Congratulations!

Cue the parade! Pop the champagne!

I’m serious. Finishing writing your story is a huge accomplishment. You need to treat it like one.

Your Next Steps

Unless you are one of those freakishly fast writers who can churn out stories as if they were a direct download from the great story depot in the sky, it probably took you a long time to get your children’s book manuscript written.

And if you have also taken your story and revised it several times, had it thoroughly critiqued, and feel it is polished to a shine, you are probably ready for the next step: finally getting it published!

Well, I really do hope you celebrated thoroughly–because you are about to enter the next major phase of the process, and you need to be ready. 

I am going to proceed under the assumption that you are at least considering traditional publishing, and that’s why you are reading this post. If you are still on the fence about whether to go the self publishing or traditional publishing route, this information will still be useful.

Choosing Which Path to Take

After all the time and effort you went through to get your story written and thoroughly polished to a shine, you are probably wanting to get this show on the road. If you want to be traditionally published, you have two routes you can take. 

You can start looking for an agent.

You can start looking to submit directly to publishers.

I do think at this point you may find the whole process of trying to get an agent completely deflating. Because the process of trying to land an agent and trying to get a publishing contract are very, very similar.

Both processes take a fair amount of time and effort. Both paths are often long and filled with rejection.

If you are impatient to get published, you may find the idea of going straight to a publisher attractive. 

Seeking a Publisher Without an Agent

There certainly are advantages to going through the submission process on your own. You are basically skipping a step. And you don’t have to share your advance and royalties with an agent.

One huge downside to not having an agent is that many publishers do not accept unagented submissions. This includes all the large New York publishing houses (the big five, which could possibly become the big four if they are allowed to merge). 

But don’t fret! There are many publishers, mostly small, independent houses, that are open to submissions. If you are okay with a smaller publisher (and there are lots of reasons to not only be okay with one, but to even prefer one), then being unagented is less of a downside.

So who are these publishers?

I Made You a List

There are a few websites that contain lists of publishers who have an open submission policy. But rather than send you to them, I decided to put together an updated list myself. 

I have put together a list of 39 publishers that have either an open submission policy, or have designated months during which they accept unagented submissions. 

If you are about to fire up your computer to mass-submit to these publishers–

STOP.

Don’t do that. Please, I am begging you.

You Must do You Research

It is EXTREMELY important that you research each of these publishers carefully. I have included a brief description of each publisher and the kind of books they publish. This is to help you quickly assess whether to investigate them further. 

Also, every publisher on this list accepted unagented manuscripts when I wrote this post. Please check to make sure that is still the case, as this can change at any time.

Because most of these are small houses, they generally have a narrow focus on the type of books they publish. It is very important that you study what that focus is for each publisher. You will just be wasting your time and theirs if you submit your nonfiction picture book to a publisher that only publishes middle grade and young adult books, for example.  

Also, once you determine that your manuscript is a good fit, very carefully read the submission guidelines. Each publisher is different and if you do not follow their guidelines exactly, it will very likely be grounds for elimination.

Reputable Publishers Only, Please

Finally, I have done my best to only include publishers who are known to be reputable on this list. However, I am not familiar with each and every one of them. To be honest, some of these are more well-established than others.

I have placed an asterisk next to publishers that I personally can vouch for. I have either worked with them, or know someone who has been published by them. This doesn’t mean the other publishers are questionable. It’s just that I am not familiar with them. 

Okay, are you ready? Here is: 39 Children’s Book Publishers Who Take Unagented Submissions:

You do NOT need to provide an email to access the document. It’s a direct download. 

Want to Join my Email List?

Of course, if you would like to join my email list because you are thinking how utterly fantastic it would be to be email friends, then please sign up! I try to send helpful content and also I am happy to answer questions if you email me directly. Seriously! I will read your email and write you back. Pinky promise.

You can sign up here:

And again, if you are looking for my 39 Children’s Book Publishers Who Take Unagented Submissions, click on the title and it will be a direct download. I hope it is helpful!

The post 39 Children’s Book Publishers Who Take Unagented Submissions appeared first on Make a Living in Kidlit.

• Wow, that’s so cool!

• I’ve always wanted to write a children’s book too!

It’s like there is this giant club of people who want to write for children–and a bazillion of us belong, but we don’t even realize it!

One thing I do know–it’s a great club to belong to.

The problem is, with so many of us as members, we are all over the place in terms of where we are in our journey in learning to write for children. 

This post is for those of you who have always thought you might want to try writing for children. But you don’t have a clue (or maybe just one or two small ones) about how to get started. 

It could be a deep-seated dream you’ve had ever since you could hold a pencil. Or it could be a vague idea in the back of your head that being a kidlit author could be really fun and cool. Or it could be that some event in your life (becoming a parent or teacher, for example) has ignited this desire in your heart. 

But first, let’s pause. 

Before we get too far along, I think it’s important to understand a few things to start. These points could help you decide whether or not you should keep exploring this idea of writing for kids.

Fact Number One: Being a children’s book author is not a ticket to fame and fortune.

If you have spent any time on this website at all, you know that this topic is one I am interested in exploring more deeply. But if you believe you can write a book, get it published, and spend the rest of your days drinking margaritas on the beach while the royalty checks flow into your bank account, well, I’m sorry to burst your bubble.

This isn’t your future from publishing books…yet.

If you want to read about what children’s authors actually get paid, I have a couple of posts you can read:

• The Honest Truth About How Much Money Children’s Authors Make
• What Publishers Actually Pay Children’s Authors

Fact Number Two: It is hard to get your children’s book published

Most children’s book authors, whether they are traditionally or self-published, will tell you it’s a lot of work. And it takes a looooooong time. I’m talking years from the time you have a draft of your book to the time you hold the final published product in your hands. (Now, I do know of self-published authors who have managed to publish rather quickly. But it is still a good amount of work, and will still take many months).

Fact Number Three: Writing for children isn’t easier than writing for adults

Now, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. And if you have successfully written a great manuscript for a children’s book and found it easier than other kinds of writing, I’m thrilled for you. I’m being completely honest here.

But just because most children’s books are shorter than books for adults, and often use a simpler vocabulary, that does not make them inherently easier to write. Many would argue that in order to write for children, you have to boil your story down to its essence. And that’s a pretty challenging thing to do.

There is no room for fluff of any kind. 

I love this quote by Mem Fox (the author of a slew of amazing books for kids: 

Now that we’ve cleared up some possible misconceptions, are you still interested in wading into the labyrinth of exploring writing for children?

You are?

Great!

Since we are on the topic of clearing up areas of confusion or misconception, I thought a good place to start would be with some of the common questions that come up from those who are just starting out. I think it’s helpful to understand the basic lay of the land before you get much further into the How-tos of writing your book and getting it published.

