September 2005
How Should I Identify Myself As A SCBWI Member?
In a recent column you said, "SCBWI members have a better chance of getting their manuscripts read, than non-members". Does that mean we should always write something like SCBWI member on the envelope? Or mention it in the cover letter? I read so often about editors who want short cover letters.
Do mention it in the cover letter. Don't write it on the envelope. In large publishing houses the mail is opened in the mail room, so editors don't always see the envelopes. I always send a one sheet resume of my publishing credits. The first line says: "Peggy Tibbetts has been a member of SCBWI since 1977." If you don't send publishing credits on a separate sheet, then in your cover letter be sure to say, "I am a member of SCBWI". It doesn't take up much space but it's just as important as a publishing credit. For more information about membership benefits, go to the "Membership Benefits" page at the SCBWI web site.
Should I Send Five Manuscripts To An Agent?
I've been away for the summer during which I wrote five picture book manuscripts. Now that I'm settled in at home I need to send them out. Would it be better to send all five to a literary agent? Or should I submit one at a time?
Congratulations! Your summer has certainly been more productive than mine! However, the first question you should ask yourself is: do I really need an agent? In his article, "Agents for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators", Harold Underdown provides an excellent analysis of the agent question for children's writers. He says, "If you will only be happy if your first book is published by a famous publisher such as HarperCollins or Random House or Simon & Schuster, then you need an agent or the ability to network and find ways to meet or contact editors at those houses. Otherwise, you need to look to smaller publishers and plan to get an agent later, if ever."
Whether you submit to agents or editors, most prefer that you submit one manuscript at a time, unless their guidelines say otherwise. I have seen a few agent and/or publisher listings that say you can submit "up to 3-5 picture book manuscripts" in one submission. Since you have five stories, I think it's a good idea to submit to both agents and editors at the same time. The submission process is long and tedious, so you need to make your submissions process as productive as possible. You might also find my article helpful, "The Elephant in the Room: Marketing Your Children's Manuscript".
Can You Recommend Good Reference Books?
I am interested in learning how to write for children. Can you recommend any good reference books?
I have been recommending The Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books by Harold Underdown in this column for several years. However there's a brand new book on the shelves, Writing Children's Books for Dummies by Lisa Rojany Buccieri and Peter Economy, which I have read and now also recommend. Here's my review:
As a columnist for children's writers I am particularly impressed with Chapter 2: Children's Book Formats and Genres, and Chapter 3: Understanding the Children's Book Market. The biggest mistake prospective children's writers make is that they simply do not know enough about the age group or market they're writing for. Until now, I lacked a single resource to refer my readers to -- but this is definitely it. Lisa Buccieri is a publishing executive with over 15 years' experience in the business, so readers can take her word for it.
But wait -- there's more! Experienced authors will find plenty to sink their teeth into. Authors Buccieri and Economy dish up the real meat of children's writing by including chapters on plot, dialogue, point of view, and the awesome task of editing your own work. Authors will love the chapters on agents, contracts, and Ten Best Ways to Promote Your Story.
A reader once wrote to me: "I'd like to write for children but I can't think of any story ideas. Where can I find story ideas?" Well, guess what -- Chapter 20 offers More than Ten Great Sources for Storylines, which is more like 12 full pages of story ideas. Rich Tennant's "The 5th Wave" cartoons, plus interviews with authors, editors, and agents generously sprinkled throughout contribute to the excellence of this book and catapults it to the top of my list of recommended reading for children's writers.
For more information:
- SCBWI Membership Benefits
- http://scbwi.org/about/mem_benefits.htm
- Agents for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
- http://www.underdown.org/agents.htm
- The Elephant in the Room: Marketing Your Children's Manuscript
- http://www.writing-world.com/children/elephant.shtml
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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