Details

Writing Children's Books For Dummies


Writing Children's Books For Dummies


3. Aufl.

von: Lisa Rojany, Peter Economy

16,99 €

Verlag: Wiley
Format: EPUB
Veröffentl.: 04.04.2022
ISBN/EAN: 9781119870036
Sprache: englisch
Anzahl Seiten: 432

DRM-geschütztes eBook, Sie benötigen z.B. Adobe Digital Editions und eine Adobe ID zum Lesen.

Beschreibungen

<p><b>Create the next very hungry caterpillar, big red dog, or cat in the hat with a hand from this trusted guide</b> <p>In <i>Writing Children’s Books For Dummies, </i>you’ll learn what to write between “Once upon a time . . .” and “The End” as you dive into chapters about getting started writing, how to build great characters, and how to design a dramatic plot. On top of the technical writing advice, you’ll discover how talented illustrators work and how to find an agent. The newest edition of this popular <i>For Dummies</i> title even shows you how to choose a publisher—or self-publish—and how to use social media and other marketing and PR to get the word out about your new masterpiece. <p>In the book, you’ll learn about: <ul> <li>The fundamentals of writing for children, including common book formats and genres, and the structure of the children’s book market</li> <li>Creating a spellbinding story with scene description, engaging dialogue, and a child-friendly tone</li> <li>Polishing your story to a radiant shine with careful editing and rewriting</li> <li>Making the choice between a traditional publisher, a hybrid publisher, or self-publishing</li> <li>Using the most-effective marketing and publicity techniques to get your book noticed</li> </ul> <p>Perfect for anyone who’s ever dreamed of creating the next Ferdinand the Bull or Grinch, <i>Writing Children’s Books For Dummies</i> is an essential, easy-to-read guide for budding children’s authors everywhere.
<p><b>Introduction 1</b></p> <p>About This Book 1</p> <p>Foolish Assumptions 2</p> <p>Icons Used in This Book 3</p> <p>Beyond the Book 3</p> <p>Where to Go from Here 4</p> <p><b>Part 1: the Abcs of Writing for Children 5</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 1: Exploring the Basics of Writing Children’s Books 7</b></p> <p>Knowing Your Format, Genre, and Audience 8</p> <p>Getting into a Good Writing Zone 8</p> <p>Transforming Yourself into a Storyteller 9</p> <p>Polishing Your Gem and Getting It Ready to Send 10</p> <p>Selling Your Story 11</p> <p>Promoting Your Book 11</p> <p>Improving Your Chances of Getting Published 12</p> <p><b>Chapter 2: Delving into Children’s Book Formats 15</b></p> <p>Dissecting the Anatomy of a Book 16</p> <p>Grouping Types of Children’s Books 17</p> <p>Illustrated Books for All Ages 18</p> <p>Baby-friendly board books 19</p> <p>Picture books for toddlers 20</p> <p>Other books that have pictures 24</p> <p>Working through Wordy Books 30</p> <p>Early readers 30</p> <p>First chapter books 32</p> <p>Middle-grade books 34</p> <p>Young adult books 36</p> <p><b>Chapter 3: Exploring the Genres 39</b></p> <p>Going Out of This World 40</p> <p>Science fiction 40</p> <p>Fantasy 40</p> <p>Graphic novels and manga 42</p> <p>Horror and ghost stories 42</p> <p>Getting in on the Action (and History) 43</p> <p>Action/adventure 43</p> <p>True stories 44</p> <p>Historical fiction 45</p> <p>Mysteries 46</p> <p>Writing About Real People 48</p> <p>Biography/memoir 48</p> <p>Lgbtqia 49</p> <p>Gender-oriented series books 51</p> <p>Friendship 53</p> <p>School issues 54</p> <p>Developmental milestones and first experiences 55</p> <p>Prose poetry 56</p> <p>Romance 57</p> <p>Giving Stories a Message 57</p> <p>Learning/educational 57</p> <p>Religion 60</p> <p>Aspirational and inspirational 60</p> <p>Diversity 61</p> <p>Family issues 62</p> <p>Pets and animals 63</p> <p>Cultural issues 64</p> <p>Addiction, abuse, and mental illness 65</p> <p>Keeping Them Laughing with Humor 67</p> <p>Quirky characters 67</p> <p>Parody, satire, and jokes 67</p> <p>Slapstick and gross 68</p> <p>Dark humor 68</p> <p>Wordplay 68</p> <p><b>Chapter 4: Understanding the Children’s Book Market 71</b></p> <p>Getting Insight into