How to Write and Publish a Successful Children's Book Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply

by Cynthia Reeser

Children's books are very special, and have introduced millions of young people to the joys of reading. Single moms and top celebrities alike have penned best-sellers promoting the virtues and values for children to lead happy, healthy lives. There are many different ways that a children s book can be written, from the simplest rhyming picture books to more involved novella stories. Whatever your story may be, publishing it is within your grasp. How to Write and Publish a Successful Children's Book provides a complete overview of everything a prospective children s writer needs to complete and publish his or her own children s book. You will start by learning how to recognize the market that your book s style fits. You will learn the basics of the children s book publishing industry and how it is fundamentally different from that of the rest of the publishing industry. You will learn how to choose the right publisher or print on demand printer for your book and how to start preparing the package, with special consideration for illustrations and other aspects of your book that might change the overall presentation. You will learn what morals and values publishers and readers look for in good children s books and what you should expect in a publication deal. You will learn how to build a relationship with your editor, what to expect in revisions, and how to learn the process of selling your book. You will learn how to gain publicity on your own and what you can do to build your book into a long-term career. For anyone that has ever written or is considering writing their own children s book, this book will provide the information and resources you need to get published.

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Mel Bosworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cynthia Reeser’s “How to Write and Publish a Successful Children’s Book” is a book that needs to be on every writer’s shelf, not just those interested in writing children’s books. The one word that kept popping into my mind while reading this was “practical.”

This book is extremely practical in terms of understanding how to craft and polish your work, how to research potential markets, how to write a query letter, and how to submit. Please bear in mind that I’m using very broad strokes here. There is so much information clearly presented in this book that it would be silly to repeat everything. Essentially, what this book gives you is all the information you need to grow your project from root to fruit.

Reeser’s writing is clear, crisp, and pulls no punches. She makes it plain early on that there is no magic button to press and no secret formula, and it’s this honesty that makes the book so valuable, because it quickly strips any illusions a potential author might have.

There is only hard work, practice, and dedication. Reeser hands us the tools and shows us what our homework is, then leaves it to us to get busy.

I highly recommend this book to any writer of any genre, from beginner to seasoned professional.

[Lenore Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to Write and Publish a Successful Children's Book: Everything You Needed to Know Explained Simply - sure, the title's a little long, but Cynthia Reeser has done most of the heavy lifting for any authors hoping to break into the young writer's market. As promised in the forward written by Lisa J. Michaels, an author and illustrator in her own right, ""Reeser has done your homework for you...[this:] book gives back years that you otherwise would've spent researching, questioning, and floundering through the process..." Beginning with a history of children's books in the forward, the book delivers what it promises.

Reeser's book goes through the entire process, beginning with an explanation of the children's book market. From picture books to educational texts to juvenile fiction, it all has its own little subdivision, each with its own rules and dos and don'ts. Chapter 2,
which focuses on writing for children, walks the prospective author through the process of developing an idea. One recommended and easy exercise is to return to your own childhood and examine your own memories to help with story development or ideas. In addition to discussing the needs of a younger audience, sources are scattered throughout the book. From publishing houses to resource mailing lists to personal experiences re-told by other children's authors, the various sources give multiple starting points. Two appendices that include sample manuscripts, cover letters, and press releases as well as lists of organizations for writers and illustrators give this book
even more resources to assist the hopeful or already published author
at every stage of the game. There is even a chapter dedicated to e-publishing and another for self-publishing.

For all the information and spectacular resources in this book, How to Write and Publish a Successful Children's Book is, perhaps, most successful in its simple language and thorough explanations of each aspect of the process, from publishing to agents to authors that are their own illustrators. I didn't grow bored while reading it & loved the ease with which the information flowed, smoothly from one chapter to the next. Another big selling point, for me, was when I opened the front cover and saw the small paragraph dedicated to Bear, the rescue dog owned by a family at the publishing company. Having recently lost Bear, his owners decided that a portion of the profits from Reeser's book would go towards the Humane Society of the United States. As an animal lover myself, one who has owned a few rescue pets through the years, I loved seeing the dedication in the front of this book. It was the icing on the cake!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Passable introduction to writing for children. It's a bit overwritten at times and would have had more credibility if it was written by a children's author… but I still learned new and helpful information about the world of writing and publication from this book.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good information for a research project I'm working on.

[Abby Jones]

I'm going to take a break from this one for a little while. 😁