WRITING CHILDREN'S BOOKS FOR DUMMIES.

✍ Scribed by LISA ROJANY BUCCIERI

• Publisher: JOHN WILEY
• Year: 2022
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 435
• Edition: 3
• Category: Library

✦ Table of Contents

Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1 The ABCs of Writing for Children
Chapter 1 Exploring the Basics of Writing Children’s Books
Knowing Your Format, Genre, and Audience
Getting into a Good Writing Zone
Transforming Yourself into a Storyteller
Polishing Your Gem and Getting It Ready to Send
Selling Your Story
Promoting Your Book
Improving Your Chances of Getting Published
Chapter 2 Delving into Children’s Book Formats
Dissecting the Anatomy of a Book
Grouping Types of Children’s Books
Illustrated Books for All Ages
Baby-friendly board books
Picture books for toddlers
Other books that have pictures
Working through Wordy Books
Early readers
First chapter books
Middle-grade books
Young adult books
Chapter 3 Exploring the Genres
Going Out of This World
Science fiction
Fantasy
Graphic novels and manga
Horror and ghost stories
Getting in on the Action (and History)
Action/adventure
True stories
Historical fiction
Mysteries
Writing About Real People
Biography/memoir
LGBTQIA
Gender-oriented series books
Friendship
School issues
Developmental milestones and first experiences
Prose poetry
Romance
Giving Stories a Message
Learning/educational
Religion
Aspirational and inspirational
Diversity
Family issues
Pets and animals
Cultural issues
Addiction, abuse, and mental illness
Keeping Them Laughing with Humor
Quirky characters
Parody, satire, and jokes
Slapstick and gross
Dark humor
Wordplay
Chapter 4 Understanding the Children’s Book Market
Getting Insight into Book Buyers’ Needs
For chain and big-box bookstores
For independent bookstores
Recognizing What Reviewers Offer
Discovering What Librarians Add to the Mix
Taking a Look at How Teachers Use Books in Their Classrooms
Considering Parents’ Perspectives
Thinking Like a Kid
Part 2 Immersing Yourself in the Writing Process
Chapter 5 Setting Up for Success: Finding the Time and Space to Write
Finding Time to Write
Figuring out when you’re most productive
Sticking to a writing schedule
Evaluating your commitment
Optimizing Your Writing Environment
Locating your special writing spot
Keeping helpful references handy
Cutting down on clutter and getting organized
Preventing and dealing with interruptions
Chapter 6 Starting with a Great Idea
Once Upon a Time: Coming Up with an Idea
Relying on specific ideas rather than big ones
Tapping into your own experiences
Digging through childhood mementos
Flipping through a photo album
Drawing from other children’s experiences
Pulling ideas from the world around you
Stumped? Break through with Brainstorming
Doing it all by yourself
Giving free association a whirl
Taking up journaling
Buddying up to the buddy system
Asking the advice of classmates and writing professionals
Seeking help from your audience
Going to the source
Checking the “best of” book lists
Fighting Writer’s Block
Chapter 7 Researching Your Audience and Subject
Hanging Out with Kids
Going back to school
Becoming a storyteller
Borrowing a friend’s child for a day
Dipping into Popular Culture
Watching kids’ TV shows and movies
Playing kid-focused digital games
Reading parenting and family magazines and blogs
Perusing pop culture magazines and blogs
Surfing the web
Browsing bookstores
Visiting children’s stores online or in person
Studying kids’ fashion trends
Eavesdropping where kids hang out
Researching Your Nonfiction Topic
Outlining the research process
Getting around locally
Going far afield
Visiting the web — a lot
Part 3 Creating a Spellbinding Story
Chapter 8 Creating Compelling Characters
The Secret Formula for an Exceptional Main Character
Defining your main character’s driving desire
Show, don’t tell: Fleshing out your main character
Getting to Know Your Characters through Dialogue
Compiling a Character Bible
Surveying a sample character bible
Creating consistency
Writing Stories with Two or More Main Characters
Choosing Supporting Characters
Calling All Character Arcs
Character Don’ts — and How to Avoid Them
Steer clear of stereotypes
Don’t tell us everything
Toss out passivity and indefinites
Don’t rely on backstory or flashbacks
Developing Characters through Writing Exercises
Describe your first best friend
Borrow your favorite children’s book characters
Revisit a painful or joyful experience from your childhood
Chapter 9 The Plot Thickens: Conflict, Climax, and Resolution
Plot: It’s All about Action
Centering on the Story
Giving Your Story a Beginning, Middle, and End
Propelling Your Story with Drama and Pacing
Drama: A reason to turn the page
Pacing: How you keep the pages turning