Book Buyers’ Needs 74</p> <p>For chain and big-box bookstores 74</p> <p>For independent bookstores 76</p> <p>Recognizing What Reviewers Offer 78</p> <p>Discovering What Librarians Add to the Mix 79</p> <p>Taking a Look at How Teachers Use Books in Their Classrooms 84</p> <p>Considering Parents’ Perspectives 86</p> <p>Thinking Like a Kid 86</p> <p>Going after what kids like — regardless of Mom and Dad 87</p> <p>Knowing what kids don’t like 88</p> <p><b>Part 2: Immersing Yourself in The Writing Process 89</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 5: Setting Up for Success: Finding the Time and Space to Write 91</b></p> <p>Finding Time to Write 92</p> <p>Figuring out when you’re most productive 92</p> <p>Sticking to a writing schedule 93</p> <p>Evaluating your commitment 93</p> <p>Optimizing Your Writing Environment 94</p> <p>Locating your special writing spot 94</p> <p>Keeping helpful references handy 95</p> <p>Cutting down on clutter and getting organized 96</p> <p>Preventing and dealing with interruptions 98</p> <p><b>Chapter 6: Starting with a Great Idea 101</b></p> <p>Once Upon a Time: Coming Up with an Idea 101</p> <p>Relying on specific ideas rather than big ones 102</p> <p>Tapping into your own experiences 103</p> <p>Digging through childhood mementos 105</p> <p>Drawing from other children’s experiences 106</p> <p>Pulling ideas from the world around you 106</p> <p>Stumped? Break through with Brainstorming 107</p> <p>Doing it all by yourself 108</p> <p>Giving free association a whirl 109</p> <p>Taking up journaling 109</p> <p>Buddying up to the buddy system 111</p> <p>Asking the advice of classmates and writing professionals 112</p> <p>Seeking help from your audience 113</p> <p>Going to the source 115</p> <p>Checking the “best of” book lists 116</p> <p>Fighting Writer’s Block 117</p> <p><b>Chapter 7: Researching Your Audience and Subject 119</b></p> <p>Hanging Out with Kids 120</p> <p>Going back to school 120</p> <p>Becoming a storyteller 122</p> <p>Borrowing a friend’s child for a day 125</p> <p>Dipping into Popular Culture 127</p> <p>Watching kids’ TV shows and movies 127</p> <p>Playing kid-focused digital games 128</p> <p>Reading parenting and family magazines and blogs 129</p> <p>Perusing pop culture magazines and blogs 130</p> <p>Surfing the web 130</p> <p>Browsing bookstores 131</p> <p>Visiting children’s stores online or in person 132</p> <p>Studying kids’ fashion trends 133</p> <p>Eavesdropping where kids hang out 133</p> <p>Researching Your Nonfiction Topic 134</p> <p>Outlining the research process 134</p> <p>Getting around locally 136</p> <p>Going far afield 136</p> <p>Visiting the web — a lot 137</p> <p><b>Part 3: Creating a Spellbinding Story 139</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 8: Creating Compelling Characters 141</b></p> <p>The Secret Formula for an Exceptional Main Character 142</p> <p>Defining your main character’s driving desire 142</p> <p>Show, don’t tell: Fleshing out your main character 143</p> <p>Getting to Know Your Characters through Dialogue 144</p> <p>Compiling a Character Bible 147</p> <p>Surveying a sample character bible 148</p> <p>Creating consistency 150</p> <p>Writing Stories with Two or More Main Characters 151</p> <p>Choosing Supporting Characters 152</p> <p>Calling All Character Arcs 154</p> <p>Character Don’ts — and How to Avoid Them 157</p> <p>Steer clear of stereotypes 157</p> <p>Don’t tell us everything 158</p> <p>Toss out passivity and indefinites 160</p> <p>Don’t rely on backstory or flashbacks 161</p> <p>Developing Characters through Writing Exercises 162</p> <p>Describe your first best friend 162</p> <p>Borrow your favorite children’s book characters 163</p> <p>Revisit a painful or joyful experience from your childhood 163</p> <p><b>Chapter 9: The Plot Thickens: Conflict, Climax, and Resolution 165</b></p> <p>Plot: It’s All about Action 166</p> <p>Centering on the Story 167</p> <p>Giving Your Story a Beginning, Middle, and End 168</p> <p>Propelling Your Story with Drama and Pacing 168</p> <p>Drama: A reason to turn the page 169</p> <p>Pacing: How you