Morning all writers and artists,
I am new to this website and world of writing - professionally. I have written a children's rhyming story and am at the stage where I need to find a publisher. All I want is for said publisher to say 'yay or nay' with regards to the quality and potential for publishing.
I have read it to many poeple such as friends, family, work colleagues, a class of primary school children and many more, without blowing my own trumpet, it has received rave reviews. This has urged me to pursue this avenue further and hopefully have it published.
The fact that it rhymes - and I like to think rhymes very well - may be the ace up the sleeve when it comes to getting publishers interested. I feel it is as interesting and fascinating to the imagination of a child as well as being educational and understandable. There is plenty of alliteration and repetition and would be very beneficial for any individual facing difficulties with speech and writing.
Being self employed in all other aspects of my life I thought 'self-publishing' would be the ideal way to go forward. However, after reading various articles I feel a literary agent is the best way to go forward, as I'm a 'virgin' to the industry. I have purchased the writers and artists yearbook for children's books and will browse through the list of literary agents when it arrives.
I just wanted to ask of any help/guidance from more experienced writers and even publishers in this community.
Mainly, how would I go about copyrighting and protecting my story? Is this left to the literary agent to deal with or publisher?
What I would need to offer to an agent other than the manuscript?
Are there many legalities surrounding ownership and partnership when it comes to finding a literary agent?
Do agents and publishers have the deciding decision on how the script reads? I appreciate any constructive criticism and am happy to change the script - knowing full well it will no doubt be stripped apart - but how much input would I have If I feel losing certain parts result in losing plot details and interesting points?
There are numerous other questions I have, but just wanted to get some advice on the above.
I'm sure if there is a literary agent out there who is interested in my work, that is a giant leap forward for my story. I guess it;s just finding the right one?!
Thanks all.
Jim
Interesting advice, Jimmy.
I'll see how many bites it gets.
Best,
Jim
Sorry, Jim, I got carried away and forgot to mention 2 bits of advice.
a) Is the book one continuous poem? Can portions be taken out and read on their own? If this is the case, I suggest that you try to get short pieces read on your local radio station: either a poetry program or one for children. Then mention that in the CV that you send to agents.
b) Enter portions in poetry competitions [especially poetry for children competitions]. You just missed a nation-wide one that I was considering. Better still, since competitions often maintain the rights to your work ("They must be un-published poems.") and you're a dab hand at poems, knock out a few more short poems for competitions and use the fact that you did well (won or honourable mention) in your CV.
p.s. I like alliteration, so lots of luck!
Hi, Jim!
I can relate to you on several levels (not just our name, haha). I ALMOST got a publishing deal but fell out with the editor on personal grounds. I'm now pursuing 2 parallel courses:
a) looking for an agent,
b) self-publishing... taken to the ridiculous extreme of registering as a publisher and offering to publish other writers. (I hope to be in w+a yearbook's next edition)
So I can't offer expert advice or "this worked for me", but here are a few tips that I've picked up:
Agents MIGHT be interested in a book "with potential", but DON'T send your book to a publisher until it's as good as you're going to get it. This doesn't guarantee that they won't suggest slight changes, but they're not going to waste their time with a 90%-finished (or 90%-polished) book.
If it's for 7-8s (+/-), I'd want to have it illustrated. Remember Alice' disgust at her elder sister's book: "It was a very dull-looking book, with no pictures and no conversation." (And Alice is my pole star in children's literature.) If you find a GOOD illustrator before you approach an agent or publisher, I would GUESS that you stand a better chance. (I looked for 3 years... then illustrated it myself.)
I LIKE rhyming books. But I can understand Alice Vinten's explanation of why publishers don't. (I'm presently working on rhyming translations of rhymes originally in German. It's NOT easy... but I'm going to like the result, and I hope that readers will, too.)
As I've been told again and again: Just because you've written a good book - even one that has been proven to appeal to children - it doesn't mean that publishers are going to fall all over themselves (and each other) begging you to sign on the line. Publishers (aside from a few impractical dreamers like myself) are businesspeople. they're not going to pump thousands of pounds into publishing and promoting a book that they aren't SURE will make them a profit.
You ask: "Would you say it's particularly difficult for newbies?"
I laugh.
I cry.
I shed a tear for you, my friend.
I have a question for you: "Are you a premier league footballer, a top-ten popstar, or a member of the royal family?" If your answer is "yes", you only have to mention in an interview on a completely different subject that you're "thinking of writing a rhyming book for children", and you'll have publishers beating a path to your door, begging for your signature and offering a huge advance SIGHT UNSEEN. Think about it: a children's book of rhymes by Prince William! Royalty fans will snap it up. Grannies will buy a copy for each grandchild (including the 17-year-old extasy-taking ravers) and another for themselves. A book of child verse by Robbie Williams! Every fan's gotta have one. It doesn't MATTER if it's shite. People will buy it! THAT's what's important to publishers.
[Personally speaking, I have my ethics. I wouldn't touch Harry Potter: He's Back Again!!! by JK Rowling.But hey! my publishing project is doomed to failure.]
If your answer was "no", you have to face the fact that hundreds of newbies are submitting new books EVERY WEEK.
Good luck! (You'll need it.)