Common FAQs

What are the different ways to get published?

Generally speaking, there are two ways to publish your book: traditionally or self-published.

A traditional publisher is one who will take care of all aspects of publishing your book. They pay authors an advance (well, some small publishers don’t pay an advance) and royalties (which is the percentage authors receive from the sale of their books). 

It is the author’s job to seek out a traditional publisher and find one that agrees to publish their book. This category includes the “Big 5” publishers: Simon and Schuster, Macmillan, Penguin/Random House, Hachette, and Harper Collins. But there are many other traditional publishers of all sizes (e.g. Scholastic, Lee and Low, Albert Whitman, and Page Street Kids to name a few).

Self-publishing is just what it sounds like. The author takes on all the tasks of getting their book published. This means writing, editing, formatting, and then releasing it out into the world. You can decide to offer it only as an ebook, or offer printed copies as well.

What are children’s book genres?

Children’s books fall into four broad categories:

• Picture books 
  • For ages 0-8
• Chapter books
  • For ages 6-9
• Middle Grade
  • For ages 8-12
• Young Adult
  • For ages 12 and older

How long does your book need to be?

Picture books

The sweet spot for picture book length has gotten a lot shorter over the years. Now most publishers will suggest shooting for around 500-600 words. Nonfiction can be longer, up to 1,000 words. This is in contrast to when picture books used to often be in the 1,000 word range. For nonfiction, a 3,000 word book was not uncommon.

Chapter books

In my experience, chapter books tend to be all over the map in terms of length. The general consensus is that they range from around 6,000 up to 15,000. 

Some examples include the Junie B. Jones series, which run around 6,000 words each. The Magic Tree House books fall in the 12,000 word range. 

But some chapter books can be very short. For example, the King and Kayla books are less than 1,500 words. Andthe chapter books I have written were all in the 1,500 word range.

Middle Grade 

Here again is a category where the word count can be all over the place. I’ve seen estimates of 20,000-40,000 words and 25,000-60,000, which is probably a solid average. But then Wendy Mass’s book 13 Gifts, is almost 90,000 words! Still, if your book is geared toward the younger end of middle grade, then shorter is probably better.

Young Adult

With YA, the issue of word count is probably more about a floor, rather than a range. Most YA books will not be shorter than about 40,000 words. But just as with middle grade, you are definitely going to find many books that are much longer than that. Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games is almost 100,000 words. Popular YA author Sarah Dessen’s books range from around 60,000 to over 100,000 words.

Do I need to find an illustrator?

The short answer? No.

If you are trying to get traditionally published, after a publisher agrees to take on your book, they will then look for an illustrator. Sometimes the author has some input into this process, but often not.

Keep in mind that with traditional publishing, not only are you not expected to help find an illustrator, it is frowned upon to do so. So if you want to publish a book with a specific illustrator, then you are better off self-publishing.

If you are self-publishing, then yes, you need to find an illustrator.

Do I need an agent? Or what even is an agent?

Again, the short answer is no, you don’t need an agent.

BUT, it can be a good idea if you want to be traditionally published.

An agent is someone who works on behalf of an author to try to find a publisher for their book. They get paid a percentage of the author’s advance and royalties once they are able to land a contract for their client (the author). While there are several publishing houses that will accept manuscripts directly from an author, many require you to make inquiries through an agent. All of the Big Five publishers require submissions through an agent, for example.

How does one get a book published?

Okay this is obviously not the kind of question that can be answered in a few sentences. But for an introductory conversation, it is helpful to understand the very broad steps involved.

To try to get your book traditionally published, here are the bare bones steps:

• Write a story
• Revise your story
• Get feedback on your story
• Revise again
• Decide whether or not you want to get an agent
• If you want an agent, research which agents could be a good fit
• Write a query letter to the agent and submit your story to them
• Do this anywhere from 10 to 100 times

Take these steps if you want to try to get published without an agent:

• Research which publishers take unsolicited manuscripts (meaning they take submissions directly from authors)
• Out of those publishers, research which might be a good fit for your story
• Write a query letter to the editor and submit your story
• Do this anywhere from 10 to 100 times

A publisher wants to publish my book! Is the amount they are asking me to pay reasonable?

Sadly, the world of publishing, like many other industries, does have a few bad actors. I am including this point here because I never want you to be taken advantage of because you are new to the game.

A general rule of thumb is that you should never pay to get published–if you are looking to be traditionally published. 

Never.

If a publisher claims to be a traditional publisher and asks you to pay for any part of the process (the editing, the illustrator, printing costs, or marketing, for example)–that is a HUGE red flag. They are not being honest about being a traditional publisher.

There are even such “publishers” that sign up unsuspecting authors for a “reasonable fee” and promise to publish your book with beautiful, professional illustrations and a fantastic marketing plan. But once they get your money, they produce shoddy work and do the bare minimum to promote your book. 

Please understand that I am not painting all self-publishing companies with this same brush. If you decide to explore self-publishing, there are many reputable services out there. They are the ones not pretending to be a traditional publisher and trying to deceive you. They are transparent about costs and what you are getting for your money, and they have happy customers.

It’s a very important distinction. 

If you have questions about a specific publisher, feel free to ask me about them. I am pretty confident I will be able to assess what kind of publisher they are, whether they are legit, and if they could be a good fit for you. 

What Do I Do Next?

Congratulations on getting to the end of this post! 

Seriously, you are now more informed than a huge percentage of the bazillion people I referenced earlier who are interested in writing a children’s book (or two, or ten, or 100). 

Now you are ready to start learning about the writing process.

Fee free to download this handy flowchart to illustrate what the journey looks like in a nutshell.

Notice I didn’t say you are ready to start writing.

If you are itching to get your story down, by all means, go for it. Because no matter how great a writer you are, your first draft is going to be more of a brain dump than anything else.

Your next steps are going to be about immersing yourself in the world of kidlit. And before you start crafting your story, you’ll need to decide these things:

• What is my story idea?
• What age category am I interested in writing for?

You can learn about your next step in my post, How to Brainstorm Ideas for Your Children’s Book.

Then you should start focusing on learning how to write for children.

There are many, many resources available to help you. I suggest you explore books, websites, membership organizations, and taking courses.

I’ve compiled a resource list of the ones I have personally used, or know to be excellent because they are well-regarded in the kidlit community. You can get a copy of the resource below. Just a heads up, I will ask for your email in order to send it to you.

Want a FREE copy of my Resources for Aspiring Kidlit Writers? Click here!

Hopefully this information will help you get started on your journey. I’m planning on adding more to this series, so stay tuned!