keep the pages turning 169</p> <p>Outlining to Structure Your Plot 170</p> <p>Creating a step sheet 171</p> <p>Fleshing out your outline 172</p> <p>Knowing when to circumvent an outline 175</p> <p>Preventing Plot Problems 176</p> <p>Writing Your First Draft 176</p> <p><b>Chapter 10: Can We Talk? Writing Effective Dialogue 179</b></p> <p>The Fundamentals of Good Dialogue 180</p> <p>Dialogue has a function 180</p> <p>Dialogue has drama 182</p> <p>Listening to Real-World Dialogue 184</p> <p>How kids talk 184</p> <p>How grown-ups talk 185</p> <p>Adding a Speech Section to Your Character Bible 186</p> <p>Testing! Testing! Reading Dialogue Out Loud 187</p> <p>Avoiding Common Dialogue Mistakes 188</p> <p>Failing to have conflict or tension 188</p> <p>Repeating information: Showing versus telling 189</p> <p>Describing dialogue 189</p> <p>Using too many speaker references and attributions 190</p> <p>Creating heavy-handed and unrealistic dialogue 191</p> <p>Filling space with unnecessary dialogue 191</p> <p>Improving Dialogue by Using Writing Exercises 192</p> <p>Talking on paper 193</p> <p>Introducing your first best friend to the love of your life 193</p> <p><b>Chapter 11: Setting the Scene 195</b></p> <p>Giving Context to Your Story and Its Characters with Scenery 195</p> <p>Creating a Context Bible 196</p> <p>Knowing When to Include Scenery and Context 197</p> <p>When place figures prominently 198</p> <p>When place plays an important role 199</p> <p>When description of place doesn’t interrupt flow of action 200</p> <p>When you must mention an exotic locale 200</p> <p>When you mention a specific place at the beginning 201</p> <p>When you use place to transition to a new scene 201</p> <p>Providing the Right Amount of Setting 202</p> <p>Engaging Your Readers’ Senses 203</p> <p>Knowing When Not to Make a Scene 204</p> <p>Exercising Your Nose through Smellography 204</p> <p><b>Chapter 12: Finding Your Voice: Point of View and Tone 207</b></p> <p>Building a Solid Point of View 208</p> <p>Reviewing POV options 208</p> <p>Picking your POV 209</p> <p>Matching tense with POV 211</p> <p>Having Fun with Words through Wordplay, Rhyming, and Rhythm 212</p> <p>Engaging in wordplay 212</p> <p>Taking different approaches to rhyming 214</p> <p>Keeping your story moving with rhythm 215</p> <p>Using Humor to Your Advantage 216</p> <p>Figuring out what kids consider funny 217</p> <p>Turning to the outrageous and the gross 220</p> <p>The Mojo of Good Writing: Exploring Voice, Style, and Tone 221</p> <p>Finding your story’s voice 222</p> <p>Writing with style 223</p> <p>Taking the right tone 223</p> <p>Knowing When You Need a Voice Makeover 224</p> <p>Helping Your Voice Emerge by Playing Pretend 225</p> <p>Pretend to be someone (or something) else 225</p> <p><b>Chapter 13: Writing Creative Nonfiction Books 227</b></p> <p>The Nonfiction Children’s Book World at a Glance 228</p> <p>Writing Toward a Nonfiction Masterpiece 229</p> <p>Choosing a Great Nonfiction Topic 231</p> <p>Looking at topics that get kids’ attention 232</p> <p>Finding topics that interest you 233</p> <p>Branching out into the real world 233</p> <p>Testing Your Topic 235</p> <p>Outlining Your Creative Nonfiction 236</p> <p>Starting simple 236</p> <p>Fleshing out your ideas 237</p> <p>Enhancing your outline by using visual aids 238</p> <p>Common Creative Nonfiction Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them) 239</p> <p>Writing Exercises for Creative Nonfiction 240</p> <p>Pretend you’re a newspaper reporter 240</p> <p>Create a funny five-step procedure to wash a dog 241</p> <p>More short exercises to get you writing 241</p> <p><b>Part 4: Making Your Story Sparkle 245</b></p> <p>Chapter 14: Editing, Revising, and Formatting Your Way to a Happy Ending 247</p> <p>Your Revising Checklist: Getting Major Story Elements in Order 248</p> <p>Theme 249</p> <p>Characters 249</p> <p>Plot 250</p> <p>Pacing and drama 251</p> <p>Setting and context 252</p> <p>Point of view 252</p> <p>Fine-Tuning Your Text: Editing Important Areas 253</p> <p>Strengthening your opening 254</p> <p>Keeping your