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This is a children’s picture book structure break down for My Cousin MOMO by Zachariah OHora. This breakdown will contain spoilers. Once upon a time:…

Do you ever have those days when nothing goes right?  When everything you try does not work? That was my day today, accompanied by a doozer of a headache.  Photoshop just quit on me. I could not open CS5 or CS6.  Finally at the end of the day the Adobe Twitter Support came through!  Hooray! It works!!

While I was waiting for support to write me back I was able to begin writing my stories for Burt ad Briley, my new characters.  Their conversations made me smile.  All’s well that ends well.  I will post another picture soon.

A friend and I are working on an idea for a picture book based on a true life event. The challenges in doing this are multiple.

First, it has to has to interest the audience of small children and adults, because picture books really have two audiences, the kids and the adults who read to the kids. It means that there has to be a surface story and a deeper story.

Second, while I must remain true to the events, there still needs to be a story. I know there is a lot of discussion about some kids wanting “straight up science”, you don’t have to use a narrative arc; nevertheless, narrative nonfiction is my preference. The biggest challenge, though, is to find a story in the facts, one that resonates with the audience(s).

Third, one reason to write a nonfiction picture book is to educate readers about topics that are important. In this case, the topic is endangered species and how loss of habitat is putting stress on certain populations of animals. It’s also about some successful intervention strategies that are current and could be a hot topic. Oh, wow, that sounds SO boring, even to me. And therein lies the challenge: how do you make the information accessible to a picture book audience, i.e. put it in words they can understand? And how do you make them care about the issues at stake?

Fourth, all the while, you must tell a story and it must be under 1000 words. It must have a beginning, middle and end, setting up a conflict and resolving it someway.

I kept asking my friend: “Where is the story?”
She had no answer. I had to find it myself.

To do this, I looked at primary source materials: I looked up the exact place the event occurred on Google Earth and looked at photos uploaded from nearby locations; I read original reports on the event from scientists involved; I researched the animal in question and its habitats. I immersed myself in everything I could for 48 hours. I slept. Then, I wrote.

I didn’t outline, because the story line was totally clear. What was at stake was the writing itself. How you write it is everything.

And the process worked. This is a time when I could not have predicted that the story would turn out as it did. Sometimes, you simply have to write a first draft and see where it goes, let your subconscious do its work. But at the same time, my analytic side was watching: where was there a spark of emotion? where did something get written that might create a pattern?

In the end, I am thrilled with the draft. I didn’t think the story would work as a picture book. But I trusted the process: I wrote.

What do you need to write today? Trust the process.

On July 15, I reported that I was going to try a GoodReads Giveaway for my new picture book, Prairie Storms.

To recap, GoodReads reports these are typical results from a giveaway:

• 21% of members have a book blog
• 750-785 people enter the average giveaway.
• 8% of those who enter will add the book to their to-read list.
• To say it a different way: 50 books added to user’s TO-READ shelf
• 45% of the winners will review the book.
• 8 reviews (1% of entrants & 42% of winners)

My Setup of the GoodReads Giveaway of Prairie Storms

Here’s how my giveaway was set up:

• Goodreads suggests that you let a giveaway contest run for 1-2 months. Mine ran from July 15 to the release date, August 10–so only 25 days, barely the minimum suggested.
• There were 2 books offered. You can offer whatever number you want.

My Results of GoodReads Giveaway of Prairie Storms

• In 25 days, 554 people entered the giveaway contest.
• There are now 6 ratings and 5 reviews. (1% of entrants)
• 45 added it the their TO-READ Shelf (8% of entrants)

GoodReads was easy to work with. They did the work of tracking who entered and the day it ended, they randomly selected winners and sent me the addresses.

Overall, the giveaway was about average, especially considering the short amount of time. I am pleased with the results. I’ll probably do another one this fall before Christmas, when the market is high for children’s books. Definitely a good experience for me.

Limitations only go so far. ~ Robert M. Hensel   Isn’t that an absolutely great quote?!   It’s so very true … limitations do only go so far but the possibilities locked within each and every child are truly limitless! Like within Ralph – one of our dear friends within the Bur Bur and Friends [...]

(Share yours on Facebook and you could win an autographed Bur Bur and Friends multicultural children book of your choice!) Our Minnesota Governor has proclaimed the month of March to be nutrition month. Well, you might be thinkin’ that’s wonderful and all, but if a proclamation from the governor isn’t enough to get your kids [...]

I hear this question a lot.

It’s a tough one because I know so many people have awesome ideas for kids’ books but just don’t know how to make it happen or where to even start. I know how it is; you see books on the shelf at The Biggety-Big Bookseller Corporations and think, “My ideas are better!”