The post Want to Write for Children–But Have No Idea How to Start? appeared first on Make a Living in Kidlit.

The biggest accomplishment of any writer’s journey to becoming a published author is not landing a publishing contract.

It’s finishing writing your book.

Because, duh, without getting that story out of your head and onto paper (or your computer), you got nothin’.

Zip. Zilch. Nada.

But once you get that first draft done, then it is time to celebrate! Because the truth is, out of the one hundred bazillion people who say they want to write a book, only about 11 actually finish the job.

(Okay, I totally made up those ridiculous numbers. But the point is, many people start their manuscripts. But few actually finish).

It doesn’t even matter how crappy your draft is. Because now you have something to build upon, something to show for that carpal tunnel syndrome you developed from so many hours of typing or writing. 

So the first thing you should do after writing your book is celebrate. Pat yourself on the back. Be proud! 

(If you are struggling with the steps before this one, like getting started writing your children’s book or coming up with ideas, then check out the posts linked here first).

And then get ready for the long road ahead.

Step Two

Whether it took you three weeks or ten years, now that you have a finished manuscript, the next thing you should do is ignore it.

I’m serious. Put it away and don’t look at it.

Advice about how long you should step away from your work varies, but everyone agrees you should take a break. A couple of weeks at a minimum, and maybe a couple of months or more if you can.

After the break, read through your draft again. You’ll be amazed at what jumps out at you about what works and doesn’t work with your story. Some people advise you not to try to make changes during that first read through after a break, but personally I don’t agree.

Being able to read your story as if it’s the first time gives you a closer idea of what your readers will experience. If something catches my attention, I make a note of it quickly. I try not to analyze anything at this point. There will be plenty of time for that later.

If I read through my draft too many times before making edits, I tend to go into overthinking mode. For example, if something in the dialogue feels amiss, I just make a notation to check it. If I don’t, by the third or fourth read, I am used to the way the passage sounds, and it may not catch my attention anymore.

Step Three

Time for edits!

Even the most experienced and talented writers start with what Anne Lamott calls your “sh*tty first draft.” It’s just part of the process. But no worries–because no one needs to see it!

Your job now is to take your rough prose and start polishing it. 

There are different ways to tackle the revision process, and there’s no one correct way to go about it. But here are some broad categories to review:

• Pacing – do you keep the reader engaged throughout? Are there places where the story lags?
• Plot – Does it have a logical beginning, middle, and end?
• Characters – Are they consistent and believable?
• Show vs Tell – Are you showing more than telling whenever possible?

There’s a lot more that I could say about the revision process, but this is not the place for it! This article provides a good general checklist.  

No matter what, don’t skimp on this step. You are going to need to do several passes through your story if you want to end up with a solid manuscript. There is no magic number, but don’t stop at just one or two. 

Step Four

Get some good feedback.

When you feel you are ready to share your story with others, it’s time to find some readers. (If you don’t feel ready, then go back to Step 3). 

Now, it’s fine to ask your friends, your partner, or your family members to read your story and give you feedback. But if you are serious about getting your children’s book into the world, you shouldn’t stop there (unless these people are all professional children’s writers themselves!).

You need people who are discerning readers and who have experience with critiquing CHILDREN’S books. This is where being part of the children’s book community is super helpful. 

In my experience (and I know most share this), the kidlit community is SUPER generous. Other writers are very willing and happy to help anyone who needs it. This can mean anything from answering simple questions (how long should my book be?) to getting a critique.

But where does one find these amazingly helpful people?

Happily, it turns out they are super easy to find. Here are some suggestions:

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) 

This is the queen of all groups for those interested in kidlit. Even if you have barely dipped your toe in the waters of writing for children, you have probably heard of SCBWI. (And I’m sure I’ve said this before, but for a group made up of wordsmiths, it sure seems like they could have come up with a better name and acronym!). 

Dues are very reasonable, and definitely worth it. In the beginning, it’s all a bit overwhelming, but my best advice is to dive in and start taking advantage of their events. Check out your local chapter and the national group for webinars or any gatherings (which are all online now during the pandemic).

Being an SCBWI member also gives you opportunities to receive feedback on your work. The online discussion board (The Blueboard) offers a place to ask questions and get in touch with critique groups (and join one). You can also post up to 1,000 words and get feedback on your manuscript. Any SCBWI member can respond, so there’s no way to predict what the skill level of your critiquer will be. But a moderator usually weighs in, so you will get at least one set of experienced eyes on your story.

Many local chapters offer regular opportunities to gather (again, remotely during the pandemic) and swap manuscripts for critiques.

Finally, SCBWI conferences also include a chance to sign up for a critique from agents, editors, and authors. It will require paying an additional fee on top of the conference registration. Local chapter conferences are less expensive than the two national conferences and the critiques are usually priced lower as well. It’s usually worth the cost because those providing the critiques have been vetted by the conference organizers, so you know it will be done by a skilled individual. Also, if your critique is done by an agent or editor, if they are interested in your story, they may ask you to follow up with them.

Kidlit411

Here’s another amazing resource, and this one is free! This website, run by authors Sylvia Liu and Elaine Kiely Kearns, is chock full of information for both writers and illustrators. They also have a Facebook group (KIDLIT411 Manuscript Swap) where you can ask to swap manuscripts to get feedback. 

You can also find links for how to find critique groups or form one. 

Facebook Groups

In addition to Kidlit411’s Facebook group, there are different groups that have formed on Facebook for people interested in writing for childrens. Most are open to anyone who expresses an interest. Here are a few:

• The Children’s Book Academy 

• Children’s Book Writers USA

• Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market

• Children’s Book Authors and Illustrators: Publishing, Marketing and Selling

Sometimes people post in the groups looking for critique partners, so this can be another way to connect with fellow writers in your genre.

Twitter

For some reason, writers seem to like hanging out on Twitter. Writers of children’s books are no exception. 

I know Twitter (well, all social media has its ugly side) can get nasty at times. (But it can also be delightfully snarky and clever). But, at least in my experience, the kidlit space on Twitter is very supportive and full of positive vibes. It can be a great way to connect with other writers as well as agents and publishers.

If you don’t know where to start, you can try checking out hashtags related to the children’s writing space. #childrenswriting, #pb (for picture books), #MG (for middle grade) and #YA (for young adult). 

Start following other writers or groups that look interesting to you. Try engaging in conversations and get to know others. Authors in particular often offer opportunities to win critiques. If you pay attention and stay engaged, chances are good you can win one.

Mentors

Finding a mentor to help guide you on your journey is another great way to get feedback and guidance on your work. I have been fortunate enough to have two amazing mentors: Katey Howes through Justin Colón’s #PBChat, and Liz Garton Scanlon, through the Austin SCBWI chapter. 

