I’ve received a few calls this week from people who have written a children’s book and the question asked is one I’ve heard several times before, “What do I do now?”. They have some knowledge of the publishing industry, but not much. I am not sure how much writing experience they have, but the question remains the same. They have a manuscript in hand (an unpublished book is is referred to as a manuscript, not a book), and want it published.
In this blog, I’ve gone around this topic a few times, and will continue to do so, (answers though varying depending my mood swings – kidding aside). I am also a web designer and have experience with keyword searches. These come in handy when you are looking at the options for your manuscript. Do you self publish or do you want it accepted by a trade publisher? What are the in’s and out’s of self publishing? What are publishing houses looking for? Start your answer search on the internet using search words entered into Google or another search engine. Phrases like:
- children’s book publisher
- children’s publishers
- author guidelines for children’s books
- manuscript guidelines for children’s books
- submitting manuscripts to publishers
- canadian children’s book publisher (or varying country)
- children’s book submission guidelines
- children’s book printing
- publishing children’s books
- call for submissions
- book printing packages
- book printing costs
- self publishing information
- self publishing a manuscript
- self publishing children’s books
The list goes on. Try to phrase your search into a question that you would like answered, rather than just single words. Be specific to your topic, e.g.. “Publishers seeking kids books about nature”. If you are on a site and you see some sentences that match what you may be looking for, you can also pick these out and use them for a new search. A lot of web sites use the same keywords, so you may get more information. Use the Internet as a learning tool. It does take some time, but you have to research your options. The local library is also a wealth of information. Writer’s Market guides published every year have articles on resources for writers. Your comments are welcome on this subject.
