Children’s Writing Web Journal

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I’m not very good with titles. Luckily, I publish an information newsletter, and my subscribers already know that each issue will focus on how to write children’s books. So an article title simply needs to convey at a glance to the reader whether the piece can be put to use right now, or filed away for later. Book titles, on the other hand, must entice a potential customer to pick up the book, open it, read a few lines, and then buy it. When your customers are children with big demands and short attention spans, your title often becomes your main sales tool.

Picture book titles, like the stories themselves, must be active, concrete, and sound appealing when read out loud. A little surprise doesn’t hurt: Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Williams, and When the Chickens Went on Strike: A Rosh Hashanah Tale by Erica Silverman all promise stories of animals acting in very un-animallike ways. Titles can give a clue to the plot and tone of the book but should draw the reader in without giving away the ending (Hannah Mae O’Hannigan’s Wild West Show by Lisa Campbell Ernst; Sumi’s First Day of School Ever by Soyung Pak). And don’t be afraid to go for a grabber like Walter, the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle. You may not like the story, but I dare you to walk by the book in a store without wanting to read a few pages.

Chapter books and middle grade novels must appeal to kids more than their parents, so don’t use the character’s name as the title unless it’s very unusual (Bunnicula by James and Deborah Howe; Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli) . Titles that are funny (The Stinky Sneakers Contest by Julie Anne Peters), irreverent (Your Mother was a Neanderthal by Jon Scieszka), or relevant to readers’ lives (Gossip Times Three by Amy Goldman Koss) will give the author immediate credibility. This audience wants to read books about kids just like them, only more so (bigger problems, better clothes, more exciting social lives). Titles that telegraph adolescent angst (Shakespeare Bats Cleanup by Ron Koertge; Rosy Coles’ Worst Ever, Best Yet Tour of New York City by Sheila Greenwald) forge a connection with readers.

Titles of young adult books are often spare, sophisticated, and dramatic. The title may represent an idea from the book rather than the plot, as in Chris Crutcher’s Whale Talk. Coupled with the cover illustration, the title is intended to intrigue the reader by presenting the overall tone of the story. Francine Prose’s After, illustrated by the word spraypainted on a bleak, gray brick school wall; Walter Dean Myers’ The Beast, with the title printed in large orange and yellow letters running bottom to top that almost swallow the black background; and Caroline B. Cooney’s Burning Up title imposed over an illustration of marshmallows being roasted on a beach bonfire, the flames a little too red, the marshmallows a little too burnt, all tell young adults that these are not their younger siblings’ books.

Interested in learning how to write a book and send it to children’s book publishers? Come on over to The CBI Clubhouse for audios, videos, insider writing tips and much, much more!

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Before submitting your work, it’s essential that you study children’s book publishers‘ lists to find the best fit for your manuscript. Your first stop is Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market published by Writer’s Digest Books.  Note which publishers do the type of book you’ve written, and are also accepting submissions from new writers. Then send for a current catalog.

Let’s look at the picture books from two hypothetical publishers:

Publisher A:

Total picture books: 26.
Picture books by type: 8 talking animal stories; 4 concept books; 2 realistic stories; 2 humorous stories; 2 fantasy; 1 holiday book (Easter); 3 nonfiction (2 animal/nature, 1 religion); 4 poetry collections.
Age range of books: 6 for ages 2-5, 12 for ages 4-7, 6 for ages 6-10.
Types of authors: Established authors (two or more books published)–5; famous authors (significant name recognition/ awards)–11; reissues of classic books–5 (3 poetry collections); new authors–5.
Percent of list from new authors: just over 19%.

Publisher B:

Total picture books:14
By type: 4 talking animals; 1 concept book; 2 realistic stories; 3 humorous stories; 4  nonfiction (history, biography).
Age range of books: 3 for ages 3-6; 11 for ages 4-8 or 4-9.
Types of authors: Established authors– 7; famous authors–3; new authors–  4.
Percent of list from new authors: 28.5%

Suppose you have a picture book featuring talking animal characters. Even though Publisher A has fewer new authors, it publishes a greater percentage of talking animal stories. And you really want Publisher A to do your book. Should you submit? First, look at the authors in Publisher A’s stable. Over half are famous or authors of classic books (which means instant sales for the reissued editions). Plus, after studying the bios of the authors in the catalog, you discover that 3 out of the 5 new authors are either celebrities or well-known illustrators writing their first books. Clearly, this publisher prefers authors with some name-recognition. Does this mean you shouldn’t submit here?

Not necessarily, but move it down your list. Publisher B has a higher percentage of new authors (no celebrities and only one known illustrator), a good number of animal stories, and a greater number of humorous books. Since your talking animal story has ironic humor that will appeal to older picture book readers (who make up the majority of this publisher’s audience), Publisher B seems a good fit.

Other things we’ve learned: Publisher B favors books about history and real people, as seen by the nonfiction titles and the fact that the realistic fiction books are both based on public figures (you’ll learn this by reading the plot descriptions). So your picture book fiction incorporating real events set at the turn of the century might appeal to these editors.

On the other hand, Publisher A has done a holiday book and a religious book, whereas Publisher B has neither. So a religious picture book might fit best with Publisher A, unless the book is a biography of a religious leader.

Clearly, analyzing publishers’ catalogs isn’t an exact science, but it can help increase your chances of finding a good match with an editor down the road.

Interested in learning how to write a book and send it to children’s book publishers? Come on over to The CBI Clubhouse for audios, videos, insider writing tips and much, much more!

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