It’s surely possible that you have a world-beating idea. Who am I to say? There are likely thousands of stories out there that will never be seen in print. I have several. The publishing industry is a complex beast. There are so many people and decisions that go into deciding what gets published that it’s extremely difficult to figure out the formula.

I hear ya. I’m a formula guy. I’m also a dude. I do better with straightforward, logic-based problems, not ethereal, emotion-based problems. Anyway, I’ll try and break it down for you in a way that’s helped me understand at least a little about how it all works.

In the current world of publishing you have basically three options after writing the story:

1. Find an agent
2. Find a publisher
3. Self-publish

What do you want out of this?

You really have to think about what’s most important to you. If the most important thing is getting your story out there for your family and friends to share, then you should consider self-publishing. Don’t listen to the “Yeah, but it’s only self-published.” downer people. Do it. Be happy.

If you seek fame and notoriety and the cool factor of seeing your book on the shelf at The Biggety-Big Bookseller Corporations, then you would want to seek out a publisher or an agent. These people have the industry clout and know-how to get books on the shelves.

I’ve decided. Now what?

Self Publishing

Self-publishing can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Using a service like http://lulu.com is an excellent way to go. I did that with my first book. Print-on-demand is also a very low investment on the publishing end. If you want to sell lots of copies of your self-published book, you have to be prepared for the sales and marketing end. That’s a whole other post. However, it’s possible to get your self-published work into libraries. Check out these resources:

PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association

American Library Association

Publishers and Agents

Most publishers just want to see a MS (manuscript). They usually have submission guidelines that, if they aren’t followed, turns your submission into confetti. They also like to select their own illustrator, so getting illustrations done beforehand might be a waste of your money and time.

When you go through an agent, it’s the same. They’ll probably want to read the MS first (no pictures). Unless you have VERY strong professional-quality artwork, don’t send them pictures right off the bat. Some agents may want to work with you to create a dummy (mockup of the book) with pictures. Usually they already have an artist they want to do it. So again, you could be right back to wasting money and time if you hire someone before submitting it.

If it’s a picture book without words, then of course you can’t submit a MS first. You might need a query letter, though.

These aren’t hard and fast rules and different publishers and agents have different policies and methods. If you contact some and ask, they’ll gladly tell you what they’re looking for. It cuts down on their workload (and yours, of course).

The Word on Illustrators

If you want to self-publish, then of course you’ll need to find an illustrator! Go for it. Remember that you get what you pay for. 

An experienced, professional illustrator should cost you a lot of money. We’re talking several thousands, depending on the size of your book. Don’t expect to get Biggety-Big Bookseller Corporation-type of artwork if you’re not willing to pay for it. You can find tons of artists who are itching to work for free or at low cost. If you don’t have much money, I sympathize. But understand a few things:

• If you ask a professional illustrator to work for peanuts, don’t expect them to be excited. They’re thinking, “How will I pay my internet bill with this?”
• If you find a student or non-professional to do it for a lick and a promise, don’t expect to be dazzled. It might happen, just don’t expect it.
• A promise of “Big royalties! More books later!” or “This will will sell a lot of copies!” means nothing. You’re asking someone to have blind faith in your book and marketing abilities. It might work out, but don’t forget that.
• So you love an illustrator’s work. It’s gorgeous, just what you want. They draw the most amazing animals ever. Don’t ask for proof that they can draw a marmoset. It’s annoying. Yes, she can draw a marmoset. Yes, even your very special marmoset.
• Are you an art director? Ever designed anything professionally? If not, consider hiring an outside art director to help you make sense of the process. You’ll be happier with the results.

You might find a pretty good illustrator willing to work for nothing simply because they believe in your book project and will accept proceeds from sales, but you still need a strong contract before starting. It protects you both. It’s also important to respect the idea that any artist is investing their time and effort in something that may not pay, so  even if they are “up and coming” they still deserve to be viewed as contributing something of great value. Everyone starts somewhere.

Scared?

So I hope I scared you away from children’s book publishing.

If you’re not scared off, then I guess you really want to do this thing, huh? That’s good, because you’re going to need to believe in it even when people tell you it’s a pipe dream. You have to love your story so much that you’ll get it out there no matter what anyone else says.

In case you get the idea from this post that I somehow find all of this easy… well, I don’t. The publishing world is sometimes a big mystery to me, too. No one has the definitive answer on how to get a book published. We’re shooting at a moving target. Welcome to archery practice.

I’m currently developing a picture book. It’s a damn good idea, too (of course it is). I’m going to go through all of these thought processes I just outlined (except the illustrator part because, well… I know someone). I’m not a book publishing psychic, so I’ll make it as good as I can and then let it go.

A great resource is SCWBI. For members, there’s a great community support, workshops, and conventions geared toward the children’s publishing industry. Check it out.