Writing Children's Books For Dummies

ISBN-13: 9781119870012 / Angielski / Miękka / 2022 / 432 str.

Lisa Rojany Buccieri; Peter Economy

Spis treści

Introduction 1About This Book 1Foolish Assumptions 2Icons Used in This Book 3Beyond the Book 3Where to Go from Here 4Part 1: the Abcs of Writing for Children 5Chapter 1: Exploring the Basics of Writing Children's Books 7Knowing Your Format, Genre, and Audience 8Getting into a Good Writing Zone 8Transforming Yourself into a Storyteller 9Polishing Your Gem and Getting It Ready to Send 10Selling Your Story 11Promoting Your Book 11Improving Your Chances of Getting Published 12Chapter 2: Delving into Children's Book Formats 15Dissecting the Anatomy of a Book 16Grouping Types of Children's Books 17Illustrated Books for All Ages 18Baby-friendly board books 19Picture books for toddlers 20Other books that have pictures 24Working through Wordy Books 30Early readers 30First chapter books 32Middle-grade books 34Young adult books 36Chapter 3: Exploring the Genres 39Going Out of This World 40Science fiction 40Fantasy 40Graphic novels and manga 42Horror and ghost stories 42Getting in on the Action (and History) 43Action/adventure 43True stories 44Historical fiction 45Mysteries 46Writing About Real People 48Biography/memoir 48Lgbtqia 49Gender-oriented series books 51Friendship 53School issues 54Developmental milestones and first experiences 55Prose poetry 56Romance 57Giving Stories a Message 57Learning/educational 57Religion 60Aspirational and inspirational 60Diversity 61Family issues 62Pets and animals 63Cultural issues 64Addiction, abuse, and mental illness 65Keeping Them Laughing with Humor 67Quirky characters 67Parody, satire, and jokes 67Slapstick and gross 68Dark humor 68Wordplay 68Chapter 4: Understanding the Children's Book Market 71Getting Insight into Book Buyers' Needs 74For chain and big-box bookstores 74For independent bookstores 76Recognizing What Reviewers Offer 78Discovering What Librarians Add to the Mix 79Taking a Look at How Teachers Use Books in Their Classrooms 84Considering Parents' Perspectives 86Thinking Like a Kid 86Going after what kids like -- regardless of Mom and Dad 87Knowing what kids don't like 88Part 2: Immersing Yourself in The Writing Process 89Chapter 5: Setting Up for Success: Finding the Time and Space to Write 91Finding Time to Write 92Figuring out when you're most productive 92Sticking to a writing schedule 93Evaluating your commitment 93Optimizing Your Writing Environment 94Locating your special writing spot 94Keeping helpful references handy 95Cutting down on clutter and getting organized 96Preventing and dealing with interruptions 98Chapter 6: Starting with a Great Idea 101Once Upon a Time: Coming Up with an Idea 101Relying on specific ideas rather than big ones 102Tapping into your own experiences 103Digging through childhood mementos 105Drawing from other children's experiences 106Pulling ideas from the world around you 106Stumped? Break through with Brainstorming 107Doing it all by yourself 108Giving free association a whirl 109Taking up journaling 109Buddying up to the buddy system 111Asking the advice of classmates and writing professionals 112Seeking help from your audience 113Going to the source 115Checking the "best of" book lists 116Fighting Writer's Block 117Chapter 7: Researching Your Audience and Subject 119Hanging Out with Kids 120Going back to school 120Becoming a storyteller 122Borrowing a friend's child for a day 125Dipping into Popular Culture 127Watching kids' TV shows and movies 127Playing kid-focused digital games 128Reading parenting and family magazines and blogs 129Perusing pop culture magazines and blogs 130Surfing the web 130Browsing bookstores 131Visiting children's stores online or in person 132Studying kids' fashion trends 133Eavesdropping where kids hang out 133Researching Your Nonfiction Topic 134Outlining the research process 134Getting around locally 136Going far afield 136Visiting the web -- a lot 137Part 3: Creating a Spellbinding Story 139Chapter 8: Creating Compelling Characters 141The Secret Formula for an Exceptional Main Character 142Defining your main character's driving desire 142Show, don't tell: Fleshing out your main character 143Getting to Know Your Characters through Dialogue 144Compiling a Character Bible 147Surveying a sample character bible 148Creating consistency 150Writing Stories with Two or More Main Characters 151Choosing Supporting Characters 152Calling All Character Arcs 154Character Don'ts -- and How to Avoid Them 157Steer clear of stereotypes 157Don't tell us everything 158Toss out passivity and indefinites 160Don't rely on backstory or flashbacks 161Developing Characters through Writing Exercises 162Describe your first best friend 162Borrow your favorite children's