Author Mentor Match (AMM) is a free service that matches aspiring writers of middle grade, young adult, and adult works with experienced authors for mentorship. I am not personally familiar with the program, but it comes recommended by other authors whose opinion I respect. Matching rounds take place once or twice a year; check out the website to see if one is coming up. 

You must be unagented and you must have a completed, polished manuscript. The application process is fairly rigorous, but you are allowed to apply to up to four mentors. 

Step 3.1

After getting feedback from other children’s writers, I highly recommend getting a professional critique. Yes, this means shelling out some money, but it is definitely a worthwhile investment.

How much can you expect a professional edit will cost?

It depends.

A picture book critique for 500 to 700 words is generally going to be less expensive than the first 2,000 words of a longer book. And getting your entire middle grade or young adult novel edited by a professional is definitely going to cost you more.

Just for the sake of information, for a picture book, you can expect to pay in the range of $50 to $300. 

The price is going to vary based on the experience of your editor. Many published children’s book authors offer inexpensive critiques, and can be a good place to start. 

A freelance editor who used to work at a publishing house will generally be on the high side, in the $200 to $300 range. 

Professional critiques can be through email or in-person

Oftentimes, webinar presentations (especially those put on by SCBWI and local chapters) will also offer a limited number of critiques for a reasonable price (in the $50 to $75 range). 

And then?

When you feel you have your manuscript in tip-top shape, then you are ready to enter the next phase of the publication journey. 

What does that mean? 

The dreaded submission process.

Ready? Let’s go!

The post You’ve Written a Book–Now What? appeared first on Make a Living in Kidlit.

I mean, I often have work projects that require me to compose words into some kind of organized fashion. So I am usually writing everyday in some form.

But there’s also the practice of writing everyday toward some goal. Like writing a children’s story, for example.

I would dutifully sit down and set a timer for anywhere from eight to 30 minutes, and try to write. 

And have no idea what to write about!

If You Want to Write For Children, You Need a Story Idea

I realize this is kind of a no-brainer, but the first thing you need if you want to write for kids is something to write about.

It’s the first step in this handy flow chart that you may or may not have seen already. (If not, you can take a look here).

Many of you may already have a great story idea. You might be inspired by something from your life, or from your family’s lives, that you would like to share. Or perhaps your child has a quirky habit that triggered an idea for a story (like only wanting to sleep on the floor. True story!).

What if I Don’t Know What to Write About?

But when nothing comes to mind after “Once upon a time…” don’t despair! There is inspiration everywhere.

Here are a few helpful tips for moving forward and not getting stuck on Step One.

Stop Trying to Think of Ideas

Writers Digest has a good post on Senior Literary Agent Paula Munier’s book, The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings that shares some ideas for how to get  those brainstorming juices flowing. 

One of my favorites is the tip to do an activity (NOT writing) that uses your conscious mind, but frees your subconscious to wander and explore. Apparently author Agatha Christie found washing the dishes as the best time to plot her stories. I often get my best ideas while in the shower (I really must get one of the waterproof notepad things!) or driving (but turn off that radio or podcast!). 

Hang Around Kids

I don’t know about you, but I find my kids to be a constant source of entertainment and inspiration. 

When they were younger, they were always saying funny things, asking lots of questions that I didn’t have answers to, and going through life milestones that made me think, “there should be a children’s book about that!” 

The problem is, I didn’t write anything down.

Some things were so noteworthy, I would think there was no possible way I would forget them. But I did not account for my brain being in such a constant state of overload that it simply had to offload lots of great memories to maintain my sanity.

So if you have kids, or are around them a lot, then write those gems down. 

And if you are not around them so much, try to take advantage of opportunities to observe them whenever you can. Even watching them while waiting to board your flight at the airport can be a surprisingly rich source of material.

Kidlit Author Resources for Brainstorming

Within the children’s writing community, there are many authors organizing challenges and events to help writers get their idea machine in gear. Here are a few to look out for:

Storystorm

One really awesome  resource for brainstorming is kidlit author Tara Lazar’s Storystorm challenge. This annual event takes place in January of every year. Writers sign up to participate in this free event, and pledge to come up with 30 story ideas in 30 days. There’s lots of support and camaraderie involved every day, and Tara keeps things fun and offers LOTs of prizes for those who complete the challenge. 

12×12 Picture Book Challenge

In 2012, author Julie Hedland launched the 12×12 Picture Book Challenge as a way to build a community of writers and help them come up with story ideas as well as polished manuscripts. 

The year-long challenge encourages writers to create one manuscript a month, with the goal of having 12 by the end of the year. There are two paid membership levels that give you access to many great benefits, such as monthly webinars and feedback on your manuscripts from your peers and published authors. The higher membership level also comes with opportunities to submit to agents. Registration takes place every January and February.

NF Fest

Now might be a good time to put in a plug for writing nonfiction for kids. 

Most people who are interested in writing for children are wanting to write fictional stories. 

And that’s fine. But if you enjoy nonfiction, you may want to consider exploring writing a nonfiction book for kids. 

One reason is that the market for children’s nonfiction has been seeing some growth in recent years. Publishers Weekly reported sales of children’s fiction was down from 2017 to 2018, but UP for nonfiction. It means nonfiction can provide more opportunities to get published in a less crowded market. 

Courtesy of NPD Group

Okay, back to NF Fest!

This is not exactly a challenge to generate ideas, but it certainly helps those interested in writing nonfiction polish any ideas they have. This month-long challenge, which ran for the first time in February 2020, is described as a “crash-course in writing nonfiction for children.” 

Lots of insight and tips are shared each day in February by authors and others in the nonfiction kidlit industry. For those who participate actively, there are lots of great prizes. And just like Storystorm, the entire event is free!

50 Precious Words

Kidlit author Vivian Kirkfield is a huge champion of aspiring children’s writers, and in 2016 she decided to create a different kind of challenge. With picture book word lengths trending shorter, she thought it would be fun to see how well people could craft full stories–using only 50 words.

Her free annual event, which takes place in February/March each year, is a great way to muster up some inspiration and come up with a quick story. Of course, writing an entire story with a beginning, middle, and end with only 50 words is pretty darn challenging! 

Vivian’s contest this past year garnered almost 400 entries! She makes it fun and exciting, and she offers loads of encouragement. There are also tons of great prizes, so there is plenty to get you motivated to participate.

And once you have some ideas to work with, you can move on to the next step.

No, it’s not starting to write. Not yet!

Want a FREE copy of my Resources for Aspiring Kidlit Writers? Click here!

The post How to Brainstorm Ideas for Your Children’s Book appeared first on Make a Living in Kidlit.

