send in a manuscript and illustrations and an editor does not like the story, you will be rejected.

Most of the children’s book writers that I know, even the ones who are artists, do not send in illustrations with their manuscripts. They understand their role as children’s book writers and that the editor gets to decide on the illustrator.

Your job is to write the text.

The editor's job is to match your text

with an illustrator.

Now remember, the above rules generally apply to publishers in the general market (ABA and CBA). The exception might be smaller publishers who may ask for books with illustrations. If you must have your words with your own illustrations and have been rejected by the general marketplace, look for small press publishers. Your other course of action would be to self-publish.

Are you still with me?

I've thrown a lot of information at you about the children's book market and the constraints of writing books for children. Now it's time to put all this information together and apply it to you as a writer.

ASSIGNMENT #1:

Find three books similar to what you intend to write (concept, chapter, early reader, etc.) and for the same audience (age groups).

Make a chart like the one below to help you study the type of book you want to write geared for a specific age group. If you go to http://home.rmi.net/~seifert/id25.html , you will find that I have completed the first column with information from the novelty book Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. This example will give you an idea about how to fill in the chart.

To work on the chart (if you have a PC), you should first highlight the chart by dragging your cursor over it. Once the entire chart is highlighted, hold down the "CTRL" button on the keyboard of your PC. While holding down the "CTRL" button, press the "C" button.

Then go to your word processing program (such as Word, Works, WordPerfect, etc.). Make a new file in your word processing program. Then place your cursor on the word processing page. Hold down the "CTRL" button on the keyboard of your PC. While holding down the "CTRL" button, press the "V" button. The entire chart should appear in your word processing program.

Save this new file as perhaps "Book Chart." Then you can print it or use it from your computer while being offline.

	First Book	Second Book	Third Book
Title:
Author:
Publisher:
Theme:
Main Character:
Targeted Age Group:
Word Count:
Type of Illustrations:
Unique Slant:
Page Count:
Outline:
Type of Book:

Once you have completed this chart, you will have a better feel for the type of book that you intend to write.

Go to Class Intro

Go to Lesson Two

Write Books for Kids (Fiction)