book characters 163Revisit a painful or joyful experience from your childhood 163Chapter 9: The Plot Thickens: Conflict, Climax, and Resolution 165Plot: It's All about Action 166Centering on the Story 167Giving Your Story a Beginning, Middle, and End 168Propelling Your Story with Drama and Pacing 168Drama: A reason to turn the page 169Pacing: How you keep the pages turning 169Outlining to Structure Your Plot 170Creating a step sheet 171Fleshing out your outline 172Knowing when to circumvent an outline 175Preventing Plot Problems 176Writing Your First Draft 176Chapter 10: Can We Talk? Writing Effective Dialogue 179The Fundamentals of Good Dialogue 180Dialogue has a function 180Dialogue has drama 182Listening to Real-World Dialogue 184How kids talk 184How grown-ups talk 185Adding a Speech Section to Your Character Bible 186Testing! Testing! Reading Dialogue Out Loud 187Avoiding Common Dialogue Mistakes 188Failing to have conflict or tension 188Repeating information: Showing versus telling 189Describing dialogue 189Using too many speaker references and attributions 190Creating heavy-handed and unrealistic dialogue 191Filling space with unnecessary dialogue 191Improving Dialogue by Using Writing Exercises 192Talking on paper 193Introducing your first best friend to the love of your life 193Chapter 11: Setting the Scene 195Giving Context to Your Story and Its Characters with Scenery 195Creating a Context Bible 196Knowing When to Include Scenery and Context 197When place figures prominently 198When place plays an important role 199When description of place doesn't interrupt flow of action 200When you must mention an exotic locale 200When you mention a specific place at the beginning 201When you use place to transition to a new scene 201Providing the Right Amount of Setting 202Engaging Your Readers' Senses 203Knowing When Not to Make a Scene 204Exercising Your Nose through Smellography 204Chapter 12: Finding Your Voice: Point of View and Tone 207Building a Solid Point of View 208Reviewing POV options 208Picking your POV 209Matching tense with POV 211Having Fun with Words through Wordplay, Rhyming, and Rhythm 212Engaging in wordplay 212Taking different approaches to rhyming 214Keeping your story moving with rhythm 215Using Humor to Your Advantage 216Figuring out what kids consider funny 217Turning to the outrageous and the gross 220The Mojo of Good Writing: Exploring Voice, Style, and Tone 221Finding your story's voice 222Writing with style 223Taking the right tone 223Knowing When You Need a Voice Makeover 224Helping Your Voice Emerge by Playing Pretend 225Pretend to be someone (or something) else 225Chapter 13: Writing Creative Nonfiction Books 227The Nonfiction Children's Book World at a Glance 228Writing Toward a Nonfiction Masterpiece 229Choosing a Great Nonfiction Topic 231Looking at topics that get kids' attention 232Finding topics that interest you 233Branching out into the real world 233Testing Your Topic 235Outlining Your Creative Nonfiction 236Starting simple 236Fleshing out your ideas 237Enhancing your outline by using visual aids 238Common Creative Nonfiction Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them) 239Writing Exercises for Creative Nonfiction 240Pretend you're a newspaper reporter 240Create a funny five-step procedure to wash a dog 241More short exercises to get you writing 241Part 4: Making Your Story Sparkle 245Chapter 14: Editing, Revising, and Formatting Your Way to a Happy Ending 247Your Revising Checklist: Getting Major Story Elements in Order 248Theme 249Characters 249Plot 250Pacing and drama 251Setting and context 252Point of view 252Fine-Tuning Your Text: Editing Important Areas 253Strengthening your opening 254Keeping your dialogue tight and on target 254Transitioning effectively 255Trimming wordiness 256Keeping your chronologies in order 257Formatting Basics: First Impressions Matter 257Including the proper information on the first page 258Following other children's book formatting conventions 258Not to Put Too Fine a Point on It: Checking Basic Grammar and Style 261Punctuation 261Style 262Miscellaneous 263Hiring Help: Working with an Editor or Editorial Service 265Finding a good editor or editorial service 266Asking the right questions 268Digital versus hard-copy editing 269Chapter 15: Creating Pictures from Your Words: The World of Illustrations 271To Illustrate or Not to Illustrate 272Recognizing Why You Shouldn't Hire an Illustrator 272Following the Hand-Drawn Illustration Process with Artist Tim Bowers 274Starting with black-and-white pencil sketches 275Moving on to finished pencils 276Creating color art 276Capturing the right cover image 277Exploring the Digital Art Process with Author/Illustrator Barney Saltzberg 279Interior art 280Cover art 281Getting Your Art