I was reading a children’s book about a band of cute rabbit-like animals called pikas that were on a grand adventure. So far, they had traveled for miles, encountering danger in the form of predators, rushing water, and getting lost. They kept their spirits up by singing pika songs and giving one another pika pep talks.

It was one of the worst stories I had ever read.

The plot line was unfocused, the characters weren’t particularly likeable, and the story sounded a little too much like another book I had read and loved.

This author has no talent, I thought. No one is ever going to want to read this book.

Unfortunately, that author was me.

Becoming a Children’s Author Was Way Harder Than I Expected

In my defense, I was about 13 or 14 years old. The story in question was my first attempt at writing a book. I had just finished reading my favorite book of all time, Watership Down, for about the millionth time, and I was inspired.

I want to write something like that. My teenage mind was filled with visions of a 500-page novel that was exciting, inspiring, and made readers long for more. It was like I had something creative inside of me that I just needed to release upon the world.

But when I tried to express the feelings in my heart on paper, the result was nothing like I had imagined.

It was just as Issac Bashevis Singer described:

“Every creator painfully experiences the chasm between his inner vision and its ultimate expression.”

I felt the chasm in my case was wider than the Grand Canyon.

Wait, You Have to Share What You Write?

I’m sorry to say that after reading the draft of my book, I was so disgusted, I threw it in the trash.

All 50-plus pages.

Keep in mind that this was way back in the Dark Ages before everyone had a computer.

Okay, before personal computers even existed.

I had typed those 50 pages on a study manual typewriter, banging on those keys like a pianist playing fortissimo.

In other words, it was like hitting the “delete all” button. Once it was gone, it was gone forever.

And just like that, my dream of becoming an author was trashed as well.

Of course, if my story ended there, I would hardly be offering you any source of inspiration or hope.

That is not my intention.

But I need to be honest here. The story gets worse.

I still had dreams of writing. I entered college, and declared myself an English major. It made perfect sense for someone who wanted to write.

Everything was going fine as English classes meant reading lots of books (yay!) and writing papers about the books.

But then it came time for me to take a writing class.

Here’s the problem with taking a writing class. You have to share your work. As in let your fellow classmates read what you write.

The idea of having my peers judge my creative writing sent me into a full-blown panic. There was NO WAY I could do that.

So, I quit my second attempt at becoming a writer.

How to Guarantee…Failure

The thing with heartfelt dreams is that they don’t ever go away. No matter how deep you try to bury them, they have this pesky way of popping up and taunting you.

When I became a parent, I was reintroduced to the world of children’s books. I read A LOT of books to my kids.

And all that yearning inside to be able to create something that touched the hearts of others came bubbling up to the surface in full force.

The reason I wasn’t realizing my dream was because I was missing one key element.

When I first started writing, I didn’t tell anyone what I was doing. I started out by focusing on copywriting.

But writing for children? To share my dream was outright embarrassing.

I’d never done it before. I had no training, no experience, and, I thought, no talent.

But there was also one more thing I lacked.

I was running out of time.

I was nearing 50, and all I had done was try to write a couple of stories. I had sent them to a few magazines, and they were quickly rejected.

Was I going to walk away for a third time?

Was I going to let failure become inevitable?

What You Need to Succeed

Writer Nikos Kazantzakis once famously said, “In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can.”

I had finally come to understand that I had to stop waiting for success before allowing myself to believe I could be an author.

The belief had to come first.

I had to start calling myself a writer. I had to start telling other people that I was a writer.

My whole life, I was so afraid of failing. I believed that by avoiding failure, I could protect myself from disappointment.

But of course, that’s not how it works at all.

Or if you just try halfway, you are left in a state that is much, much worse.

My friend and author, Cerece Rennie Murphy, calls it being stuck in “almost.”

The thing is, you don’t even have to believe 100 percent that you can achieve your dreams. I heard one motivational speaker say you only need to believe you have a 3 percent chance of succeeding.

I don’t know about you, but surely if you want something enough, you can believe you have a chance of at least 3 percent.

Embrace Your Dream: Say it Out Loud

You may laugh, but this was seriously hard for me.

I’m the kind of person who never tells anyone when I’m about explore something new. So when I began taking tiny steps toward becoming a children’s author, I was too embarrassed, too filled with self-doubt, to tell anyone.

Not even my family. Especially my family.

It was such a vulnerable step to tell them: “I am trying to become a children’s writer.”

But when I finally did, it was a complete non-event for them. “That’s cool, Mom,” one of my kids replied. “Good for you,” the other said.

No gasps of disbelief. No peals of hysterical laughter.

They just accepted my statement as something ordinary.

And completely possible.

I told more people. I mentioned it to my friends. I told my dad.

I went to conferences and meet-ups for children’s book writers, and everyone accepted me without question.

All of these steps helped strengthen my belief that I could succeed.

I landed a project co-authoring a self-published book for children. I got an article published in FACES Magazine, part of the Cricket Media group.

I began exploring work-for-hire for the educational market. (Side note: this involves having a publisher assign you a book where they come up with the concept and retain all rights to the book).

I got hired to write a nonfiction book about snakes. Then another nonfiction book for high schoolers.

These were books published by legitimate publishers, with MY NAME as the author!

I had finally become a children’s book author.

None of this would have happened if I had continued to sit alone at my desk, pining away for my dream, hoping I could finally tell people when I succeeded at publishing a book.

You have to start with the belief. You have to start with being vulnerable, risking judgment and failure, and step out into the world to make your dream come true.

If you keep trying, and learning, and working, and not giving up, you will reach your goal.

And when you do, you can give your imaginary pika friend a high-five.

Want my FREE Resource Guide for anyone interested in becoming a children’s book author? 

The post Want to Be a Children’s Author? You Need This One Thing First appeared first on Make a Living in Kidlit.

I thought it was impossible, but here is proof that miracles can happen–with a lot of help from  many amazing and wonderful people!

This story knocked me over the head when my dad first told me how the Korean alphabet came into being—and I’ve been wanting to get it out into the world ever since. And now it’s going to be a children’s book!! It’s a dream come true!

So how did this miraculous development come to be?

To be honest, I’m not sure.

I am not a good example of someone who followed best practices toward reaching their goal of becoming a published author.

Most aspiring children’s book authors are diligent writers, who have dozens of stories written, in various stages of polish.

This is a very good practice. Because it doesn’t matter how skilled a writer you are, you are not going to write your first children’s book manuscript and nail it on the first try.

Alas, I am not a diligent writer. 

And yet, I still managed to land a book deal and get an agent, despite having written only two full manuscripts.

I know–it’s ridiculous, right? How can I even call myself a writer?

