Anyone out there had a childrens book published...........?

Question

3O years ago I wrote a childrens story (for my own amusement really).However,for some reason it has travelled with me everywhere since. In which time I have added another three which carry on from the original.
I would really like to know if they are worth trying to get published, but it seems such a long process,and at 6O I don't know if Iv'e got the energy. Friends keep pushing me to do something and as I am now retired and on a pension,they keep saying I should try getting them looked over. Where do I start?any easy ways?

It just frustrates me that people like Fergie who wrote" Herbie the Hellicopter"get published and makes money, plus people like JADE GOODY?who already has money for being the biggest idiot on the planet, gets published ,because they are who they are,and basically a 2 year old could have written either. but I know in my heart of hearts my books are better than either of theirs. I have no illusions of being another J>K>Rawlings ,I just need to earn a few bob to make retirement a bit easier, that's all.

I have all the Writers Year books,Writing for children etc.etc.I know the usual process, looks endless to me.But thanks to you all,think this project has to go on the back burner for another 3O years,perhaps one of my kids will find the energy,don't think I have it anymore.But thanks again to all anyway..

Answer 1

As someone rightly said the children's market *is* the hardest to get into, however that's no reason not to try. You didn't actually say what age group you wrote for and that does make a difference to what I'm about to say, but I'll go on the assumption it's a real story of at least 50K words, otherwise there really is no chance of getting it published.

The first thing you have to do is make sure that it is at the very best that you can get it to. That means that you need to go through it several times, making sure all the spelling and grammar is spot-on. It would be good if you transfer it to the computer. It's not essential but it is a good idea.

Assuming that you've gone through several drafts you will be in a position to go to someone else to read it. Not a publisher or an agent, not yet, but find online (or offline) writing groups and critique groups. These people are not your friends and family, and should give you an *honest* appraisal of the quality of your work.

You have to listen to what they say. If one person says "this bit didn't seem right" but you're happy then you can ignore them. But if two or three people say the same thing then there will be something wrong that needs correcting.

By the time you've gone through the writing process for a while (and at least a year has passed) you may be ready to start submitting to agents. You will need an agent for any genre except SF and Fantasy.

You need to get the Writers & Artists Yearbook or Writers Handbook which lists all the agents. The W&A also contains lots of interesting and useful articles about how to present yourself. In the USA use the Writers Digest.

You find the agents that deal with the genre you're writing in, it will say what they want (an outline, a couple of chapters whatever) ONLY SEND WHAT THEY ASK FOR. If you do anything else they will reject you instantly.

If you do not present yourself as a professional, they will reject you instantly. These people get hundreds and thousands of manuscripts sent to them every year, the only way they can whittle down the numbers is by using every possible error to reject. Even misspelling the company name on the envelope could result in rejection.

An agent will take you on IF (and only if) they think they can sell your book to a publisher. The agents know the market and if they don't think they can sell it they will not take you on.

This is one of the toughest businesses you can get in to. You will have your ego battered, and receive rejection after rejection after rejection -- potentially hundreds of them. A friend of mine, who is now a successful author, spent 15 years trying to get published and wrote 20 books that weren't accepted. He's now had four novels published and has three more in the pipeline.

So if you're willing to put in the hours and the effort and really want to be published then go for it.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Candy, You'll need to get a copy of Writer's Market 2009 and look up agents that represent children's books. I'll give you a little insight on that. It's not easy to get them published unless you're a celebrity of some kind. It's sad but true. If you find an agent in the book, you'll need to write him/her a query letter explaining what you have with a little synopsis included. Make sure your letter is free of any errors in spelling or grammar. You can get samples of query letters on the internet. Good luck! PJ M

Answer 3

Here's the scoop. The children's book market is VERY difficult to get into unless you are a celebrity and then it's not too tough. Children's book publishers DO NOT accept unsolicited manuscripts any longer (at least the vast majority don't). Please don't go to the library as the poster above me suggested, and write down names of publishers. Heck, you can find that info out on the Web, but honestly, Even though a lot of those writing books like Writer's Digest list thousands of publishers, the truth is most don't even want to be in WD, and can't get their names taken out because WD just keeps listing them year after fruitless year. Publishers have slush piles of stuff dating back years and years. There is far more supply than demand in this venue. I can understand that at your age, you really don't think you have the energy. believe me, I am younger than you and I no longer have the energy to navigate the publishing world. It's full of so much red tape that ultimately leads no place, I would rather negotiate an obstacle course on foot! Again, this market is probably the toughest (or right up there) in the legitimate publishing world. Also, what was popular in children's literature 30 years ago is not popular today. You may want to try your hand at something else.

Answer 4

It makes me sad when people are so discouraging; yes it is very hard to get any book published, yes it is especialy so for kids' books and yes, the market has certainly changed in 30 years. But if you don't try, you may always wonder if it might have succeeded.
I would suggest that you ask one of the friends who keep pushing if they would like to help you with this. It is easier for someone not so emotionally involved (books are like our mental children) to plough through the difficulities.
Get a copy of the Writers' and Artists' yearbook and make a start. Good luck.

Answer 5

Find a reputable agent. In your library there should be a book called The Writer's Handbook (or Writer's and Artist's Handbook) which has lists of agents and what type of material they deal with. These people have connections with publishers, and your stories will get on the desks of commissioning editors a lot faster than by simply sending them to publishing companies on spec. Just send them to one agent at a time.

Quite exciting. And good luck!

Answer 6

I'm not real sure exactly where to go but maybe you could start by going to the library and writing down the names of some of the publishers of similar books. You can get the addresses and phone numbers on the internet and send a query. At least they should be able to send you in the right direction.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

I think your stories mean alot to you . I think you should definitely give it ago. You need to find a literary agent. Post them a copy of your story along with a synopsis.If it will cost too much to do that just post the synopsis along with a letter saying you would appreciate any help or suggestions they may have. Ask if they would like to read the manuscript
You never know your luck !

Answer 9

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Answer 10

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