What are some common mistakes early picture book writers make?
Seabrooke Leckie·It seems like picture books should be super easy because they’re so short, but I know they’re not (I’ve tried!). Can you discuss some of the challenges of writing picture books compared to novels?
- Elza·
Do illustrators often add storytelling elements to the picture book that were not originally a part of your manuscript?
- Elza·
Are comparable titles still important when pitching PBs?
- Seabrooke Leckie·
How do illustrations fit into the writing process? Do you write art direction, or leave it for the artist to interpret your text? Do you picture the images while you’re writing?
- Jennifer Bushroe·
I keep hearing conflicting advice about how long picture books should be. The number seems to change almost yearly, with the word count decreasing each time. Have you found this to be your experience? How many words *should* a standard PB be?
- Marcie·
Jennifer, it is true that the market seems to be calling for shorter and shorter picture book texts. When I started writing back in 2010 the sweet spot was 500-700 words. Now we are told to aim for 300-500 words. But think of it just as that…an aim. Picture books are magical because of their sparse use of language (almost like poetry) and their marriage of text and illustrations. The illustrations should tell 50% or more of the story. Remember, kids are going to be reading those pictures as the adult reader reads the text. So those illustrations are important.
Writing only 300-500 words might seem restrictive. But instead think of it as a challenge. Put every word on trial for its life. Is it necessary? Its amazing how much fluff we write. Write the story you need to write, then boil it down to the absolutely essential. I know when I do that, it might feel daunting, but my work ALWAYS ends up stronger.
- Seabrooke Leckie·
As we learned in Heather’s workshop earlier, picture book plots still generally follow a set of beats. How much do you use this while creating the first draft? Or do you go back and revise to those?
- Marcie·
I am an outliner, so I like to work out all of the beats before I start drafting. In that sense, the beats operate as the bones of the story for me. Once I know I have a sturdy skeleton, I can revise the story to include wordplay and the like. But its not worth decorating my story with lots of fun wordplay and puns and fun if the skeleton of good storytelling isn’t there. As one writing instructor told me, “No one should spend their time arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.”
- Leeann·
Hi, Andrea,
I see that you have three books listed in the bio paragraph. Did your success start with the Lee & Low book and then lead you to subsequent deals? Also, if you have an agent, when did you secure that person … for the first book, the second? Thanks, Leeann
- Jennifer Bushroe·
Why are inanimate objects so popular for PB protagonists?
Ooh, good question. Maybe it’s because when done well, the effect can be surprising and magical. They make us look at everyday objects in a completely different way. Right now some of my favorite picture books about inanimate objects are The Day the Crayons Left by Drew Daywalt (Ill. Oliver Jeffers), Waiting by Kevin Henkes, and One Proud Penny by by Randy Siegel (Ill. Serge Bloch), which is a clever “autobiography” of a copper penny!
- Seabrooke Leckie·
Is there a difference in creating an instructional picture book (eg. an alphabet book) versus one that tells a story?
If you are not an illustrator, it would probably be difficult to sell a straight up A-Z alphabet book unless it has a unique concept (and even then, the illustrations would need to be a fresh take on alphabet books). I personally find alphabet books that tell a story are the most fun because they’re such a challenge to create. Some of my recent favorites are Z Is for Moose by Kelly Bingham (Ill. Paul O. Zelinsky), Oops Pounce Quick Run!: An Alphabet Caper by Mike Twohy, and The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC’s (the Hard Way) by Patrick McDonnell.
- Jennifer Bushroe·
Is there any subject matter that’s considered inappropriate for a PB audience?
Obviously, violence, sex etc portrayed graphically are out of the question. But I think in general, its more a matter of presenting topics in an age appropriate way. And I’ve been thinking about this recently because of a biography I was interested in writing. I asked a similar question in KidLit411 facebook group. Emma Otheguy and others recommended Betsy Bird’s blog post: http://blogs.slj.com/…/the-nuanced-picture-book-biography/ which I found really helpful and fascinating how other writer’s have dealt with inappropriate subject matter.
Oops that link didn’t work!
http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2016/09/06/the-nuanced-picture-book-biography/
- Seabrooke Leckie·
What’s the most fun part of the writing process for you as a picture book writer? The hardest?
- Marcie·
I love idea generation and brainstorming.
I find drafting the first draft can be frustrating.
But then I love revising!
So I guess I have a joy sandwich when it comes to my writing process. Joy followed by some murky despair, followed by joy again. 🙂
- Dave Wright·
What’s the least annoying way of ‘suggesting’ something needs to be conveyed in illustrations? Or should the writer never have comments?
- Marcie·
I almost always write them as SUGGESTIONS. If they are ABSOLUTELY necessary. I also run my manuscripts past illustrator friends WITHOUT notes to see if they can get a vision for the story. They are very helpful in that process.
What would you describe as the really key elements of a successful picture book? (By ‘successful’ I mean in terms of engaging young readers/story-listeners more than necessarily big sales success!)
Hmmm… I would say relatable characters, a strong and clear emotional arc, dramatic tension, delightful wordplay, and most importantly, re-readability.
