| "Oh, I've always wanted to write for children!"I | | | | satisfied the editors, they may ask you to write |
| hear it all the time, whenever I reveal that I'm a | | | | the new book.Approaching School and Library |
| published author of children's books. Always the | | | | PublishersSo how do you find publishers that |
| starry-eyed look, the slightly wistful expression, | | | | specialize in the school and library market? Start |
| and the inevitable, "That would be so fun!"Fun, | | | | again at the library. Look through the shelves for |
| indeed. All the fun of slaving over getting just the | | | | the newest books and note the names of the |
| right word, of collecting rejection slips, of | | | | publishers. You can also ask the children's librarian |
| wondering if new authors really can break into the | | | | if you can browse through their book catalogs. |
| children's market.There is a way -- if you are | | | | Get the addresses and website of the publishers, |
| willing to exercise some flexibility in your | | | | then see if they post author guidelines on their |
| writing.Take a stroll through the children's | | | | websites. You can also find educational publishers |
| non-fiction section of your local library and look at | | | | in the Children's Writers Market, which is widely |
| the newest books you see there: books on jet | | | | available in bookstores and libraries.Once you have |
| planes, hot air balloons, holiday crafts, bicycles, | | | | a list of potential publishers, read their guidelines |
| helicopters, race cars, and more -- some of them | | | | and follow them carefully. There are two ways to |
| with my name on them.Welcome to the world of | | | | approach school and library publishers. One is with |
| the School and Library Market.How the School and | | | | a book idea of your own. Many will accept |
| Library Market WorksBudget cuts or not, libraries | | | | submissions of fiction and nonfiction manuscripts, |
| need a constant supply of new books. Library | | | | and will pay an advance and royalties. The other |
| books get a lot of hard use, and the most popular | | | | way is to send a resume that lists your published |
| titles wear out quickly. Even the nonfiction section, | | | | works (if any) and pertinent experience (any |
| the part of the library that many people think is | | | | education experience you have is helpful), along |
| "boooring!" gets a lot of use as kids look for | | | | with samples of your writing (sometimes called |
| books to help them with reports, or books on | | | | "clips"). If the editors like your sample, you may |
| their favorite hobbies and interests.When librarians | | | | get a phone call or an email from an editor asking |
| pull worn copies of well-loved novels off the shelf | | | | if you would like to accept an assignment. Which |
| for replacement, they may get new copies of the | | | | approach you use depends on the publisher. Their |
| same title. But in the nonfiction section, old, worn, | | | | guidelines will state whether you should send a |
| or outdated books get replaced with new books | | | | manuscript, or if you can send a resume and |
| with up-to-date information.Where do they get | | | | writing sample.If you get an assignment, be sure |
| these books? From publishers that specialize in the | | | | to ask plenty of questions to clarify the editor's |
| school and library market. These publishers | | | | expectations. Make sure you're clear on due |
| produce new titles and entire new series every | | | | dates, and be prepared not only to meet the due |
| year to meet librarians' needs. This also means | | | | dates, but beat them. Ask if there are sample |
| that they need authors to write new titles ever | | | | books from the series that you can see before |
| year.These aren't books that are going to be sold | | | | you start writing. There won't be if the series is |
| in bookstores, nor are they going to make any | | | | new, but there may be a similar series that can |
| best-seller list, so don't expect high royalties. In | | | | serve as a model. If other authors are working |
| fact, most school-and-library books are written on | | | | on other titles in the series, ask if someone else |
| assignment on a work-for-hire basis. This means | | | | has a due date before yours, and if you can look |
| that the work is purchased outright from the | | | | at their outline. This helps preserve consistency in |
| author. The publisher retains the copyright and all | | | | the series. Educational publishers usually have |
| rights to the book. This might sound like a raw | | | | extensive guidelines to help you write according to |
| deal, but consider that librarians want up-to-date | | | | their style, and often have outlines from which |
| nonfiction titles. This means that the book you | | | | authors work.Then go to work doing your |
| write this year may not stay on the backlist | | | | research and writing the best book you can. If |
| more than five or six years. These aren't books | | | | the editors are pleased, expect more assignments |
| that would earn a great deal in royalties. However, | | | | in the future!Karen E. Bledsoe is a children's book |
| that same publisher will need a new title on the | | | | author, and has written many books for the |
| same subject in a few years. If your work | | | | school and library market. |