I picked up a little bug this time last week. I’m not talking about a cold, either—think Linda Blair in The Exorcist. It kept me away from my computer for nearly a week (the horror!). So while I crawl back into the working/blogging world, here’s a fantastic guest post from best-selling children’s author Amy Parker.
“It’s Easy to Write a Children’s Book” and Other Ridiculous Myths
This past weekend, while helping with a community garden behind my son’s school, a student said to me, “Wow, I wouldn’t think an author would do stuff like working in the dirt.”
Taken aback, I laughed and replied, “Authors do lots of glamorous things like this.”
Even at an early age, apparently, the general public has a great misconception about the world of children’s books and their authors. So while I’m at it, here are a few more ridiculous myths just begging to be busted.
1. It’s easy to write a children’s book.
I have a friend with a master’s in poetry from a renowned writing university who has been vying for a publisher’s attention for as long as I’ve known her. She’s faithfully sought criticism in writing groups. She’s edited her manuscripts again and again. Her writing is gorgeous and emotive. Still no deal.
This one myth is the reason that children’s book editors have avalanching slush piles. Because you can write a children’s book a lot faster than you can write a novel, people who want to test the writing waters often start here. This results in tons of traffic in the children’s market, making the really good children’s books really hard to find.
If you’re daring to venture into children’s books, ask yourself why. Be honest. If you think it’s easier to get published there, toss that myth in the trash and lend your talents to something else.
2. All children’s books should rhyme.
Only if you’re Dr. Seuss.
Seriously, I’ve heard children’s editors say they turn down all books written in rhyme. Of course, this isn’t the case everywhere, but if your book is going to rhyme, you need to be able to justify the reason, and you certainly need to know what you’re doing.
My bedtime books are written in rhyme because of the lulling rhythm and younger age group (preschool). If your manuscript must be written in rhyme, develop at least a working (textbook) knowledge of rhyme and rhythm. It can be a bit boring and brain-boggling, but believe me, it’s worth it.
3. It’s a children’s book! Who needs research?
You. For several reasons. If you’re going to be published, you have to follow all of the same rules that other potential authors follow. Know your market. Know your publishers. And read, read, read. Plus, if you do get that manuscript published, children have a keen eye for authenticity. Even if it’s fiction, they’ll know whether or not you did your homework.
4. They’re children. They’ll listen to anything.
Ha. In fact, the absolute best way to test your story is to read it to a group of children with better things to do. If they start wriggling and whining halfway through, you’ve got some work to do. If they’re mesmerized, you may just have a marketable children’s book in your hands.
5. Children’s authors are simpletons.
Quite the contrary (present company excluded). I know a brilliant lady with a PhD in biology who writes whimsical little rhymes with rhythmic precision that seems to slice through the page. In just one nonsensical rhyme, Dr. Seuss can deliver and debate a social issue (well before its time), while breaking and healing your heart in the process. And Shel Silverstein, in his innocent-looking The Giving Tree, uses simple words and black-and-white line drawings to capture the essence of parenting and selfless giving better than any 50,000-word book I’ve ever read. My eyes fill with tears just thinking about it.
Though their words be simple, don’t underestimate children’s authors. Their job is to master the art of making every word count. You’d be surprised at the weapons they can wield with a few little words.
6. Children’s books should only contain words on their level.
Pet peeve alert! How in the world will children learn new words if we don’t put them in their books? They’re certainly not voluntarily reading the dictionary (well, unless they’re ambitious young authors). Every children’s book should challenge its age group’s vocabulary by using new words alongside definitions that can be extracted from context clues. Don’t dumb-down books for children; their intellect and capacity for learning are much higher than we give them credit for.
7. My story is about my adorable son. Everyone will love it.
You will love it; your son may like it. But unless it is a powerful message with a fairly universal (or at least a niche) appeal, it’s for private consumption only. When I was an editor, I once reviewed a manuscript handwritten (by an adult) on notebook paper, a “true story” about a child having ringworm, a story that I quickly passed to the rejection pile and then thoroughly washed my hands.
8. Authors are rich.
Yep, if your name is Rowling … or King … or Grisham. The rest of us, however, drive by your big houses and wonder if maybe we should get a real job.
But we don’t.
We don’t because for us writing is breathing. We don’t because we know that words plant ideas in hearts that grow throughout minds and blossom in lives, quietly changing the world. We don’t because, while writing doesn’t always make for abundant living, it can certainly make an abundant life.
Amy Parker has written more than twenty books for children, teens, and adults, including the best-selling A Night Night Prayer, Thank You, God, for Mommy, and Thank You, God, for Daddy. She has collaborated with authors ranging from New York Times best sellers to her very own son. Most importantly, she is a wife to Daniel and a mom to their amazing sons, Michael and Ethan. You can find her books, blog, and other fun stuff at amyparkerbooks.com.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”