I am going to get a children's story published… PVII

I haven't posted my latest note on this. I have sent it to an Agent!

Danielle Smith with Foreword Lit! I really like this agency and I hope that I at least get a personal response.

Have you ever heard of Query Shark?

Before you ever send a query letter read every letter posted on this site. It will really help.  I did it although, funnily enough, I took none of the advice except for writing a query letter that entices even if it does break all the rules.  That is more for me. Thanks to a good friend who said:

"You're funny in your tweets. Be funny here."

So I wrote my query letter like my character from "My Baby Sister's An Alien" had convinced me it was a true story and it was my duty to make sure I spread "the truth."

Hopefully it works.

Thanks for reading!

I am going to get a children's story published… PVI

Response 1 of 3

I like that they acknowledged that it was a form letter.
One down, two to go.

I have decided that after I hear back/run out of time with these queries I'm going to get myself an agent.

I am going to get a children's story published… PV

I'm losing my mind.
It has been almost three weeks sent I sent my manuscript in.  I know, I know, that isn't anywhere near enough time to have heard anything, actually, here were the given times (I will call the companies A,B & C because I'm hiding from them a bit and I sent them in using my real name, not that's it's a big stretch from my "adult" pen name):

• Publisher A: Our time frame for a response is up to twelve weeks
• Publisher B: We review each submission in the order that it was received and try to respond within three months.
• Publisher C: Submissions are usually processed within four (4) months.

It all began when I read on someone's blog that they heard back within a couple of weeks WHY? WHY? Don't tell me this!  Now every time my phone rings or I get a new e-mail I get excited and I now take a deep breath before opening the mail box.

Anyway, nothing to tell you of interest today.

I did also did the #PitMad thing but nothing.

Thanks for Reading

I am going to get a children's story published… PIV

I would like to throw out a huge

THANK YOU!!!!

to Eliana (Elle-Ya-Na), @ebelleful twitter blog for taking the time to read/edit and praise beyond belief my little children's story.

I have now written a hopefully kicka$$ cover letter, packed three envelopes and will stop at the post office on my way home from work.

I will keep you up to date on my progress but there may not be any for 3-4 months.

I am going to get a children's story published… PIII

Well, I just have to get an unbiased read through from someone who doesn't know me well (or sleep with me :-) ).

Next I have to write a really kick-a$$ cover letter and send it off.

Is it too early to be excited?  I have decided that I will not be rejected!  That should waylay the doubt for at least three months.

I am going to get a children's story published… PII

Dear readers, it has been two hours since I last confessed…

Perhaps writing what I am going to do first is a good way of actually doing it.  After I wrote my last blog I began researching publishing children's books.  This is what I found:

“So You Want to Publish a Children’s Book: Advice from an Insider” by Victoria Fanning
Some words of wisdom on submitting your work.  Most importantly it answered my question of whether or not it needed to be illustrated.  The answer was an overwhelming NO!

"How to format your manuscript for a children's book" by Cynthea Lui

A step by step guide to how exactly to format your children's book for submission.  Typical double-spaced times new roman nothing fancy.

I also found two three publishing houses that are taking unsolicited manuscripts for children's book:

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Boyd Mills Press
Orca Book Pulbishers (Canada Only)

As well as a good list of others that aren't quite what I was looking for but still good to know

So, I have formatted my story as per Cynthea's advice, stopped worrying about the artwork.  I now have two other things to do.

Get someone to look over my manuscript for mistakes/grammer etc. and find out if I can submit to both of these places.  I have heard that some PHs only want you to submit only to them.  

For the record, if you are going to take 3+ months to get back to the submitter (which I completely understand) I don't think it's fair that they have to wait for an answer/non-answer before submitting to someone else.  I know that you believe someone is wasting your time if they submit to multiple places and may decide not to go with you but it is only the time it takes to read/think/write a letter as opposed to three months of waiting.

Here is my goal.  To have my manuscript in the mail to someone by Friday!  Luckily I have two great editors by way of my wife who is an elementary school teacher and my friend Allison who has an English degree.

I am going to get a children's story published…

just don't know how yet.
Two years ago just before my daughter was born I wrote a book for my son called:

My Baby Sister is an Alien

It's a look at pregnancy, birth and early infancy from the perspective of an older brother.

My wife has been bugging me ever since to get it published and perhaps I should.  There are just a few things that I want to find out first.

1. It's not illustrated (well the version I made used clip-art but that doesn't count), do I need to have it illustrated before I try to submit it or will they hook me up with someone?
2. Who is a really good children's book publisher that is taking submissions from unknown hacks like me?

I am going to start some research and let you all know how it's going!

So far I have:

Asked twitter

Googled and read a bit on some of them.

Next, make a list of my preferred publishers and look into submission requirements for each.

Wish me luck!

Thanks for Reading

My Little Sister is an Alien

So other than my almost Daily Threadless slogans the only other writing I have been able to complete is a children's story I wrote for my son. Called:

MY SISTER IS AN ALIEN

It was written to kind of give him some ideas of what it's going to be like to be a big brother which is going to happen in less than three weeks!

The gist of the story is that Max thinks his little sister is an alien because she is nothing like him and does all sorts of weird things.

I am doing a rough draft of all the art too but I'm not very artistic so I am stealing it from the Web. If I ever think about getting this published I'll have to find an artist.

Hopefully I will have it finished before baby comes.

TTFN