dialogue tight and on target 254</p> <p>Transitioning effectively 255</p> <p>Trimming wordiness 256</p> <p>Keeping your chronologies in order 257</p> <p>Formatting Basics: First Impressions Matter 257</p> <p>Including the proper information on the first page 258</p> <p>Following other children’s book formatting conventions 258</p> <p>Not to Put Too Fine a Point on It: Checking Basic Grammar and Style 261</p> <p>Punctuation 261</p> <p>Style 262</p> <p>Miscellaneous 263</p> <p>Hiring Help: Working with an Editor or Editorial Service 265</p> <p>Finding a good editor or editorial service 266</p> <p>Asking the right questions 268</p> <p>Digital versus hard-copy editing 269</p> <p><b>Chapter 15: Creating Pictures from Your Words: The World of Illustrations 271</b></p> <p>To Illustrate or Not to Illustrate 272</p> <p>Recognizing Why You Shouldn’t Hire an Illustrator 272</p> <p>Following the Hand-Drawn Illustration Process with Artist Tim Bowers 274</p> <p>Starting with black-and-white pencil sketches 275</p> <p>Moving on to finished pencils 276</p> <p>Creating color art 276</p> <p>Capturing the right cover image 277</p> <p>Exploring the Digital Art Process with Author/Illustrator Barney Saltzberg 279</p> <p>Interior art 280</p> <p>Cover art 281</p> <p>Getting Your Art Seen by the Right Folks 283</p> <p>Considering some solid options 283</p> <p>Preparing a book dummy 285</p> <p>Handling Art When You’re Self-Publishing (and Not an Artist) 286</p> <p><b>Chapter 16: Finding and Incorporating Feedback 291</b></p> <p>Deciding When to Seek Feedback 292</p> <p>Getting Help from Friends and Relatives (or Not) 294</p> <p>Delving into the pros and cons of friendly advice 295</p> <p>Having a friend in the business 295</p> <p>Calling on Topic Experts: Beta and Sensitivity Readers 296</p> <p>Attending Conferences or Retreats 297</p> <p>Exploring the conference scene 297</p> <p>Getting away with retreats 300</p> <p>Participating in a Workshop 301</p> <p>Working with a Writing (or Illustrating) Group 302</p> <p>Finding the right group 302</p> <p>Starting your own group 304</p> <p>Sifting through the feedback you receive 305</p> <p>What Feedback Should You Expect During the Publishing Process? 309</p> <p><b>Part 5: Getting Published and Promoting Your Book 311</b></p> <p>Chapter 17: The Traditional Route: Signing with an Agent or Publisher 313</p> <p>Identifying the Right Publisher 314</p> <p>Gathering information from the marketplace 314</p> <p>Perusing writer’s guides and directories 316</p> <p>Drafting Query Letters and Proposals 316</p> <p>Perfecting the query letter 317</p> <p>Drafting a great book proposal 320</p> <p>Joining Forces: Working with an Agent 322</p> <p>Finding and approaching your ideal agent 322</p> <p>Managing multiple agent submissions 323</p> <p>Understanding typical agency agreements 324</p> <p>Terminating your agency relationship 327</p> <p>Copyright: Protecting Your Work 329</p> <p>Success! Reviewing Your Publishing Contract 330</p> <p>Surveying the two types of publishing agreements 330</p> <p>Getting what you want in the contract 331</p> <p>Dealing with Rejection 334</p> <p><b>Chapter 18: Considering Hybrid Publishing 339</b></p> <p>The Good and the Bad about Hybrid Publishing 340</p> <p>The good about hybrid publishing 340</p> <p>The bad about hybrid publishers 341</p> <p>Vanity presses: Don’t say we didn’t warn you 342</p> <p>Identifying the Right Hybrid Publisher for Your Book 344</p> <p>Doing your research and asking around 344</p> <p>Confirming some important criteria 345</p> <p>Approaching a hybrid publisher 346</p> <p>Getting the Biggest Bang for Your Hybrid Buck 346</p> <p>Fees and payments 347</p> <p>What about distribution and marketing? 347</p> <p><b>Chapter 19: So You Want to Self-Publish? 