Does the Children's Book Council review and publish books?
The CBC is not a publisher and does not review manuscripts or publish books.
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How easy is it to get a children's book published or become a children's book illustrator?
There is a common misconception that it is easier to get a children's book published than getting another genre of literature published. This is simply not true at all. The reality is that children's publishing is just as competitive as other genres, if not more. Though you may be writing or creating art for children, approach it like an adult and do your homework. Visit the collection at your local library. Browse your favorite bookstore's children's section. Take notes of books you admire and publishers you admire. Review and edit your manuscript/portfolio carefully, make sure every single word, image, or idea is precise. Have others look over your work; children often make the best reviewers as they tend to be more honest and open. Talk with your local librarians or teachers. Visit publishers' websites prior to submitting to see if they have any further details about submitting work. Make sure to follow the publishers' submission guidelines meticulously. If you do not follow the guidelines, your work will not be reviewed.
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I have written a children's book and would like information on how to get my book published. Any suggestions?
There are many sources of information about publishing for first-time authors. One good source for information is the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, an organization dedicated to serving the people who write, illustrate, or share a vital interest in children's literature. There are also several books specifically for beginning children's book authors, and these are available at your local bookstore or library. You should also search the Web under "children's books" or "children's book writer"—there are many individual sites that have good information.
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Can you recommend an appropriate publisher for the children's book I have written?
The CBC cannot recommend particular publishers. To find a publisher, it is important to thoroughly research children's book publishers and the types of books that they publish (i.e., picture books, nonfiction, young adult, educational, etc.). The CBC Members List includes for each of its members the target age groups, genres, and formats of books published. Print copies of the list are available from the CBC offices for a price of $2.00 plus a SASE, 6" x 9" or larger, with 87 cents postage. Two additional reference sources, Literary Marketplace and Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market, provide similar information for all publishers in the United States. Once you decide the age level, genre, and format of your book, you should focus on publishers who produce similar work.
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What is a "query letter"?
A query letter is a letter that briefly describes your project and that asks the recipient if he or she is interested in seeing the whole project. Sometimes a query letter may be accompanied by an excerpt from the manuscript—one page of a picture-book story, or ten pages from a novel, for example. The publisher's submission guidelines will tell you exactly what to send.
The trick to writing a good query letter is to get the right balance between overview and details. You want to give the reader enough to understand the project and get interested in it, but not so much that they get bored or distracted by minor issues. Think of it as writing a book report on your own book, or as a movie trailer. Obviously, a query letter should also be professional, gracious, and no more than one page long. For more information, contact the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators.
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Is it acceptable to send query letters to multiple publishers at the same time?
If you are only sending out query letters, it is acceptable to send out more than one at a time. However, if an editor expresses interest and asks to see the manuscript, you should stop trying to contact other publishers until the one that has requested your work is finished reviewing it. Unfortunately, that can sometimes take up to several months. Some authors therefore tell the publisher when they submit the manuscript that if they haven't heard anything from them within a specific period of time (e.g. three or six months), they will send the manuscript out to other interested parties. This system reserves the option of exclusivity that publishers prefer, but protects the author from having his or her time wasted. It seems to work for some people—but be careful to be extremely polite if you go this route.
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How long will it take to get a response?
Response time varies from publisher to publisher. Publishers try to respond quickly, but it can take many months for a response. Even then, the response may be a form letter. It is not possible for a publisher to write a personal letter or critique for each manuscript submission. In order to ensure that you do get a response make sure to always include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) with any materials you submit.
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Should I copyright my manuscript first or contact a publisher first? If I contact a publisher first, can someone steal my idea?
It is not necessary to copyright a manuscript if you are sending it to a reputable publisher. Some cautious individuals mail themselves a copy of their manuscript and keep it (unopened) so that the postmark will prove when they created it if there should ever be a question. However, it is extremely unlikely that any publisher would ever "steal" an idea.
Legally, your manuscript is automatically copyrighted the moment you create it. When people say "get a copyright," they really mean "register the copyright with the government." This action does have certain benefits-it makes it easier to sue someone who has violated your copyright, and it allows you to recover more money if you win. However, the likelihood of such a case occurring with an unpublished manuscript is fairly remote. If you do wish to pursue a copyright, contact the Library of Congress U.S. Copyright Office. There will be a fee for the copyright.
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I have written a children's book. Do I need to find an illustrator?
Submitting a manuscript without illustrations actually increases your chances of finding a publisher. If a manuscript is submitted with illustrations, the publisher is going to base the decision to accept or reject the manuscript not only on the text but also on the pictures. Publishers generally prefer to choose the illustrator themselves.
However, if you don't plan to submit your story for publication or if you still prefer to find an illustrator on your own, try the Society of Illustrators, which may be able to help, or the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, which provides a listing of its members.
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I am an illustrator looking to work in children's books. How do I start?
Our Illustrator's Guide to Members of the Children's Book Council is a specialized directory of CBC member publishers' guidelines for reviewing illustrators' artwork. Houses look for different types of artwork, so it is important that you carefully read what each publishing house is interested in. When you find a house that might be a match with your artwork, visit their website to double check that they are in fact accepting submissions.
Print copies of the list are available from the CBC offices for a price of $2.00 plus a SASE, 6" x 9" or larger, with 87 cents postage. Also take a look at The Children's Writers & Illustrators Market, published by Writers Digest Books. It has a section that explains how you should set up your portfolio, how to get an agent, and to whom you should send your material. The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and the Graphic Artists Guild are also good places to start.
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Do I need an agent?
An agent might be able to get your work read at those publishers that do not accept unsolicited/unagented manuscripts. However, many agents do not accept clients who have not already published a book. Their role then becomes negotiating better contracts than authors would be able to get by themselves. If you a first-time author and are certain you want an agent, one experienced author suggests finding a relatively new agent, since he or she might be more likely to welcome first-time authors as new clients. You might also want to build up a writing resume to prove that you are quite serious about working in children's books.
For more information on agents, you might want to contact the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators or the Association of Authors' Representatives.
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If an agent tells me I don't have enough experience, how can I build up my resume?
Try submitting shorter pieces to children's magazines or journals that accept unsolicited work. A good listing of children's magazines can be found in The Children's Writers and Illustrators Market or Literary Marketplace, both of which are updated annually.
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Does the Children's Book Council run any contests for children's writers?
The CBC does not run contests. The Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators does have several awards and grants to new and/or unpublished writers and illustrators. Their site also provides links to several other writer-focused sites that have contests and awards.
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Where can young children get their writing published?
The Children's Writers and Illustrators Market has a section devoted to publishers and magazines that will accept, and even some that specialize in producing work from young writers.
To submit to a publisher not included in this listing, you should follow the rules for submission to that particular house. The CBC Members List will tell you whether or not a particular publisher is currently accepting unsolicited manuscripts (that means manuscripts that people just send in without being asked). You can write to the children's editorial department of any publishing house and ask for their submission guidelines, which will tell you whether to write a query letter and send it alone, or to enclose a part or all of your manuscript.
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How much money do children's writers and illustrators make?
Children's publishing should never be looked at as a get-rich-quick venture. While there are many authors and illustrators who are quite comfortable with the money they make producing works for children, it is an extremely elite class of creators. As for the exact amount given to any author or illustrator whose work was accepted, it varies from publisher to publisher. There is no standard payment for getting something published. Most children's writers and illustrators create for the sake of creating, rather than for monetary reward.
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