Seen by the Right Folks 283Considering some solid options 283Preparing a book dummy 285Handling Art When You're Self-Publishing (and Not an Artist) 286Chapter 16: Finding and Incorporating Feedback 291Deciding When to Seek Feedback 292Getting Help from Friends and Relatives (or Not) 294Delving into the pros and cons of friendly advice 295Having a friend in the business 295Calling on Topic Experts: Beta and Sensitivity Readers 296Attending Conferences or Retreats 297Exploring the conference scene 297Getting away with retreats 300Participating in a Workshop 301Working with a Writing (or Illustrating) Group 302Finding the right group 302Starting your own group 304Sifting through the feedback you receive 305What Feedback Should You Expect During the Publishing Process? 309Part 5: Getting Published and Promoting Your Book 311Chapter 17: The Traditional Route: Signing with an Agent or Publisher 313Identifying the Right Publisher 314Gathering information from the marketplace 314Perusing writer's guides and directories 316Drafting Query Letters and Proposals 316Perfecting the query letter 317Drafting a great book proposal 320Joining Forces: Working with an Agent 322Finding and approaching your ideal agent 322Managing multiple agent submissions 323Understanding typical agency agreements 324Terminating your agency relationship 327Copyright: Protecting Your Work 329Success! Reviewing Your Publishing Contract 330Surveying the two types of publishing agreements 330Getting what you want in the contract 331Dealing with Rejection 334Chapter 18: Considering Hybrid Publishing 339The Good and the Bad about Hybrid Publishing 340The good about hybrid publishing 340The bad about hybrid publishers 341Vanity presses: Don't say we didn't warn you 342Identifying the Right Hybrid Publisher for Your Book 344Doing your research and asking around 344Confirming some important criteria 345Approaching a hybrid publisher 346Getting the Biggest Bang for Your Hybrid Buck 346Fees and payments 347What about distribution and marketing? 347Chapter 19: So You Want to Self-Publish? 351Weighing the Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing 352Exploring Your Self-Publishing Options 354The print route 355The digital route 358Setting a Price for Your Publication 359Distributing Your Self-Published Book 360Getting in the door at traditional bookstores 360Persuading online booksellers 361Considering other places to sell your book 362Chapter 20: Donning Your Publicity Cap 363Understanding How Your Publisher Promotes Your Book 364Publicizing Your Own Book 364Focusing on the digital components 365Touching on the traditional components 369Promoting Your Work in Person 373Planning a publicity tour 373Joining the signing and reading circuit 373Hiring a Publicist 374Discovering what a publicist can do 374Finding the right publicist 377Getting the most for your money 378Chapter 21: Getting Savvy with Social Media 379Influencing the Influencers 380The basics of influencing others 380Understanding the different kinds of online influencers 381Figuring out where online your influencers live 382Knowing Where to Create a Social Media Presence 382Blogs 383Podcasts 383Goodreads website 384Facebook 384Twitter 385Instagram 385YouTube 385TikTok 385#BookTok 386Pinterest 386Making a Splash: Launching a Social Media Campaign 389Reviewing the ABCs of a social media campaign 389Getting noticed on social media 390Surveying the unwritten rules of social media marketing 391Applying search engine optimization 392Measuring the Effectiveness of Your Campaign 393Part 6: the Part of Tens 395Chapter 22: More Than Ten Great Sources for Timeless Storylines 397Tales of Yore: Fairy and Folk Tales, Fables, and the Like 398Mythology and Mythological Heroes 399Nursery Rhymes 399Bible and Religious Stories 399Family Issues and Changes 400Sibling Issues 400First Experiences 400Common Childhood Fantasies 400Friendship and Social Issues 401Growing Pains (Emotional and Behavioral) 401Bodies and the Brain: Their Functions and Changes 401History Makers and History in the Making 402Nature, Science, Technology 402Chapter 23: Ten Children's-Author Recognitions to Dream About 403Newbery Medal 403Caldecott Medal 403Coretta Scott King Book Award 404Printz Award 404Pura Belpré Award 404Theodor Seuss Geisel Award 404ALA Quick Pick & ALA Notable Books for Children 404Stonewall Book Award 405Robert F Sibert Informational Book Medal 405State and Local Book Awards 405Index 407

O autorze

Lisa Rojany is a writer and publishing professional. Lisa has her own company, Editorial Services of L.A., for writers of fiction and nonfiction.Peter Economy is a Wall Street Journal best-selling business author and ghostwriter with more than 125 books to his credit, including multiple For Dummies titles.