32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It takes one to know one, October 28, 2000
This review is from: Young at Heart, The Step-By-Step Way of Writing Children's Stories (Paperback)
Violet Ramos knows what she is talking about. To understand why, here is what I wrote about writing books for children in my book Successful Nonfiction: Turning Thoughts into Books:
Some beginning writers think writing for children will be easier than writing for adults. Children are pretty sharp, and their attention span is usually much shorter.
Allana Elovson, a self-publisher of books about parenting, was reading to a young niece one day. The story was well received: The child was fascinated by all the pictures and listened intently.
When they finished the book, she smiled at her aunt and knowingly explained that the words were there for people who cannot read pictures.
Women buy 82% of all children's books and half are bought as gifts. Nearly 40% of the books are bought by mothers. Hardcover children's books are currently selling for $14.51, while softcovers are going for $7.34. Hardcovers with a dust jacket go for more than books without jackets.
According to Publishers Weekly, children's books fall into the following categories: 27% picture books, 17% books for babies and toddlers, 20% for younger readers, 19% for middle readers, and 17% for young-adult readers. Decide which category your work falls into.
Generally speaking, children's books are considered 50% text and 50% illustration so royalties are split between the writer and illustrator. If the royalty is 10%, then the writer and illustrator each get 5 percent.
Children's books tend to have a longer life than adult books. They start off slow and build over time. According to USA Today, October marks the beginning of a steady climb in the sales of children's books toward the holidays.
Be upbeat and send a positive message. So often children's stories center around mistakes and punishment, which sends a subtle message to a child about not taking risks for fear of harm.
"The secret to writing a successful children's book is not to think like a child or to try to remember what it was like to be a child, but to still be a child within." -Andrea Brown, literary agent.
It is not what you say but how you say it-especially when writing for children. Violet Ramos takes you by the hand and gently guides you through writing exercises, step-by-step. You will discover and work your way through main character, message, supporting characters, dialogue, contrast, movement, dynamic words, names and titles, descriptive writing, editing, page layout and creative outline. For a detailed description of the book's coverage, click on Table of Contents in the left-hand column of this page.
Violet Ramos has taught hundreds of students to release their creativity into stories for children. She feels there is a child in everyone who wants to speak out and reach other children.
As a publisher, author of 113 books (including revisions and foreign-language editions) and over 500 magazine articles and a consultant to the publishing industry, I recommend this book to those who need a concise step-by-step guide to writing for children. DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Expected more from Young at Heart, August 22, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Young at Heart, The Step-By-Step Way of Writing Children's Stories (Paperback)
Young at Heart may take you step by step through the process of writing children's stories, but it's simplicity lacks grit. Ms. Ramos touches on basic concepts, but spends no time going into depth. She writes for a page or two on each concept and then inserts "worksheet space" for you to practice on. Almost a third of the book is blank practice pages, which is completely unnecessary. The sample story she uses throughout to illustrate her points is umimaginiative and cliche. I would not recommend this book as a tool for children's writers.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book!, November 8, 2001
This review is from: Young at Heart, The Step-By-Step Way of Writing Children's Stories (Paperback)
I LOVE this book! With the guidance in this book, I am finally able to get back to fulfilling a dream of writing stories that has been inside since I was in high school. As a grandmother, I can take my time following the steps listed and transfer a thought into a well-rounded story. So happy to have found this helpful gem!
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