A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.
( Richard Bach)
by Sally
A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.
( Richard Bach)
by Sally
So, you’ve written a children’s book, and now it’s time to get it into the mail to the publisher of your dreams. Congratulations. But wait! Is it really ready? One of the biggest mistakes any writer can make is being too eager to submit a manuscript – and, as a result, submitting a story which is doomed to be rejected.
Whilst not exhaustive, here’s a list of ten signs that you are not yet ready to submit your manuscript. If you meet even one of these criteria, you may want to hold off on sealing that envelope.
1. You just typed the words ‘the end’. If you have just finished writing your story, then you may well feel very eager to get it in the mail and off to a publisher or agent. After all, it’s a masterpiece and the quicker you get it out there, the sooner it will be in print, right? Wrong. No matter how good your story, before you send it out you need to take the time to revise, revise and revise. Let it sit for at least a week, then reread it. The passage of time will help you to see any shortcomings in your work, ready to edit, and rework until it truly is a masterpiece.
2. You have shown your story to your children/grandchildren/neighbour’s cat/mother etc and they LOVE it. Actually, there is nothing especially wrong with showing your manuscript to these people, and, if it’s any good, it is to be hoped that these people (and cats) will like it. But do not rely on the judgement of these people (and cats) as an indication of your story’s worth – and never tell a prospective publisher what your kids/grandkids/blah blah blah think of your offering. Seriously, the feedback of these people is not any indication of your book’s publishability. Just as your next door neighbour is not going to tell you that your newborn baby is ugly, s/he is equally unlikely to tell you that your story is dull. And your mother is SUPPOSED to think you are incredibly clever for writing a novel. But telling a publisher about this feedback in a cover letter marks you as an amateur. He/she doesn’t need to be told that someone else liked the story – let the story speak for itself.
3. You have staked out a spot next to the mailbox so you can be there when the contract comes. Okay – this is not about your manuscript’s readiness, but rather about your understanding of the submissions process. If you are going to sit by the mailbox/computer/telephone waiting for a response, you are going to need a tent, a porta-loo and a LOT of supplies. It is rare to hear anything within the first six weeks, and for most publishers the response time will be closer to six months. And, if the publisher is interested, you are more likely to hear by phone or by email – a letter usually means a rejection. But actually, the key problem with sitting waiting for a reply is that you are much better off putting that time to use by writing your next story. If you want to be a writer, you need to always be working on your next project. If your first manuscript is rejected you then have something else to submit. And, if it’s accepted, you have your follow up offering ready to go.
4. You need to sell this manuscript so you can pay your mounting bills. Again, this one is not so much a reflection of your manuscript’s quality, but rather of your understanding of the publishing industry. For most children’s book authors, the reality is that you are not going to make a big income, especially from your first book. Whilst most of us do hope to earn money from our writing, the reality is that if you are looking for fast money, writing is not the job for you. Even if your manuscript is accepted, it will likely be several months before you see any money. After acceptance, you will need to negotiate a contract. Once that is signed you should be paid an advance against royalties. That advance will be the only income you’ll see before the book is published (generally at least a year down the track) . Once the book is published, the first sales will earn back your advance. After that, future sales will earn you royalties of between 5 and 10% of the book’s cover price. But don’t expect a weekly pay cheque – most publishers pay royalties twice a year, so it’s a long wait between paypackets. If you have mounting bills, you are best off seeking regular paid work – but that doesn’t mean you have to give up on your writing dream. With the financial pressure off, you can use your spare time to pursue that dream, with the goal of having it one day support you.
5. The last children’s book you read was when you were in primary school. If you want to write for today’s children, and be published by today’s publishers, you need to be reading today’s children’s books. And not just occasionally – you need to be spending as much (or more) time reading the books as you spend trying to write them. If you are not up to date with what’s being published, chances are your manuscript is not tailored to today’s market – and so is not ready to be submitted.
6. You think your book is the next Harry Potter/Dr Seuss/Twilight… Yes, every children’s writer wants to be successful (and most of us would like to be rich, too). But if your cover letter tells the publisher that your book is the next Harry Potter, or uses the phrase ‘think XYZ crossed with ABC’ (where XYZ and ABC are the titles of popular books or authors) , or if that is how you think of your book, then there’s a problem. The world doesn’t need another Dr Seuss, or another JK Rowling. What is needed are fresh new voices. Yes, you need to be aware of current trends (see number 5 above), but your manuscript should not repeat or reproduce what is already out there. It must offer something new.
7. You have had your neighbour/best friend/talented child draw the pictures. Yes, many children’s books are illustrated. But, unless you are a professional quality illustrator, you should not be submitting illustrations with your manuscript. Publishers like to choose their own illustrators, matching a manuscript with an illustrator whose style matches their plans for the book. If you are an aspiring illustrator and want to be both author and illustrator, you’ll need to study the craft of illustrating as much as that of writing. If you are hoping to do both, you’ll still not submit a fully illustrated manuscript, because the illustration requirements will change through the editing process. Instead you’ll submit one or two sample illustrations, along with sketches or a storyboard. Submitting your manuscript with ready drawn illustrations by your friend/neighbour/whatever can actually dissuade the publisher from accepting your book.
8. You are printing your manuscript on hot pink paper and stuffing the envelope with glitter. Bright colours and glittery stuff will definitely draw attention to your manuscript – but for all the wrong reasons. An editor who has just had glitter splashed across her desk (and into her cup of coffee) is going to take notice of that manuscript – because it has drawn her ire. Glitter and coloured paper aside, bells and whistles do not show a story to be publishable. Good quality writing, presented professionally in accordance with the publisher’s submission guidelines, is what will impress.
