January 2004
What Is a Reasonable Rate For Writing a Book?
I have been contacted by a woman working under a government grant to produce character education-based fiction works for children. She wants me to write several books, 35 chapters and about 150 pages each, on various character education themes. I haven't the foggiest what to charge. She would prefer to pay by the book rather than the hour. What is reasonable for such things nowadays?
Because the woman is working from a grant, the fee you will receive per book will depend on what she's willing to pay. Be sure to ask her what she has in mind to pay you. Then do some research to compare what she's willing to pay with what some of the fee guidelines recommend.
"How Much Should I Charge?" by Lynn Wasnak is a good place to start. Along with her article she offers specific rate guidelines for the book publishing business. Wasnak's recommended rates are hourly, therefore you might have to estimate how long it will take you to write a book and base your fee on that. For example, the mid-range for book writing is $40/hour. So let's say it takes you one month to write a book -- 40 hrs/week X 4 weeks = 160 hours -- which translates to $6,400. You could always bump that up to $7,000 to allow for any delays.
"How Much Should I Charge as a Freelancer?" by Moira Allen is another good reference. While it's geared toward shorter articles it offers a good frame of reference and some excellent advice. Be sure to check out the links at the bottom of the article.
Do Publishers Publish Chapter Books For Early Readers?
I asked a number of acquaintances to read and appraise my children's fantasy book. They all loved it. The problem is it's a chapter book for 5 to 7-year olds, to be read a chapter at a time, as a bedtime story. It appears that publishers are only interested in picture books for that age group. Is the prospect of getting a chapter book for 5 to 7-year olds published hopeless? And if not, do you have any suggestions about how to proceed?
I'm not aware that publishers are only interested in picture books for 5 to 7-year olds. According to The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books by Harold Underdown and Lynne Rominger, there is indeed a market for "early chapter books" that are 48-64 pages and targeted for 6 to 8-year olds, which is about the age range of your book.
In my article "The Elephant in the Room: Marketing Your Children's Manuscript," I recommend visiting your local bookstore and library to find books that are similar to yours and make a note of the publisher, then look up the publisher's guidelines in the Children's Writers and Illustrator's Market or look up the publishers web site to find their guidelines, then submit your manuscript to them.
The SCBWI Bulletin regularly publishes calls from publishers for early chapter books. If you're not a member of the Society of Children's Writers and Illustrators, consider joining. They provide great insider marketing information.
How Do I Submit A Nonfiction Book Written By My Son?
How do I go about submitting a nonfiction manuscript written by my 9-year old son? It is 20 chapters and 92 pages long. I keep getting nowhere.
I suspect the reason you are having trouble submitting your son's manuscript to publishers, is because they rarely publish books written by children. Recently the fantasy novel, Eragon written and self-published by then-18-year-old Christopher Paolini was contracted and published by Alfred A. Knopf. Many young writers, with the help of their parents, choose the self-publishing route. It helps build self-esteem, plus it's a hands-on education about the world of book publishing. You can learn more about Chris at his web site, Factsource.com.
Chris's parents own a publishing company so he had a distinct advantage. I'm sure you don't own your own publishing company. However there are self-publishing services available through POD publishers. In a May 2003 article, PC Magazine compared six different POD publishing services: 1st Books Library, Golden Pillar Publishing, ImprintBooks, Infinity Publishing, iUniverse, and Xlibris. The article, "Start the Presses" by Troy Dreier contains detailed information about each company, including rates.
The Young Writer's Guide to Getting Published by Kathy Henderson, is the best resource for you and your son. According to the introduction, this book provides helpful information "about submitting novels and other book-length manuscripts." The markets listed in the book are the result of a survey of editors who are "especially receptive" to young writers.
For more information:
- "How Much Should I Charge?" by Lynn Wasnak
- http://www.writersmarket.com/content/charge.asp
- Lynn Wasnak's Book Publishing rate guidelines
- http://www.writersmarket.com/content/howmuch3.asp
- "How Much Should I Charge as a Freelancer?" by Moira Allen
- http://www.writing-world.com/rights/fees.shtml
- The Elephant in the Room: Marketing Your Children's Manuscript
- http://www.writing-world.com/children/elephant.shtml
- Factsource.com
- http://www.factsource.com
- Start the Presses
- http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1043161,00.asp
Peggy Tibbetts has been a professional writer, editor, and full member of the Society for Children's Book Writers & Illustrators for the past 26 years. She offers courses in children's writing and has edited several successful children's manuscripts. She is the author of the children's novel The Road to Weird, as well as the adult novel Rumors of War. Peggy also moderates the The Write List discussion list at Yahoo.
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