Outlining to Structure Your Plot
Creating a step sheet
Fleshing out your outline
Knowing when to circumvent an outline
Preventing Plot Problems
Writing Your First Draft
Chapter 10 Can We Talk? Writing Effective Dialogue
The Fundamentals of Good Dialogue
Dialogue has a function
Dialogue has drama
Listening to Real-World Dialogue
How kids talk
How grown-ups talk
Adding a Speech Section to Your Character Bible
Testing! Testing! Reading Dialogue Out Loud
Avoiding Common Dialogue Mistakes
Failing to have conflict or tension
Repeating information: Showing versus telling
Describing dialogue
Using too many speaker references and attributions
Creating heavy-handed and unrealistic dialogue
Filling space with unnecessary dialogue
Improving Dialogue by Using Writing Exercises
Talking on paper
Introducing your first best friend to the love of your life
Chapter 11 Setting the Scene
Giving Context to Your Story and Its Characters with Scenery
Creating a Context Bible
Knowing When to Include Scenery and Context
When place figures prominently
When place plays an important role
When description of place doesn’t interrupt flow of action
When you must mention an exotic locale
When you mention a specific place at the beginning
When you use place to transition to a new scene
Providing the Right Amount of Setting
Engaging Your Readers’ Senses
Knowing When Not to Make a Scene
Exercising Your Nose through Smellography
Chapter 12 Finding Your Voice: Point of View and Tone
Building a Solid Point of View
Reviewing POV options
Picking your POV
Matching tense with POV
Having Fun with Words through Wordplay, Rhyming, and Rhythm
Engaging in wordplay
Taking different approaches to rhyming
Keeping your story moving with rhythm
Using Humor to Your Advantage
Figuring out what kids consider funny
Turning to the outrageous and the gross
The Mojo of Good Writing: Exploring Voice, Style, and Tone
Finding your story’s voice
Writing with style
Taking the right tone
Knowing When You Need a Voice Makeover
Helping Your Voice Emerge by Playing Pretend
Pretend to be someone (or something) else
Chapter 13 Writing Creative Nonfiction Books
The Nonfiction Children’s Book World at a Glance
Writing Toward a Nonfiction Masterpiece
Choosing a Great Nonfiction Topic
Looking at topics that get kids’ attention
Finding topics that interest you
Branching out into the real world
Testing Your Topic
Outlining Your Creative Nonfiction
Starting simple
Fleshing out your ideas
Enhancing your outline by using visual aids
Common Creative Nonfiction Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
Writing Exercises for Creative Nonfiction
Pretend you’re a newspaper reporter
Create a funny five-step procedure to wash a dog
More short exercises to get you writing
Part 4 Making Your Story Sparkle
Chapter 14 Editing, Revising, and Formatting Your Way to a Happy Ending
Your Revising Checklist: Getting Major Story Elements in Order
Theme
Characters
Plot
Pacing and drama
Setting and context
Point of view
Fine-Tuning Your Text: Editing Important Areas
Strengthening your opening
Keeping your dialogue tight and on target
Transitioning effectively
Trimming wordiness
Keeping your chronologies in order
Formatting Basics: First Impressions Matter
Including the proper information on the first page
Following other children’s book formatting conventions
Not to Put Too Fine a Point on It: Checking Basic Grammar and Style
Punctuation
Style
Miscellaneous
Hiring Help: Working with an Editor or Editorial Service
Finding a good editor or editorial service
Asking the right questions
Digital versus hard-copy editing
Chapter 15 Creating Pictures from Your Words: The World of Illustrations
To Illustrate or Not to Illustrate
Recognizing Why You Shouldn’t Hire an Illustrator
Following the Hand-Drawn Illustration Process with Artist Tim Bowers
Starting with black-and-white pencil sketches
Moving on to finished pencils
Creating color art
Capturing the right cover image
Exploring the Digital Art Process with Author/Illustrator Barney Saltzberg
Getting Your Art Seen by the Right Folks
Considering some solid options
Preparing a book dummy
Handling Art When You’re Self-Publishing (and Not an Artist)
Chapter 16 Finding and Incorporating Feedback
Deciding When to Seek Feedback
Getting Help from Friends and Relatives (or Not)
Delving into the pros and cons of friendly advice
Having a friend in the business
Calling on Topic Experts: Beta and Sensitivity Readers
Attending Conferences or Retreats
Exploring the conference scene
Getting away with retreats
Participating in a Workshop
Working with a Writing (or Illustrating) Group
Finding the right group
Starting your own group
Sifting through the feedback you receive
What Feedback Should You Expect During the Publishing Process?