9. You have not read (and followed) the publisher’s submission guidelines. Publishers prepare submission guidelines for a simple reason – they want to see them followed. These guidelines, generally available on the publisher’s website, spell out how they want you to submit your manuscript – and they should be followed. If the publisher asks you to submit by mail, don’t email. If they ask for double spacing, don’t use single or 1.5. Some requirements may seem silly to you, but refusing to follow them suggests to the publisher that you don’t want to do things their way. If you can’t follow their direction at the submission stage, they are likely to wonder how you will respond to direction during the editing process.
10. Every time you reread your manuscript you make another change. I’ve left this one until last because I believe it’s the big one (and actually echoes number one). Put your manuscript aside for a week. If, when you pick it up, you can see changes that need to be made, make them. Then put it aside for another week. Or a month. Don’t send it out until it’s perfect. You only have one shot with each publisher, so don’t send them a manuscript that is not as good as you can possibly make it. If you see a major plot flaw, or even a handful of spelling errors three months after you’ve submitted, it is too late then to change it.
If any of the above ten criteria describes you/your manuscript, consider taking the time to rectify the problem BEFORE you submit. And, when you finish your next manuscript, take a deep breath, remember that the publisher is not going anywhere, and wait until it is truly ready to be submitted.
by Sally
The beautiful part of writing is that you don’t have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon. You can always do it better, find the exact word, the apt phrase, the leaping simile.
by Sally
1. What was it like to get your first publishing contract?
It was very exciting to receive a phone call from Sally, telling me we had received a request to write and illustrate Snowy’s Christmas. After the excitement had died down I suddenly realized I had an enormous amount of work to do in a very short amount of time. I had heard other illustrators explain how they had spent 6 months to two years creating their masterpieces. When the contract arrived I realized I had a much shorter period. From the first pencil stroke to the last illustration; I completed Snowy in just under 5 months. It was worth it, though. Particularly, as it was also an opportunity to work with my fabulously talented sister in law Sally Murphy
2. Tell us about the steps involved in illustrating a picture book.
Every publisher, editor and illustrator work differently. In my case, I created an online studio where I posted my illustrations for comment by Kimberley and Linsay, at Random House. This was, initially a very rough layout, which they commented on. I had a rare face to face meeting and ironed out some of the small details in the characterizations and staging of the story. From then on it was pencil – post – comment – revise – repost – inks. Random House had the inked line art scanned and sent me the files. I then digitally coloured them. Then more rounds of illustrate – post – comment – repost. There were many late nights over a hot illustrating table of graphics tablet. On one night it was so hot (being the middle of summer) the ink literally flowed out of the nib. Luckily we were able to fix it up post scan.
3. What role are you playing in promoting the book?
I love talking to people about my work – I always have. Since Snowy’s Christmas hit the shelves, I have had great fun talking to all sorts of people. The ABC radio interview was a highlight. I also have several local events where I will be discussing and reading from the book. I have been approached by people from all walks who want me to talk to their groups. This is not only great fun but it gives me a chance to spread the word about Snowy…and every copy of Snowy’s Christmas I sign also get’s an original Dave Murphy illustration above my signature.
The only thing I have regretted about the release of Snowy’s Christmas is not being able to do anything with Sally (we live on opposite sides of the country). She gave me such a fantastic story to illustrate that I think we could have a lot of fun talking about the book. Who knows, maybe the next one…..?
Over to you Dave – is there anything else you want to talk about?
Thanks for sharing, David.
Snowy’s Christmas is available across Australia in bookstores and department stores. Online, you can purchase it from Booktopia (at below rrp).
If you’ve missed the start of the tour, you can follow it at:
Week One: 4 October Deescribe Writing Blog
Week Two: 11 October Write and Read With Dale
Week three: 18 October Alphabet Soup Blog
Week Four: 25 October Let’s Have Words
Week Five: 1 November Sally Murphy’s Writing for Children Blog (you’re here)
Week Six: 8 November Aussiereviews Blog
Week Seven: 15 November Samantha Hughes’ Blog
Week Eight: 22 November Robyn Opie’s Writing Children’s Books Blog
Week Nine: 29 November Stories are Light
Week Ten: 6 December The Aussie Christmas Blog
Week Eleven: 13 December Tales I Tell
by Sally
Somewhere in my recent reading I read a piece of writing advice that spoke a little at the time, but resonated further later on. The writer, speaking about poetry, advised writers to be succinct – to say what they want to say and then stop. Too often, he said, a poet will presume the reader is a little stupid, and not only say what they want to say, but then say it again differently, or even interpret what they’ve had to say.
Yesterday, I wrote my daily poem from the perspective of a child whose mother is an author. I imagined the poem giving all sorts of examples of how the child appears in his mother’s books. But, in line ten, before I got to the list, I wrote ‘those characters are me.’ Suddenly, that earlier advice came back to me. A list would be nice, it would certainly make the poem longer, but was it necessary? I’d just made the point of the poem: The kid sees himself in the stories his mum tells. So, I stopped.
Then, just to be sure, I read the poem to my kids – and guess, what? They got it. They didn’t need me to explain that the kid sees himself in those stories. Just saying ‘those characters are me’ was enough.
I wish I could remember exactly who offered the advice I read (I’ve been doing quite a bit of reading lately) so I could properly attribute it, but, like so much good advice, it took a little while to make its mark and so someone is missing out on the credit. But I wanted to share it, because, whether you write poetry or prose, it’s advice that bears heeding, especially when writing for kids.
Children are smart. They can interpret things for themselves. Give them the information and let them have the satisfaction of arriving at the answer, the emotion, the response. Use your dialogue, your description, or your rhythm to create that response – then leave them to it.
And I’m going to say no more – for fear of not taking my own advice.
by Sally
Poetry… is the opening and closing of a door, leaving those who look through to guess about what was seen during a moment.