I want to share my story of how I got my book deal because I know it is really easy to get discouraged. You can do everything right, and try really, really hard, and all you have to show for it is a pile of rejections.

Despite the fact that I only have a measly two finished manuscripts, and only a handful of rejections, I have also been on that same long, disappointing journey. 

I have wanted to be an author since I was a kid. It took me until my mid-fifties to finally reach that goal.

But now that it’s happening? I’m utterly convinced it is happening at exactly the right time.

I didn’t actively pursue my dream of becoming an author for most of my life. I wrote more stories before I reached the age of 10 than I did in the following four decades.

I was nearing my fifties when I finally decided to stop being afraid and to put some effort into trying to become an author.

I started exploring ways I could practice writing for kids. I wrote stories that were used as part of a reading curriculum. I wrote stories to submit to magazines. I helped co-write a book with another children’s author. I even landed a few work-for-hire projects with educational publishers.

All of these steps took place in fits and starts. Sometimes months would go by without me writing a word.

Looking back, I see the turning point happening when I sat myself down and DECIDED I was really going to try to get a book published with a traditional, trade publisher. 

I considered–what did I need to help make it happen?

I decided I needed a mentor. Someone to guide me and keep me accountable. 

So when I stumbled across Justin Colon’s #PBChat mentorship program, it was serendipity. This was EXACTLY what I needed. So I put my heart and soul into the application as if my future depended on it. 

Here’s the funny thing. I never saw myself as a picture book writer. They seemed WAY too hard–you have to tell an entire story in 500 words? Okay, 1,000 if it’s nonfiction. But still–Impossible! 

But this mentorship was for aspiring picture book authors. So I took my one manuscript that could be made into a picture book format, and submitted it with my application.

Well, the stars aligned for me and I was selected as a mentee to Katey Howes! I knew this was an important development for me. I was so happy I cried.

Since I was now apparently an aspiring picture book author, I also signed up for the Children’s Book Academy (CBA) course on writing picture books.

During the course, we were invited to ask for feedback on story ideas. I submitted a pitch for the story I used for #PBChat. 

But I also submitted another story idea.

This one was for an idea I had been carrying around for a few years. It would require a fair amount of research that I had barely started. I didn’t think I was ready to write it.

That story idea involved the invention of the Korean alphabet by King Sejong in the 15th century. 

Everyone LOVED the Korean alphabet story idea. It hit so many right notes: a fascinating historical event few were aware of, involving an interesting figure who fought to improve the lives of the disadvantaged classes, and it was an #ownvoices story.

It became clear that I was going to have to write the Korean alphabet story, ready or not.

So I did. I dusted off my research, found more sources, and finished a draft. I had help from my mentor and my critique group. I got a critique from Mira Reisberg, the founder of the CBA.

At the end of the CBA course, all participants are invited to pitch a panel of agents and editors with one story–much like a Twitter pitch party. Panelists can request full manuscripts for any pitches that catch their interest.

I was amazed to receive requests from two editors!

One request was from Christina Pulles with Albert Whitman. After several weeks, she contacted me. They liked my story, and were intrigued enough to ask if I’d be willing to make some revisions. This is what is known as a Revise and Resubmit, or R & R. 

I liked Christina’s suggestions, so I spent a few weeks revising my story, and sent it back to her.

More weeks passed. Christina contacted me again. They were still interested, but felt some more tweaks would make the story stronger. Would I be willing to do another R & R?

You bet I was willing!

This time, Christina got back to me fairly quickly. They wanted to take my story, KING SEJONG INVENTS AN ALPHABET, to an acquisition meeting!

I was getting so close!

So I waited. 

And waited. 

And waited.

Months went by. I checked in with Christina. Were they still considering my book?

She assured me they were, and that she would let me know as soon as something happened.

More waiting.

Then one day, Christina emailed me. They had found an illustrator they felt was a good match for my book. They were ready to take it to acquisitions! (Just an aside, I think the practice of finding an illustrator before acquiring a book is unusual. Most publishers look for an illustrator after the book deal is made). 

And then finally, finally! After another two weeks, I got the email. Albert Whitman wanted to publish my book!

When I got the news, I happened to be sitting with my husband and younger daughter at the dining table with my computer. I leapt up and shouted, “THEY WANT TO PUBLISH MY BOOK!!!”

My family cheered. My daughter ran outside to tell her sister (who was sitting on the front porch) the exciting news.

The agony of waiting, the years of self-doubt, the rejections that had come before–it all vanished for me in that moment.

It had been such a long journey. But when you finally reach this milestone, it is absolutely, without a sliver of a doubt, completely worth it.

If you are interested in how my book deal then led me to sign with my wonderful agent, Charlotte Wenger, check out my blog post with the completely predictable title: How I Got My Agent.

The post How I Got My Picture Book Deal appeared first on Make a Living in Kidlit.

Ahem. Sorry. It’s just that reaching this milestone is so exciting! 

Okay, I’m ready now. 

There are actually two versions of my agent story.

In one version, I defied the odds and landed both a publishing contract and agent in about 12 months. 

That, my friends, in the publishing world, is pretty much an overnight success.

Under this timeline, my journey began when I wrote the first draft of my nonfiction picture book. It ends 12 months later with me signing a contract. 

But I’m sure you know where I am going with this. 

In the second version, like so many “overnight successes” in the creative world, my journey was really several years, even decades, in the making.

It took me at least a decade of learning, writing stories, and trying and failing to reach this amazing goal of signing with an agent.

But for purposes of keeping this post to a manageable length, here’s the “quick” version. I hope there are pieces from my experience that can serve as a guide to others.

I Got Serious in the Summer of 2019

In something akin to committing to a New Year’s Resolution, I decided in 2019 that I was going to make a serious run at writing a children’s story and getting it published. 

It was not an auspicious beginning. For one, I was pretty late with my “Resolution”–it was already July.

Nevertheless, I sat myself down and figured out what my next steps should be. Here are the things I did that I think really helped me move forward in important ways.

Tip #1: Don’t Try to Do It Alone

First, I decided I needed help. 

I used to think I could figure this whole writing for children’s thing on my own. But years had passed and I had only a few, sad, rejected stories to show for it.

I needed someone to tell me what to do. So I decided to look for a mentor.

Luckily for me, my extensive research into mentorships (basically Googling “children’s writing mentorships”) led me to Justin Colón’s PBChat Mentorship program. This was its inaugural year, and I was impressed by the number of authors who had signed up to be mentors. However, the deadline was looming in two weeks, and I didn’t have a polished manuscript.

I didn’t have much time.

But I poured my heart into the application. I asked for help with my one picture book manuscript, asking people to critique it. I rewrote it once, twice, three times.

