May 2003

Can You Recommend Some Good Writing Schools?

Can you recommend some good writing schools on line or by mail? I write children's stories and would like to take a course. I want something where I deal with an instructor not students. I don't have time to read other peoples work and critique, therefore, I would like help from an instructor with no obligation except to do my homework. Any suggestions?

For one-on-one instruction the Institute of Children's Literature is the most established and well known. Instructors include: Sharon Hart Addy, Nancy Alberts, Elaine Marie Alphin, Marilyn D. Anderson, and DJ Arneson. College credits are available for all courses. Instruction is by the home study method. Lessons are exchanged either through regular mail or by email.Ê

I teach "How to Make Your Picture Book Sparkle" at Writing World. During this 8-week course students learn how to develop a picture book by creating a dummy. Lectures and assignments are exchanged by email. Students enjoy the individual attention I offer with each assignment. My next class is scheduled for August 2003. Watch the Writing World newsletter for more information coming out in June. To a request a copy of the course description, send an email to: peggyt@siltnet.net

Absolute Write offers "Writing Children's Picture Books and Writing for Children’s Magazines" by Karen King. Do a Google search for "children's writing course." You'll find several different references such as Picture Book, a resource for children’s illustrators, publishers, and readers. At this web site you'll find a page of links to workshops.

Can I Translate A Folk Tale Into English?

Several children's magazines as well as book publishers say that they accept folk tales from around the world. What is considered a legitimate source for a folk story? Can I re-work a story from a folktale and offer it for publication or would there be a clash of copyright? Also, how are translations of folk tales handled? For example, if I had a book of Indian folk tales published in Hindi, would it be all right for me to translate a story from this into English or another language and consider it my work?

I don't think there is such thing as a "legitimate source" for folktales. They first existed as word-of-mouth and then were written down over the years. First you need to choose a particular tale; then set about researching the origins of the tale. For a step-by-step approach to researching folktales read "In Search of the Folktale" by Doug Lipman.

Folktales aren't copyrighted, but adaptations of folktales are copyrighted. If you write your own original adaptation of a folktale, then you are not in violation of copyright. Published folktales are usually adaptations and therefore copyrighted. If you want to translate a published folktale, word-for-word, you need to get permission from the publisher. If you write your own original English adaptation of the Hindi version, then you don't need permission.

Is There A Market For My Picture Book?

I have finished the final draft for a multicultural picture book for older readers. The finished manuscript is almost 3,000 words long. The protagonist is 9 years old. Is there a market for this type of book? From what I understand publishers focus on chapter books for 8 to 9 year olds.

For a picture book manuscript, 3,000 words is too long. In her article "Understanding Children's Genres," Laura Backes says the maximum length for picture books is 2,000 words. According to The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books, by Harold Underdown and Lynne Rominger, the average length of a picture book is 1,000 words. Lee & Low Books are publishers of multicultural picture books, and a possible market for your manuscript. They also offer the annual New Voices Award for writers of color. However according to their manuscript guidelines for the award and general submissions: "Manuscripts should be no longer 1500 words."

For more information:

Institute of Children's Literature

http://www.institutechildrenslit.com

Classes on Writing World

http://www.writing-world.com/classes/index.shtml

Writing Children's Picture Books

http://www.absolutewrite.com/classes/King/picturebooks.htm

Picture Book

http://www.picture-book.com/resources.asp?catid=43

In Search of the Folktale

http://storydynamics.com/Articles/Finding_and_Creating/types.html

Understanding Children's Genres

http://www.writing-world.com/children/genres.shtml

Lee & Lee Books submission guidelines

http://www.leeandlow.com/editorial/wguide.html

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