Tip No. 9 from The Top 10 Tips To Getting Published as a Kids’ Book Author

Interested in writing kids’ books and hoping to get published, but not sure where to start? Or maybe you have a great idea for a book – or maybe even a rough draft of a manuscript – but you have no idea what to do next. The prospect of wading through all the information out there can be daunting. Well there’s no need to stress, because you’ve just found a concise, no-holds-barred, honest account of what every aspiring children’s book author really needs to do to get his or her book read by an editor and break into the industry.

So here it is: Tip no. 9 of your ultimate to-do list, straight from a children’s book editor’s mouth (well, hands). this article only addresses tip no. 9 because there is not enough space here to cover all 10 tips. The other 9 tips are FREE, however, when you go to  www.mommypicks.com and download the full free report.

#9 Do maintain professionalism

Once you’ve sent out your market-researched, workshopped, beautifully written manuscript, which is accompanied by your killer, wow query letter, the waiting begins. Publishers’ web sites will most likely let you know when to expect a response (if any), but no matter what, resist the urge to call or email publishers or show up at their offices. Seriously: this has happened to me a few times and, to use a common editing marking, it is unbelievably AWK; don’t do it.

Whether you’ve found a match or not, be sure to keep your wits about you and react appropriately. Remember that if you get a rejection letter (or if you don’t hear anything back at all), it’s just business. Maybe you sent a picture book and the editor’s picture book slots for the next three seasons are already filled. Maybe you’re an American author and you submitted to a Canadian publisher who, for grant reasons, is only able to publish Canadian authors at the moment. The bottom line is that rejections, even though they may feel like it, are not personal attacks. If an editor sends you a thoughtful rejection letter, be sure to write back and thank her for her insight and time. Chances are, if an editor does take the time out of her day to write a thoughtful rejection letter (rather than a standard-issue form letter), she saw something promising in your work and may be open to receiving a revised manuscript or a different submission from you in the future. Like any business, publishing is all about connections and relationships, so always keep communications friendly and respectful. You won’t go wrong by doing so.

If you are fortunate enough to receive an offer to publish, congratulations! However, the same advice above holds true here as well: keep your wits about you, react appropriately, and keep communications friendly and respectful always. This is also a time when managing expectations is very important. For example, if you are a first-time author, be wary of any “demands” you might feel like making when it comes to talking about your publishing contract. If you decide to try to negotiate, be sure to have a clear picture of where you and the publisher are coming from. If you are, say, a first-time author, then it doesn’t make sense to push for a big advance, if you are being offered an advance at all. Why not? You don’t have sales records of past books, so publishers really can’t tell if you’ll be able to earn back an advance – they have nothing to go on.

Of course, this isn’t to say you should just accept any old contract you’ve been given and simply sign on the dotted line. Take enough time to review the contract and be sure you understand it before you sign. Just be realistic in your expectations. And it bears repeating: keep communications cordial as you work through any contract points. Remember that you and the publisher are about to embark on a long-lasting (you hope) relationship and that publishers – say it with me now – want to work with nice, normal people. Whatever you do, don’t make them regret reaching out to you.

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Industry Insider Tip

For the ins and outs of publishing contracts, sign up for the MommyPicks Editor’s Club.

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Even though there seems to be an endless supply of children’s books on the market, let me assure you that the publishing industry itself is a small world and word can spread faster than flu germs at a daycare. If you’re wonderfully creative and professional and you’re an absolute delight to work with, word will get around (read: help further your career). If you’re the opposite, word will also get around (read: send editors running at the mere mention of your name).

make no mistake, publishing is an emotionally fraught business where there are a lot of creative types with strong opinions working together and often butting heads. But it’s important to maintain professionalism and kindness at all times. This also holds true for anything you post online (you know how you are going to use the Internet to research publishers? Guess what? Publishers will do the same when it comes to researching you if they like your manuscript). Whatever you do, be sure to keep your emotions in check and quell any urges to be petty, passive-aggressive, and/or flat-out aggressive. No matter what. The publishing professionals you work with should also do the same if they’re worth the paper they print on.

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Q&A

Q: How do advances and royalties work exactly? What is a standard royalty for a children’s book?

A: For the answer to this question and more like it, be sure to sign up for the MommyPicks Editor’s Club.

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Related posts:

1. Tip No. 3 from The Top 10 Tips Every Aspiring Children’s Book Author Should Know to Get Published
2. Tip No. 1 from The Top 10 Tips To Getting Published as a Children’s Book Author
3. Tip No. 8 from The Top 10 Things Every Aspiring Children’s Book Author Should Do to Get Published
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