Amazingly, I was selected as a mentee by author Katey Howes!

Tip #2: Work on Improving Your Craft

There are many great free and low-cost resources available to help you become a better children’s writer. I’ve done quite a few of them over the years.

But at this point I needed something rigorous, and I needed something that would hold me accountable. I explored several children’s writing courses and found the Children’s Book Academy (CBA) picture book course met these criteria for me. 

The CBA course gave students many opportunities for feedback on pitches and story ideas. You also could sign up to be part of a critique group. To get the most out of the course, I dutifully did all the homework. I took advantage of all opportunities for feedback and participated in all the live events. 

I also had the incredible added help of Katey, who gave me advice and feedback on my work. 

Tip #3: Take Advantage of Opportunities

At the end of the course, all participants had the opportunity to submit a pitch to a group of agents and editors. 

I was thrilled when I received two requests for my full manuscript from two editors!

One of them was Christina Pulles with Albert Whitman. 

Over the course of several months, Christina asked for a revise and resubmit (an R&R) of my story. Then she asked for another one. 

And finally, Christina informed me they wanted to take my story to acquisitions! I was euphoric! Then I waited. And waited. A few more months went by.

Then one day, Christina emailed me to let me know Albert Whitman wanted to publish my book!! I was overjoyed!

So What About the Agent Part?

I have a confession to make. 

I hardly queried any agents. 

I actually had some opportunities to query agents, as a result of getting “likes” on my pitches from #DVPit (and I do recommend participating in Twitter pitch parties). But I hardly followed through on these opportunities.

In total I queried six agents.

The reason I wasn’t querying was because I only had one really polished manuscript, and one decent one. Most agents like to see at least three polished manuscripts before offering representation. And I just couldn’t seem to get that third story written.

So I didn’t query.

But now, here I was, with a publishing offer. Many people urged me to query agents. It can be used as a way to get their attention, and you can even get away with asking for a fast response!

So I did. I sent out half a dozen queries. 

I was shocked to receive interest from two agents within two weeks’ time. They both asked for more stories. One actually asked to see three more manuscripts.

With only one other story in my arsenal, I was in kind of a pickle.

I took a VERY rough draft of another story I had and reworked it. I asked my critique group to give me feedback. (A good group of critique partners is a tremendously valuable resource!) They gently pointed out its flaws, and I reworked it a few times.

For the agent who asked for three manuscripts, I didn’t know how I could come up with yet another story. Then one of my critique partners (what did I tell you about a great critique group?) suggested I send a pitch for my third story. Great idea!

I submitted my additional manuscripts and my pitch, and hoped for the best. 

Both agents responded and asked if we could talk.

Panicked and overjoyed, I contacted my critique group. “Help! I need advice!”

“When is The Call?” one asked me.

“Wait. Is this THE CALL? How do I know if this is it?”

My critique partners replied: “Carol, this is THE CALL!” “There is no call except for THE CALL!”

They were right. And both offered representation!

In the course of a few weeks, I had gone from zero agent prospects to suddenly receiving two offers.

I was and am so grateful to have such an incredible choice to make. I spent the weekend agonizing because they were both excellent agents. How to decide?

Finally I did what EVERYONE told me to do. “Go with your gut.”

On the following Monday, I accepted Charlotte Wenger’s (Prospect Agency) offer!

There is More Than One Way to Get to Your Goal

I broke a lot of rules on my way to getting a book contract and agent. I am hardly recommending you follow my example. But I want you to see that you can have success even when you are not doing things perfectly.

Here are some things I think you need to keep in mind:

• If you are writing picture books, you really do need more than one polished manuscript.
• You must believe you can achieve your goal.
• You must be persistent.
• True allies are a tremendously helpful resource.

There really are no overnight successes in the quest to become a published children’s book author. It takes time to learn the craft and understand how to get an agent and contract. It is also a very subjective business, and hard to predict which of your works will actually get picked up.

But I do know one thing for sure: if it can happen for me, then unquestionably, without a doubt, it can happen for you, too!

For a more detailed rundown on how I got my picture book deal, you can read about it here.

If you are interested in exploring how to get started writing for children, check out my post on Want to Write for Children–But Have No Idea How to Start?

Struggling to find ideas for stories? Take a look at How to Brainstorm Ideas for Your Children’s Book.

If you are interested in exploring more about my work as a children’s book author, hop on over to my website at CarolKimBooks.com.

The post How I Got my Agent appeared first on Make a Living in Kidlit.

And if you’re like just about every other person on this planet, you are feeling a bit overwhelmed and distracted because there is just SO MUCH stuff going on in the world!

How in the world are we supposed to get anything done, let alone write a children’s book manuscript?

For one, we are still deep in the throes of a pandemic. That alone is enough to make me want to curl up in a ball under the covers and sleep until the “all clear” bell sounds.

But not only that, it’s been an election year. Don’t worry, I’m not even going to talk about that topic–you get enough of that elsewhere.

And then there’s regular life happening (except that nothing looks regular these days). There’s work, and school if you have kids, and the latest creation by Shondaland, and the aftermath of the holidays, and AHHHHHHH!

So what in the world does this have to do with what I usually write to you about, which is about writing for kids?

It just seems like many creatives are struggling to get any work done on their kidlit stuff because it is hard to get in the right headspace with so many major distractions flying around in our heads.

We are not writing stories. We are not making art. We are not generating ideas.

But despite all that, I’m actually having one of my most productive years ever. I’ve got a book coming out. I’ve got three new work-for-hire projects going on simultaneously. I’m trying to keep up with my website and keeping in touch with you guys.

It’s not been all smooth sailing. I have days where I feel as if I’ve been banging my head against the wall and all I’ve produced is a big, fat headache.

Other days the words feel like they are being s-q-u-e-e-z-e-d out of my like an old glue bottle where the glue seems to still be liquid but my vise-like grip only produces a tiny drop.

(I mean, someone explain this to me. The glue is moving around in there, so why oh why can’t I get anything out??)

But then there are those days when I sit down and the words flow. I feel energized and excited about what I’m writing. I am learning interesting facts about what I’m researching and I can’t wait to share it with kids.

How can we get more days like that?

I thought I’d share a few of the things that I think are helping me have productive and enjoyable days.

Number one: Sit quietly.

Okay, don’t laugh. I know this can feel impossible sometimes. But I’m not even talking about a long time. 

I am a huge fan of meditation. I started exploring it a few years ago, and at first I was skeptical. Thoughts would ping around in my brain so fast I’d open my eyes feeling like I had completely failed.

Don’t go there.

Meditating is a practice. And it requires practice.

I started with baby steps. I downloaded the Insight Timer app and looked for guided meditations that were only ten minutes long. Or less.

