So You Want to be a Children's Author?

Advice for New Zealanders

1)       Read lots of recent children's books, especially those published in New Zealand. Identify what kinds of stories the local publishers are looking for (ie. which genres, such as adventure, fantasy, history, humour, sport, family, social issues, etc). Do this by:

·    Talking to the children's librarians in big public libraries,
visiting specialist children's bookshops, asking children about their favourite books.

·    Reading the shortlisted titles and winners of the latest annual New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults; also the children's book awards presented by the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa.

·    Reading reviews of children's books in magazines and on blogs (eg. Magpies, Around the Bookshops, KidsBooksNZ).

·    Visiting local publishers’ websites (particularly Learning Media) to see what they’re publishing, and to check for advice on submitting manuscripts (eg. do they want electronic or hard copy?).

·    Joining Kiwi Write4Kidz – an active and supportive group for children’s writers, offering newsletters and seminars.

·    Joining the Storylines Children's Literature Trust of New Zealand - for newsletters, functions, and awards. Submit entries for their awards for unpublished manuscripts, the Tom Fitzgibbon Award, Joy Cowley Award and the Tessa Duder Award.

2)       Learn about local publishers and what they want by sending away for a copy of the annual booklet called Writing and Illustrating for Children. Visit Christchurch City Libraries to order a copy of this essential resource, which will help you avoid sending your mss to the wrong publishers.

3)       Improve your writing skills by:

·    Attending a creative writing course – online or at an institution such as your local community centre. The Auckland University Centre for Continuing Education offers a summer school on writing for children.

·    Learning skills such as good plotting, character development, establishing setting, creating a suitable style, etc.

·    Visiting the Information for Writers pages at the New Zealand Book Council website.

·    Investigating the New Zealand Society of Authors. They have Advice pages and Publications available for purchase that will help you with the business of writing.

·    Joining the NZSA if you can; they offer a Mentorship scheme to members which has helped many aspiring authors, as well as offering manuscript assessment services.

·    Join a writing support group through Kiwi Write4Kidz or start one of your own.  The aim of writing/critique groups is to give each other feedback on your stories. 

·    Surfing the Internet for any of the thousands of sites and discussion lists offering advice, hints and support to would-be children's writers (two sites to start with are http://www.write4kids.com/ and www.underdown.org/).

4)       You need to prove to publishers that you have written your story for the current market. You must know the following:

·    What age range of readers are you aiming at?

·    What gender? Remember, boys will rarely read a story with a girl as the main character.

·    Is your story a quick-read one suitable for learning readers, or is it a more complex story suitable for accomplished readers?

·    What other similar books have been published recently in New Zealand that can prove your story will be popular with local buyers?

·    What genres does your story belong to?

·    What other interesting description can you provide that will entice both adults (parents, teachers, librarians) and children to choose your story above all others?

·    A useful tip is to describe your story in one sentence: "This is a story about …" Try to write a vivid, exciting sentence that will make people want to read your story.

5)       Have your manuscript assessed by a professional assessor. Publishers are flooded with unsolicited manuscripts. If your story has been professionally assessed and then revised, an editor is more likely to put it at the top of the slush pile rather than the bottom. Be aware you will have to pay a substantial sum for a proper assessment.

·    Visit the NZ Association of Manuscript Assessors website for contact details for local manuscript assessors.

·    Information about a typical assessment (content and cost) can be found at the website of Total Fiction Services.

·    Consider the advice of your assessor very carefully. They should be able to evaluate the elements of your story, give advice on improvements, and recommend likely publishers.

6)       If you've done all of the above then it's time to start sending your stories out to publishers (you can still do this in New Zealand without an agent).

·   Prepare a neat typewritten manuscript with double spacing, generous margins, page numbering, a running title on each page, and a title page with your contact details.

·   Include a letter providing information about the story, its length, its potential readership, and why you think children will want to read it. Also provide concise information about your writing experience. Remember, this letter is a sales pitch – it should be informative, polite and well-written.

·   Put your mss in a strong folder or box (use paper clips for chapters, NOT staples), include a SAE with return postage for the mss, and post it in a strong envelope or packet. Do not fold any part of your mss.

·   If your mss is rejected, count yourself lucky if you get a letter detailing why the publishers have not accepted it. Most publishers just send out a standard form rejection. Any critique from a publisher must be considered very carefully. Any expression of interest in further work should be followed up quickly.

·   Try to accumulate a body of shorter published work, such as non-fiction articles, short stories, and online writing. The more you get into print, the more well-known you will become.

·   Submitting to publishers outside New Zealand is different because you need an agent first. If you have a suitable mss, such as a traditional fantasy with no NZ overtones, you could send it to an agency overseas. Do your research first to identify likely agents or else you’ll waste a lot of time and money. Note that the above advice on submitting a manuscript applies whether sending to an agent or a publisher.

 

7)      Enter competitions
 

·   Joy Cowley picture book competition

·   Tom Fitzgibbon fiction story competition

·   Gavin Bishop Illustrators competition

·   Tessa Duder YA competition

             (Information supplied by Lorraine Orman, 2010)