February 2003

Where Can I Find a List of Word Requirements?

Where can I find a list of word requirements for writing children's books?

According to The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books by Harold Underdown and Lynne Rominger, "In most cases, you can just sit down and write your story, using your judgment about vocabulary. But some series, easy readers in particular, are built around a carefully selected vocabulary list ... If a publisher's guidelines call for a controlled vocabulary, then use their word list. You can assume that most children's publishers don't care about this, however."

Bebop Books, a Lee & Low imprint, is one publisher that does have guidelines for text development. According to their guidelines: "Stories should fit within Fountas and Pinnell's Guided Reading levels and Reading Recovery levels." Specific details about the various levels can be found at their web site when you click on "Write for Bebop."

Seedling Publications uses the Guided Reading and Reading Recovery levels to categorize their books but according to the 2003 Children's Writers and Illustrator's Market they don't require authors to adhere to a specific vocabulary list. Unfortunately they don't post writer's guidelines at their web site.

How Do I Get Started as an Illustrator?

Can you help? I want to start illustrating books for children. Not necessarily editing but illustrating. How do I go about submitting pictures I have drawn? Where do I even start? Who do I submit to? Your help would be greatly appreciated.

If you're not a member of SCBWI, I encourage you to join. It's the most respected, well-organized support group for children's writers and illustrators. If you are already a member, be sure to look up your Regional Advisor at the web site and make contact to find out about local activities, conferences, and workshops for illustrators. The strength of the regional chapters is the opportunity to network with other illustrators, as well as authors.

Check out the Illustrator's Corner on the Discussion Boards at SCBWI's new web site, sections include: Digital Art, Non-Digital Art, and the Visual Creativity Forum.

Be sure to get a copy of the new 2003 Children's Writers and Illustrator's Market. Each magazine and publisher entry contains information on how to submit illustrations.

Finding out how other artists became children's book illustrators is another good way to explore the field. At Cynthia Leitich Smith's web site you'll find an interview with children's book illustrator Don Tate. Illustrator Deborah Kogan Ray tells the story of how her career began in "How I Sued Harper & Row and Got My First Drawing Table" at Harold Underdown's web site, The Purple Crayon. Be sure to search this site for more information about illustrating children's books, including sample guidelines for children's book illustrators.

How Can I Find A List Of Small Publishers?

I read and learned a lot from your column regarding agents and publishing children's books. I'm wondering if there is a resource to discover which of the smaller publishers would accept an unsolicited query for my children's story, and if you have any advice on which publishers to contact.

The good news is, you don't usually need to submit a query for a picture book manuscript. Most publishers' (especially small publishers) submission guidelines state that you should submit the complete manuscript for picture books. The bad news is, there's no one resource to find small publishers.

If you're not a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers, you should join. They publish an annual market survey free to members, where you'll find several small publishers. The Publisher's Corner column in each bimonthly Bulletin regularly features calls for submissions from small publishers.

On the Internet, spend some time browsing the links to publishers at the Colossal Directory of Children's Publishers Online. You'll find several links to small publishers.

In print, the 2003 Children's Writers and Illustrator's Market contains hundreds of publishers' submission guidelines. Since there really aren't many big children's book publishers (less than 50, I believe) most of those listed are small publishers.

Children's Book Insider and Children's Writer are two monthly newsletters for children's writers. Both publish a market section that often features calls for submissions from small publishers. You can request a free copy of Children's Writer at their web site.

Workman Publishing, Bollix Playhouse, and Handprint Books are three small publishers who will look at unsolicited picture book manuscripts from authors. Guidelines are posted at Workman's web site. Submission guidelines for Bollix Playhouse can be found at the Children's Writers Marketplace at Write4Kids.com. Handprint Books guidelines can be obtained by sending an email request to: submissions@handprintbooks.com.

For more information:

Bebop Books (Click on "Write for Bebop")

http://www.bebopbooks.com

Seedling Publications

http://www.seedlingpub.com

SCBWI

http://www.scbwi.org

Interview with Children's Book Illustrator Don Tate

http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/auth-illDonTate.htm

How I Sued Harper & Row and Got My First Drawing Table

http://www.underdown.org/cigdrawingtable.htm

Sample guidelines for children's book illustrators

http://www.underdown.org/artguide.htm

The Colossal Directory of Children's Publishers Online

http://www.childrens-publishers.com

Children's Book Insider

http://www.write4kids.com

Children's Writer

http://www.childrenswriter.com

Workman Publishing submission guidelines

http://www.workman.com/content/pagemaker.cgi?1005854822.txt

Bollix Playhouse submission guidelines

http://www.write4kids.com/wmarket/march.html

Handprint Books

http://www.handprintbooks.com/contacts.html

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