- Christina·
What are the challenges of being a writer AND illustrator? Do you find it gives you more creative freedom? Or do you feel more pressure because you have to do both yourself?
Ooh I never thought about it in terms of more pressure… Hmm. I’ve only ever written and illustrated, so I have a skewed experience. But personally, the challenges are:
1. it takes longer to submit. — as you have to submit a dummy, and a few completed illustrations, as well as a manuscript. So sometimes I envy writers who can submit after they have just a polished manuscript!
2. The promotion definitely feels like its all on me. Though Candlewick has been incredibly supportive on that front. But I can see how it would be nice to have two people to shoulder that.But overall, I LOVE doing both!
- Melissa·
What is something that surprised you (good or bad) when you became a published author?
I was surprised by how long the process of publishing a picture book can take. It’s years. Years and years. It’s like being pregnant with a baby elephant. But the quality of the end product definitely makes it worth the wait.
- Christina·
What are your favorite ways to promote your PBs? Like school visits or library visits? What else do PB authors do specifically to engage with their audience that perhaps MG+ writers don’t?
With picture books, it’s all about engaging the folks actually buying the books. So that’s usually parents and caretakers, teachers, librarians, and other educators. Social media is a great resource for this and I have found Instagram to be particularly useful for this purpose, although Twitter and Facebook can also be effective. As for school and library visits, I’ve heard that attending large educator conferences like ALA or NCTE are helpful for marketing author visits. And of course, an email list is a great part of book promotions.
- Jennifer Bushroe·
I’m sure you get this all the time–you tell someone you’re a kidlit writer and they say something like, “Oh that looks so easy, I want to write a picture book too, maybe when I retire!” I have struggled with crafting a response that upholds my value as a creative who’s serious about her craft and her career, while also being kind. Suggestions?
Marcie and Andrea, HEY. I am late but so good to see you all.
Hi Kathy!
- Marcie·
HI Kathy! xo
Gaia, JABARI JUMPS is one of my fave PBs this past year. Love, love.
Oh Kathy, thank you SO much!
- Peggy Kattelus·
Andrea,
I loved BunnyBear!Thank you all for the great
details into the picture book world.Peggy K.
Aww, thanks, Peggy!
If you get ‘the call’ from an agent or a publisher, how do you know what to say or do? What do they want from you? Are they looking for? Sharing your vision? Doing a sales pitch? Or what? I’ve had two and blown it at this stage, I have interest again and don’t want to do it again.
Specifically for PBs and does it differ to other mss?
To clarify, you mean you queried an agent and they’ve gotten back to you and want to talk further? In that case, congrats! If its an agent, they’ll want to learn more about you- your background, your experience, and also about other picture book manuscripts you have. (Usually they want to see at least two or three additional PB manuscripts. ) They also might just want to chat to get a feel for who you are and to make sure the two of you click. Which goes both ways!
The biggest difference in terms of PBs v novels, is an agent will want to see multiple PB manuscripts and will (almost always,) be repping you for all of them. With a novel its common for agents to take it one book at a time.If its an editor, they’ll want to talk to you probably just about the one manuscript you sent. They might want to know who else you sent it to and if anyone else has shown interest. I wouldn’t think you’d have to sell it too too much at this stage, as they’ve already seen your query/pitch…
Hmm does this help? Maybe others have more to add?
- Renee'·
Love this discussion! You guys are awesome with your explanations of how things work. It really IS a team and not one of the team wants the book to fail. It is their job to make it the best it can be. So many picture book authors say they want to go self-published because they are so afraid of what their pictures are going to turn out like, the time to create the final product, etc. You very clearly indicated why it is important to trust the process and take the time to get it right. And, it does take time. Best wishes to all of you!
Yes, thats very common in my experience too with people wanting to self publish. But as you say, you can tell we all feel so grateful to the teams we got to work with to make our books:)
We’re so glad it was helpful and that you enjoyed it Renee!
- Phyllis·
Thanks so much for this session. There are so many pieces to writing and having a picture book published. Every little bit of info helps. You were all very helpful. Marcie, I loved your take on “books similar to mine.” I thought I was going crazy and doing it all wrong, but I too, included titles that have the same emotional feel or mood as mine. I liked the words you used…mood, sweetness, not simply plot based. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Great session!Phyllis
- Marcie·
You are VERY welcome, Phyllis! So glad you found the session helpful. And remember, if a process works for you, its never wrong. 🙂
- John·
Hi, If you’re still able to add comments, I had a question about self-publishing. What are the best avenues for getting the book out there, and what does it usually take for a publisher to offer a distribution deal? Also, what do distribution deals usually entail?
Thanks!- Marcie·
John, I, unfortunately, do not have information for you because I have never self-published. I, like the other three panelists, am traditionally published. That said, you may want to look into joining SCBWI (The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). They are located at http://www.scbwi.org. They provide resources and support for both traditionally and self-published writers. Also, consider posting your question on the Kidlit 411 forum on Facebook. I know there are lots of self-published writers there who might be able to help you.
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