Customer Reviews

The Business of Writing for Children: An Award-Winning Author's Tips on Writing Children's Books and Publishing Them, or How to Write, Publish, and Promote a Book for Kids

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I too write and illustrate children's books and I am anxious to help anyone asking for information about how to get started as others helped me. I carry a file folder of photocopied materials around with me which I share with unpublished writers and illustrators. This book, The Business of Writing for Children, is so comprehensive I plan to replace my file folder with this book. As many an editor has said at many a conference, "today's aspiring authors often haven't done their homework," this book by Aaron Shepard will satisfy that need. And, published authors may sit up and take notice; waiting for your publisher to prepare promotional materials for you and your books can be frustrating, you may want to do it yourself; the how-to is in these pages. Whether you are a novice or professional, The Business of Writing for Children needs to be in your library - DON'T write a book without it!

After reading other books on writing books for children, I thought I would see more coverage on the writing process. Not counting the appendix, there are only 94 pages in the paperback edition; this doesn't give a lot of space for the big picture.

The subtitle for the book is "An Award-Winning Author's Tips on How to Write, Sell, and Promote Your Children's Books." The key word here is tips, and it is these tips which make this a helpful book.

One of his tips, writing your story as a script for a children's play, strikes me as simple, yet rewarding. Many children's books require more dialogue than narrative, so making a script requires you to view your work from a new perspective. It is such a simple idea, but I had never thought of doing it.

One of his marketing tips is to use the script you wrote and market it with the book. Schools are more likely to use a book for class if there are more things to do with it. Creating study questions is another idea.

Although this was a quick-read, I would recommend reading this...

Aaron's book is worth the price just for the wealth of inside information found in DANGEROUS MYTHS AND TERRIBLE TRUTHS. And that's just the introduction.

THE BUSINESS OF WRITING FOR CHILDREN is a semester-long crash course on writing books for young readers of all ages--in a mere 115 pages.

For the beginner who wants an in-depth overview of the field, or a pro who needs a shot in the arm to get back to work , this is an excellent choice. Good job, Aaron.

If you're thinking of writing, selling and promoting a children's book, The Business of Writing for Children is a title you'll definitely want to add to your permanent reference shelf. In it you'll find tips, useful information and resources on how to write children's fiction, learning what editors want to see in a manuscript, how to submit your queries and promote your book. The book's short length and concise, right-to-the-point approach make it an ideal first guide for beginners in the field.

Shepard begins by listing some "Dangerous Myths and Terrible Truths" about the business. Then he offers general guidelines on how to write for children, dealing with topics such as Theme, Plot, Story Structure, Characters, Setting, Style and Tone.

The different kinds of children's books categories can be confusing and hard to distinguish from one another; Shepard describes each in a clear manner.

Everything from formatting and submitting your manuscript, to negotiating a contract, to understanding the publishing process, to building your career, to scripting your story can be found between these pages, and more. A separate section is given to other topics such as Rhythm and Writing and Researching Folk Tales.

Most helpful are the author's sample flyers and queries, especially his ingenious way for sending one query for multiple titles, saving time and postage fees. Shepard also offers clever alternatives to sending cover letters by using Post-its. At the end of the book there's an Appendix filled with useful resources.

Be aware this book will not teach you how to self publish a children's book, but only how to sell your work to traditional publishers. However, this is a reference work valuable for anybody who wishes to understand the business of writing for children. Highly recommended.

I finally received The Business of Writing for Children and was amazed at the information he reveals. From writing to marketing and dealing with publishers, this is the writers bible. It really is the best book I have ever read on this industry. It is written in a clean, clear and concise structure that no one would have a problem understanding.
Even if you'r just thinking of writing for children, fantasy, fiction, or other style, you would be much better prepared whne you know what to expect, and what is expected of a writer in publishing world.

If you have dreams of being a children's book author, this book can help get you there. The book clears up many myths about children's writing such as "picture books are easier to write than adult books" and "Children's books should always teach a lesson." Shepard's answers are straight forward and to the point. You get the tools you need to create successful stories, correct manuscript format, submission strategies and clear cut contract negotiations.

I especially liked the part of the book that goes into detail about how to promote yourself to schools and libraries. Shepard tells how to set up author days and story hour to sell your books. He also tells you what marketing pieces to create and how to create them.

The author himself is the author of many children's books, so he knows what he's talking about. His list of accomplishments are impresive. His publishers include Haper Collins and Dial as well as Cricket magazine among others. For more resources and updates of the book you can check out his website at www.aaronshep.com/writer. I am definitely happy with the purchase of this book.

Having already purchased many books on the technique of writing for children, I was pleased to find this book contained more. His methods for querying, scripting and marketing are valuable, and clearly explained.

Many of the reviews already placed here have gone into more detail on what is contained in this book, so I will simply summarize...

This is an easy to read and understand book full of valuable information for the aspiring, or previously published, children's writer.

I have recently read several books on this subject, and this one has been the most helpful and enjoyable thus far. It follows a logical, sequential order. *The Business of Writing for Children* answered every question I have posed and a few I hadn't yet formulated. It is concise and so left Mr. Shepard time for an occassional show of his sense of humor; without compromising more of mine than I would have liked to allow. Sense of humor or time, you wonder. The answer is both.

I bought this book back in 1993 and have been successful in publishing, due in part by following Aaron Shepard's suggestions. THANK YOU so very much, Aaron!

He gives wonderful ideas on writing, marketing, and promotion: it is unlike any other book on writing! I highly recommend!...

Aaron Shepard is an experienced and award-winning author of books for young readers who in The Business Of Writing For Children brings to bear his considerable expertise in providing the aspiring children's book author a wealth of tips on how to write, sell, and promote their books. Shepard addresses common myths about children's writings, children's book categories, elements of successful stories, manuscript format, submission strategies, contract negotiation, the publishing process, career building, and children's writer resources. he also offers invaluable commentary on querying for multiple manuscripts, promoting a first book, and making arrangements for school appearances. The Business Of Writing For Children is a superbly presented, highly recommended, basic introduction for all aspiring and novice writers of books for young readers -- preschool through young adult.