I\u2019m often surprised by how many authors are writing children\u2019s picture books. I have to be frank\u2014I used to consider a picture book a non-book and its author a non-author. I mean, what does it take to put together 8 or 16 colorful drawings with a few words such as, \u201cDuck,\u201d \u201cSpoon\u201d and \u201cGiraffe\u201d or phrases such as, \u201cBobby washes his hands?\u201d That\u2019s not a real book, is it? The target audience can\u2019t even read!<\/p>\n
Actually, I have discovered that these are real books, that there are publishers out there eager to produce them and that parents, grandparents and librarians are buying them\u2014lots of them. (See my comments about picture books in my July 8, 2009 blog post.)<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a lot of latitude when it comes to creating a children\u2019s picture book. The illustrations can be photographs, pen and ink drawings, water color or oil paintings or any variety of other mediums. The text can be simple words and numbers, tell a story or contain a lesson such as the importance of washing your hands. But a children\u2019s picture book is not necessarily a slam dunk, easy-to-write book. <\/p>\n
Some authors of these books decide to write stories around their art. Some have a point they want to make such as, rules are for a reason or people and puppies come in all colors. Or they have a solution to a problem or dilemma\u2014it\u2019s cool to wear glasses or veggies are fun to eat. <\/p>\n
Picture books come in fiction and nonfiction. But they are not as straightforward and easy to write as one might think. I know this after reading Ann Whitford Paul\u2019s new book, Writing Picture Books, A Hands-On Guide From Story Creation to Publication<\/em>. <\/p>\n I\u2019ll be writing a full review of this book for the September edition of SPAWNews<\/em>. Subscribe to this free e-newsletter today at http:\/\/www.spawn.org<\/a>. Click on \u201cFREE newsletter.\u201d<\/p>\n This is no picture book\u2014it\u2019s a substantial 248-page book that speaks to issues such as generating ideas, creating characters and plotting. Ann gives quite a bit of space to the various aspects of rhyming for children\u2019s books. I especially like her section on writing text specifically for young children\u2014what works and what doesn\u2019t. <\/p>\n As I pointed out in my blog post July 8, 2009, writing a children\u2019s picture book is not as easy as it might seem. Sure, the words and phrasing for a children\u2019s are simple\u2014it shouldn\u2019t take a college professor to write a story for a 4-year-old. But writing for children is a more sophisticated art and craft than one would surmise at first glance. And Ann Whitford Paul, award-winning children\u2019s book author and a teacher in this genre at UCLA, lays it all out for you in her new book, Writing Picture Books, A Hands-On Guide From Story Creation to Publication<\/em>.<\/p>\n For a greater understanding of the publishing industry, your publishing options, the possible consequences of your choices, your responsibility as a published author and much, much more, read my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book<\/em>. And don\u2019t forget, if you are an author and your book is stalled\u2014sales have fallen off\u2014check out my ebook, The Author\u2019s Repair Kit<\/em>. Heal your publishing mistakes and breathe new life into your book. http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I\u2019m often surprised by how many authors are writing children\u2019s picture books. I have to be frank\u2014I used to consider a picture book a non-book and its author a non-author. I mean, what does it take to put together 8 or 16 colorful drawings with a few words such as, \u201cDuck,\u201d \u201cSpoon\u201d and \u201cGiraffe\u201d or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3,4],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t