The question I was asked was: What are the particular challenges you think we (meaning children’s book authors, editors, educators, advocates, lovers of children’s literature) face?

This was my response:

“I think one of the challenges is keeping young people’s skill and interest in reading high enough to take advantage of the opportunities that will be waiting for them.

In my book Raising Bookworms: Getting Kids Reading for Pleasure and Empowerment (Beech Tree Books, 2008), I talk about how much reading skills correspond to our ability to be confident, engaged, informed citizens. They affect how well we communicate, succeed in school and in our chosen careers, and ultimately our level of personal fulfillment. In fact, order to participate fully in society and the workplace in 2020 and beyond, we will all need powerful literacy abilities. But with all that competes for our attention these days, from television to the internet to electronic games and social networking, we face the possibility of a serious decline in the reading and writing skills of the next generation.

Our strength as readers and writers is profoundly influenced by how much of it we do – the more we read, the easier it gets. The easier it gets, the more we enjoy it, so the more we read. But we have to start by actually reading – and the key lies in making that activity as attractive as all the other temptations out there. We achieve that by focusing on activities that support the joy in reading (as opposed to reading as chore, or duty)…and by ensuring that what is being read is so good that the reader gets hooked and comes back for more.

That’s why I’m dedicated to supporting children’s book authors in the continued development of their craft. We have a huge responsibility on our hands. It only takes one great book to turn someone on to reading… but those great books need to keep being written and gotten into the hands of children!”

This is why you must write that book. If you have ever felt that nudge… that gentle (or perhaps, at this point, nagging) whisper in your ear to get that idea down on paper, I am here to hold you accountable. We can only keep the next generation (and those after that) reading, and writing – and using creative expression to solve problems and promote awareness, and cultivate compassion, and address the issues before them with artfulness and thought – if we continue to provide them with the tools to do so.  And the first (and best, in my view) is a good book.

So, get writing. Who knows? You may be the next Madeleine L’Engle… but even if your story touches just one child, one heart, that’s reason enough for it to exist.  One might even say you have a responsibility to put it out there.

The answer to the first question is: Ideally, yes. Agents handle everything from submitting your manuscripts to publishers, to negotiating contracts  and overseeing royalty statements, in exchange for which they take a 10-20% commission from your earnings.   Most publishers do not accept “unsolicited manuscripts,” which essentially means “un-agented manuscripts.”  There are some publishers who will accept unsolicited manuscripts directly from writers, but they are the exception rather than the rule. So your first task should be to try to find an agent to represent your work. Which brings us to the “How.”

You get an agent the same way your book finds a publishing house – by impressing them with the quality of your work. So, when submitting your work to agents for representation you need to show that you can write, that you are dedicated, and that you are capable of writing more than one book , because if they take you on they want to know that you’re going to have an ongoing relationship with them.

Most agents as well as publishers have very specific and strict submission guidelines, which are posted on their websites. Unfortunately it is NOT one size fits all.  Your best resources when it comes to finding an agent or a publisher is either the latest Literary Marketplace (best borrowed from the library as it is so large and expensive) and Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market (worth the annual investment to purchase the latest edition.)  These volumes are updated each year, and include comprehensive information as to names, addresses and submission guidelines for every publisher and agent in the industry. The annual turnover rate in this market is very high – it can be breathtaking how quickly editors move from one house to another. So you want to be sure that you’re looking at the latest version of who is who at which house before you submit.

Whether you’re shopping for an agent or a publisher, you may submit to more than one at the same time – but do make sure they know that you’re doing that.  For instance, if there is an agent you really want to work with, or that you have an inside connection to, you can flatter them by saying “I’m submitting this for your exclusive review. I would appreciate your response.” This lets them know you consider them to be special and you’ll wait to hear from them before you send it to anyone else.  And don’t forget to include your cover letter, SASE, bio, etc. from the Submissions 101 post of two weeks ago!

Standard white paper – Don’t even think of using colored paper!

Black ink – Don’t even think of using colored ink!

Double-spaced narrative text. No dummies or proposed lay-outs.

Times or Times New Roman, #12 font. Arial and Cambria are okay too, as they’re close enough to the size of Times New Roman, but you’re really safe with Times.

1¼ inch margins (1.25) on either side, justified left and ragged on the right. That means all straight on the left margin, and uneven on the right.

Paragraphs and dialogue indented, with quotation marks around all dialogue. Every time a new person starts to speak, it’s a new indent.

Title page – a separate sheet attached to the front of your manuscript, which includes not only the working title of the manuscript and your name but also your contact information, the date, and the word count. (Yes, you must include the word count. Microsoft Word has a handy word count tool under “Tools.”) Title and byline should be centered, and contact info, date and word count are on the bottom right. (The date is the last time you edited it, not the first time you sat down to write it. And don’t worry about putting “copyright” or a copyright symbol… it can be construed as amateurism.)

Pagination – all pages numbered, either bottom center or bottom right.

Footer including your last name, and the title of the book. The reason for this is so that if your manuscript pages ever get separated in the editor’s office they can be reassembled – and it’s clear who the pages belong to.

One staple, in the top left corner.

No illustrations, and no art directions.  Just the text. This is critical – unless you are an author/illustrator. Your publisher considers it his or her job to pair a writer with the right illustrator, so absolutely DO NOT include illustrations, whether by someone you have hired, your spouse, your best friend, or your kid. The only exception here is for author/illustrators… and if you are unknown, convey your willingness to bring in a third-party illustrator (or author, if art is your forte) if need be.  I can’t tell you how many manuscripts I’ve seen get turned down because they “loved the art, but hated the text” or vice versa.

No comments or directives on the text. Don’t suggest what the art should look like, or how the pages should be broken up. Again, editors/publishers consider this part of their job, and are irritated at best (and insulted at worst) by neophyte authors who include these suggestions with their submissions. Respect the agent’s or publisher’s imagination and intelligence (and show them that you are a pro) by submitting text only, in the format described above.

Next week we’ll talk about cover and query letters – and after that, finding an agent.