How to write a children’s book that editors know they can go for…

What do editors want?

• This is a total mystery to most writers , so we have to be cunning sleuths…
• What might they go for? … Pick up your magnifying glass – let’s start to see if we can find any clues…
• Start by examining the crime scene…
• Checklist
• What do children like reading
• What will parents buy/ librarians stock?
• What has succeeded before?
• Why has it succeeded before?
• Others?

Red herrings…

• Editors go for some books that include factors which are totally beyond your control.
• So don’t be side tracked…

Things beyond your control

• Being famous like David Beckham
• Already being published by the editor
• Having entered the canon like To Kill a Mockingbird.
• others?

What does that leave?

• YOU
• So only look at books that:
• Are written by a writer like you
• Have no extraordinary advantages in terms of editor-go-for-ness.

So what DO editor’s think they can go for?

• I’m an author –so I don’t really know – so I have to make an educated guess: a book that they can:
• Sell rights to?
• Get into festivals?
• Interest bloggers?
• Get into schools?
• Create a buzz about?
• Take to book fairs?
• LIKE ? (that’s pretty vague!)

Hopefully Megan can tell us more!

Back to the crime scene…What did those successful books do?

• Pleased librarians
• Engaged       child readers
• Were age appropriate
• Educational ? Or dealt with interesting issues?
• Page turning
• High concepts
• Original and unusual USPs
• Well written
• Saleable…

What do I (The Mussi) do?

Before I try to get that killer contract I…

• Research books being currently published (by publication house if possible)
• I try to create a data base of the interests of editors (don’t often get very far with that)
• I read new books out
• I interview children on their likes and dislikes

4 Key Ingredients – I always try to include in a proposal

• Some depth in the story
• Page turnability
• Original and exciting concept or a new original exciting take on an old one
• Interesting voice or narration

So how do I set about doing that?

• I brainstorm ideas that suit
• I eliminate any idea that are not original enough
• I check the idea against the list /data base I’ve created
• I write a story pitch for the idea
• I repeat this until I have a portfolio of possible ideas
• I send them out to other trusted readers for feedback (I am only interested in negative feedback)
• I redraft the ideas

What then?

• I can go straight to my agent…
• but if you don’t have one…
• You will need to write up the first few thousand words. (If an editor is interested in one of my ideas I have to do that too.)
• And send it out or pitch it – at a one to one.

And what if nothing happens?

• I do it all over again.
• My philosophy is very simple
• If at first you don’t succeed – give up (with that idea)
• Where there’s a will there’s a way (and if there’s no way there’re always excuses)
• if they aren’t interested in an idea, and don’t think it’ll sell – then why the heck should I be?