Part 5 Getting Published and Promoting Your Book
Chapter 17 The Traditional Route: Signing with an Agent or Publisher
Identifying the Right Publisher
Gathering information from the marketplace
Perusing writer’s guides and directories
Drafting Query Letters and Proposals
Perfecting the query letter
Drafting a great book proposal
Joining Forces: Working with an Agent
Finding and approaching your ideal agent
Managing multiple agent submissions
Understanding typical agency agreements
Terminating your agency relationship
Copyright: Protecting Your Work
Success! Reviewing Your Publishing Contract
Surveying the two types of publishing agreements
Getting what you want in the contract
Dealing with Rejection
Chapter 18 Considering Hybrid Publishing
The Good and the Bad about Hybrid Publishing
The good about hybrid publishing
The bad about hybrid publishers
Vanity presses: Don’t say we didn’t warn you
Identifying the Right Hybrid Publisher for Your Book
Doing your research and asking around
Confirming some important criteria
Approaching a hybrid publisher
Getting the Biggest Bang for Your Hybrid Buck
Fees and payments
What about distribution and marketing?
Chapter 19 So You Want to Self-Publish?
Weighing the Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing
Exploring Your Self-Publishing Options
The print route
The digital route
Setting a Price for Your Publication
Distributing Your Self-Published Book
Getting in the door at traditional bookstores
Persuading online booksellers
Considering other places to sell your book
Chapter 20 Donning Your Publicity Cap
Understanding How Your Publisher Promotes Your Book
Publicizing Your Own Book
Focusing on the digital components
Touching on the traditional components
Putting together a press kit
Booking radio and television spots
Promoting Your Work in Person
Planning a publicity tour
Joining the signing and reading circuit
Hiring a Publicist
Discovering what a publicist can do
Finding the right publicist
Getting the most for your money
Chapter 21 Getting Savvy with Social Media
Influencing the Influencers
The basics of influencing others
Understanding the different kinds of online influencers
Figuring out where online your influencers live
Knowing Where to Create a Social Media Presence
Blogs
Podcasts
Goodreads website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok
#BookTok
Pinterest
Making a Splash: Launching a Social Media Campaign
Reviewing the ABCs of a social media campaign
Getting noticed on social media
Surveying the unwritten rules of social media marketing
Applying search engine optimization
Measuring the Effectiveness of Your Campaign
Part 6 The Part of Tens
Chapter 22 More Than Ten Great Sources for Timeless Storylines
Tales of Yore: Fairy and Folk Tales, Fables, and the Like
Mythology and Mythological Heroes
Nursery Rhymes
Bible and Religious Stories
Family Issues and Changes
Sibling Issues
First Experiences
Common Childhood Fantasies
Friendship and Social Issues
Growing Pains (Emotional and Behavioral)
Bodies and the Brain: Their Functions and Changes
History Makers and History in the Making
Nature, Science, Technology
Chapter 23 Ten Children’s-Author Recognitions to Dream About
Newbery Medal
Caldecott Medal
Coretta Scott King Book Award
Printz Award
Pura Belpré Award
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
ALA Quick Pick & ALA Notable Books for Children
Stonewall Book Award
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
State and Local Book Awards
Index
EULA