351</b></p> <p>Weighing the Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing 352</p> <p>Exploring Your Self-Publishing Options 354</p> <p>The print route 355</p> <p>The digital route 358</p> <p>Setting a Price for Your Publication 359</p> <p>Distributing Your Self-Published Book 360</p> <p>Getting in the door at traditional bookstores 360</p> <p>Persuading online booksellers 361</p> <p>Considering other places to sell your book 362</p> <p><b>Chapter 20: Donning Your Publicity Cap 363</b></p> <p>Understanding How Your Publisher Promotes Your Book 364</p> <p>Publicizing Your Own Book 364</p> <p>Focusing on the digital components 365</p> <p>Touching on the traditional components 369</p> <p>Promoting Your Work in Person 373</p> <p>Planning a publicity tour 373</p> <p>Joining the signing and reading circuit 373</p> <p>Hiring a Publicist 374</p> <p>Discovering what a publicist can do 374</p> <p>Finding the right publicist 377</p> <p>Getting the most for your money 378</p> <p><b>Chapter 21: Getting Savvy with Social Media 379</b></p> <p>Influencing the Influencers 380</p> <p>The basics of influencing others 380</p> <p>Understanding the different kinds of online influencers 381</p> <p>Figuring out where online your influencers live 382</p> <p>Knowing Where to Create a Social Media Presence 382</p> <p>Blogs 383</p> <p>Podcasts 383</p> <p>Goodreads website 384</p> <p>Facebook 384</p> <p>Twitter 385</p> <p>Instagram 385</p> <p>YouTube 385</p> <p>TikTok 385</p> <p>#BookTok 386</p> <p>Pinterest 386</p> <p>Making a Splash: Launching a Social Media Campaign 389</p> <p>Reviewing the ABCs of a social media campaign 389</p> <p>Getting noticed on social media 390</p> <p>Surveying the unwritten rules of social media marketing 391</p> <p>Applying search engine optimization 392</p> <p>Measuring the Effectiveness of Your Campaign 393</p> <p><b>Part 6: the Part of Tens 395</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 22: More Than Ten Great Sources for Timeless Storylines 397</b></p> <p>Tales of Yore: Fairy and Folk Tales, Fables, and the Like 398</p> <p>Mythology and Mythological Heroes 399</p> <p>Nursery Rhymes 399</p> <p>Bible and Religious Stories 399</p> <p>Family Issues and Changes 400</p> <p>Sibling Issues 400</p> <p>First Experiences 400</p> <p>Common Childhood Fantasies 400</p> <p>Friendship and Social Issues 401</p> <p>Growing Pains (Emotional and Behavioral) 401</p> <p>Bodies and the Brain: Their Functions and Changes 401</p> <p>History Makers and History in the Making 402</p> <p>Nature, Science, Technology 402</p> <p><b>Chapter 23: Ten Children’s-Author Recognitions to Dream About 403</b></p> <p>Newbery Medal 403</p> <p>Caldecott Medal 403</p> <p>Coretta Scott King Book Award 404</p> <p>Printz Award 404</p> <p>Pura Belpré Award 404</p> <p>Theodor Seuss Geisel Award 404</p> <p>ALA Quick Pick & ALA Notable Books for Children 404</p> <p>Stonewall Book Award 405</p> <p>Robert F Sibert Informational Book Medal 405</p> <p>State and Local Book Awards 405</p> <p>Index 407</p> <p> </p>
<p><b>Lisa Rojany</b> is a writer and publishing professional. Lisa has her own company, Editorial Services of L.A., for writers of fiction and nonfiction.</p><p><b>Peter Economy</b> is a <i>Wall Street Journal</i> best-selling business author and ghostwriter with more than 125 books to his credit, including multiple <i>For Dummies</i> titles.</p>
<p><b>Claim your spot on bookstore shelves </b></p> <p>As an aspiring children’s book author, there’s a lot you need to know, and <i>Writing Children’s Books For Dummies</i> is here to guide you. We start you off on the right foot with insider advice for writing compelling characters, spellbinding stories, and snappy dialogue. Learn where to find and how to make the most of good feedback, and then get your polished work out there. We take you through it all, including updated advice on how to choose and approach an agent or traditional publisher, when to consider hybrid- or self-publishing, and how to use social media to find readers. <p><b>Inside… <ul><li>What you need to know about the children’s book market</li> <li>Tips for crafting a good book idea</li> <li>Navigate the world of illustrations</li> <li>Why you should edit and edit again</li> <li>How to land a traditional publisher</li> <li>All about hybrid- and self-publishing</li> <li>How to make your work stand out</b></li></ul>

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