June 2003

Do You Have Any Successful Examples Of Self-Published Children's Books?

Do you have any successful examples of self-published children's books? If yes, how does one get started, that is, where to find illustrator, publisher, etc?

In 1992, Richard Paul Evans wrote and self-published The Christmas Box for his two young daughters. That story went on to become a #1 New York Times best-seller and is now published in 18 languages with more than 8 millions copies in print worldwide. In 1995, it was made into an Emmy Award winning TV special.

Time Stops for No Mouse by Michael Hoeye of Portland, Oregon, was self-published in a quality paperback format under his Terfle Books imprint in the summer of 2000. By 2001, the book sold more than 10,000 copies and Putnam won hardcover and paperback rights at auction for the reported sum of $1.8 million for Time Stops for No Mouse and two sequels, including the previously self-published The Sands of Time.

These days there are 2 methods for self-publishing. POD publishers, such as iUniverse, 1stBooks Library, and Xlibris, use print-on-demand (POD) technology to print books as they're ordered. They offer editing, cover design and/or illustrations, and marketing assistance. PC Magazine recently rated six different POD publishers, and declared iUniverse as their "editor’s choice." 1stBooks Library came in second. You can read more about their findings at the magazine's web site.

In choosing a POD publisher, you should read over the contract carefully before signing. Some POD publishers do acquire some of your rights. Others ask for a percentage if your book is sold to a traditional publisher.

True self-publishing is when the author acts as publisher, supervising all aspects of production and distribution, and retaining all rights. The Self-Publishing Manual by Dan Poynter is the best resource for information. At Writing World you'll find lots of helpful information in our Self-Publishing section, including "From Self-Published Novelist to Best-Selling Author: An Interview With Richard Paul Evans," by Carolyn Campbell.

If you use a POD publisher, they will help you find an illustrator. If you self publish under your own imprint you will have to find your own illustrator. The best way to do that is to join the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, and look up potential illustrators among their membership and begin contacting them for possible interest in your project.

How Much Of An Advance Can I Expect?

I'm wondering how to prepare for that big phone call. Having sent my illustrated picture book to three publishers, I've tried to research advance/royalty payments to be ready to negotiate. Two sources seem fair: The Graphic Artists Guild (USA) recommends an advance of $4,000 - $15,000, against royalties; and the Margaret K. McElderry Prize at Simon and Schuster now pays an advance of $15,000 against a 10% royalty on hardcover to an unpublished author/illustrator of a picture book. Is this too much to expect?

Yes, I think it is too much to expect. Or at least this has not been my experience or the experience of my friends who are published children's authors. Authors with agents who are publishing their 3rd or 4th book might start to see advances as high as more than $4000, but not beginning authors.

Advances for a standard royalty contracts run from $1,000 to $3,000. Of course, that is if you even get an advance, as many publishers no longer pay advances.

According to The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books by Lynne Rominger and Harold Underdown: "Depending on the publisher, and the type of book, advances for first-time authors range from nothing to perhaps $5,000."

How Do I Format My Book To Submit To Publishers?

I'm interested in publishing a small children’s booklet. It would be probably less than 30 pages, one or two short sentences per page presented as a small 4X5 booklet. How would I format this to forward to publishers?

If you're submitting to editors at publishing companies, you should submit in manuscript format, that's the rule. Editors make the decisions about formatting content. Most of the time the minimum for a children's book is 32 pages, unless your book is a novelty or board book.

Lee Wardlaw, award-winning author of more than 20 books for children, ranging from picture books to young adult novels, says: "A picture book manuscript should be typed like any other manuscript: Double-spaced, with margins of one-and-one-quarter inches on all sides. This means that a typical 500-word picture book will run about two-to-three typed pages. Never use a separate page for each line of your story. This is the sign of an amateur."

For more information:

Start the Presses, by Troy Dreier

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1043161,00.asp

Self-Publishing

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

From Self-Published Novelist to Best-Selling Author: An Interview With Richard Paul Evans, by Carolyn Campbell

http://www.writing-world.com/selfpub/box.shtml

Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators

http://www.scbwi.org

Lee Wardlaw: Children's Book Author

http://www.leewardlaw.com/

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