Sometimes all I would do was one minute. 

But over time, you get better at focusing on not thinking. And I’m telling you, if you can stop your mind for just ten seconds, it helps. 

Seriously.

I now have a streak where I’ve meditated over 650 days in a row without missing a day. 

I know I am a calmer person than I was a few years ago. I’m less anxious and stressed.

And I’m able to write.

Number Two: Extend yourself some grace.

What I mean by this is don’t try to be a superhuman. 

You are doing the best you can. Sometimes the best you can do is get out of bed and change out of your pajamas. Or maybe you stay in your pajamas. But still.

You are doing the best you can.

Just keep trying to do what needs to be done. Even if it’s the bare minimum, remind yourself you can try again tomorrow.

Just don’t give up. But stop beating yourself up that you are not cranking out 10,000 words or drawing 100 sketches and also getting dinner on the table and your teeth brushed.

Number Three: Remember you don’t have to figure everything out right now

This one has actually been huge for me.

Because the truth is, we start to feel anxious and overwhelmed when we look at our to-do list or start going through the million and one things we are supposed to take care of and you think you can’t possibly get it all done and you’re going to fail and everyone is going to laugh at you or lose all respect for you and you may as well just stay in bed and definitely not change out of your pajamas.

Instead of going down that path, stop. 

Decide what are the one or two things you absolutely have to do. Then just focus on those things.

And when other things pop up, ask yourself: Do I need to figure this out right now? 

Even if you have a deadline coming up next week or a payment coming due and you don’t have the money in your account to cover it–if you don’t need to figure out that one thing AT THIS MOMENT, then tell yourself:

“I don’t have to figure that out right now.”

Because if you did have to deal with that one thing, well, that’s what should be on your must-do list. 

Everything else you tell yourself you will get to it later. But don’t obsess over it until then.

The amazing thing about this approach is that in many cases, the problem resolves itself, a solution presents itself, or you realize the problem wasn’t as bad as you thought.

For those times when you are still struggling to figure out an answer, go back to Number One: sit quietly. Try to settle your mind and then ask the question: what is the next best step? This approach has helped me many, many times in my life. You may be surprised by what comes up.

Are you wanting to write for children, but don’t know where to start? Check out this post: Want to Write for Children–But Have No Idea How to Start?

If you are feeling ready to exercise your creative muscles, and want to dive into some stories, check out this post: How to Brainstorm Ideas for Your Children’s Book.

And if you have any other great tips for managing being overwhelmed by life, let me know! 

The post Are You Feeling Creative? (Insert hysterical laughter here). appeared first on Make a Living in Kidlit.

Eight years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues. Read about their Mission & History HERE.

One fun way to participate is to join the Twitter party that takes place on January 29 at 9:00 pm EST/8:00 pm CST/6:00 PM PST.

This epically fun and fast-paced hour includes multicultural book discussions, addressing timely issues, diverse book recommendations, & reading ideas.

And no epic celebration would be complete without PRIZES!! During the Twitter Party, MCBD will be giving away an 8-Book Bundle EVERY 5 MINUTES plus Bonus Prizes as well! *** US and Global participants welcome. ** (Non-USA winners will be sent PDFs instead of physical copies)

Follow the hashtag #ReadYourWorld to join the conversation, connect with like-minded folks, authors, publishers, educators, organizations, and librarians.

To join the party, Register here!

For a giant list of books and their reviews, go visit the Multicultural Children’s Book Day (MCBD) website.

All of this is made possible by the fabulous sponsors of MCBD; please make note of them here:

MCBD 2021 is honored to be Supported by these Medallion Sponsors!

FOUNDER’S CIRCLE: Mia Wenjen (Prgamaticmom) and Valarie Budayr’s (Audreypress.com)

Platinum Sponsors: Language Lizard Bilingual Books in 50+ Languages, Author Deedee Cummings and Make A Way Media

Gold Sponsors: Barefoot Books, Candlewick Press, Capstone,  Hoopoe Books,  KidLitTV, Peachtree Publishing Company Inc.

Silver Sponsors: Charlotte Riggle, Connecticut Association of School Librarians, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, Pack-N-Go Girls

Bronze Sponsors: Agatha Rodi and AMELIE is IMPRESSED!, Barnes Brothers Books, Create and Educate Solutions, LLC, Dreambuilt Books, Dyesha and Triesha McCants/McCants Squared, Redfin Real Estate, Snowflake Stories, Star Bright Books, TimTimTom Bilingual Personalized Books, Author Vivian Kirkfield, Wisdom Tales Press, My Well Read Child 

MCBD 2021 is honored to be Supported by these Author Sponsors!

Poster Artist: Nat Iwata

Authors: Author Afsaneh Moradian, Author Alva Sachs & Three Wishes Publishing Company, Author Angeliki Stamatopoulou-Pedersen, Author Anna Olswanger, Author Casey Bell , Author Claudine Norden, Author Debbie Dadey, Author Diana Huang & Intrepids,  Author Eugenia Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Green Kids Club,  Author Gwen Jackson, Author Janet Balletta, Author Josh Funk, Author Julia Inserro, Karter Johnson & Popcorn and Books, Author Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, Author Keila Dawson, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove, Author Mia Wenjen, Michael Genhart, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Natalie Murray, Natalie McDonald-Perkins, Author Natasha Yim, Author Phe Lang and Me On The Page Publishing,Sandra Elaine Scott, Author Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher,  Tales of the Five Enchanted Mermaids, Author Theresa Mackiewicz, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Author Toshia Stelivan, Valerie Williams-Sanchez & The Cocoa Kids Collection Books©, Author Vanessa Womack, MBA, Author Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series

MCBD 2021 is Honored to be Supported by our CoHosts and Global CoHosts!

MCBD 2021 is Honored to be Supported by these Media Partners!

Check out MCBD’s Multicultural Books for Kids Pinterest Board!

Plus, here are some awesome FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day:

Diversity Book Lists & Activities for Teachers and Parents

Homeschool Diverse Kidlit Booklist & Activity Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Activism and Activists Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Empathy Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Kindness Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Poverty Kit

Gallery of Our Free Posters

FREE Diversity Book for Classrooms Program

Whew! That’s a lot of stuff, right? It really is an amazing event, and the focus is on promoting diverse books and bringing lots of great materials to teachers and librarians as well.

Finally, to take a look at the books I reviewed as part of this event, you can read about them in the following posts:

THE PIRATE PRINCESS by Alva Sachs, illustrated by Patricia Krebs

FILIPINO CELEBRATIONS by Liana Romulo, illustrated by Corzaon Dandan-Albano

KOREAN CHILDREN’S FAVORITE STORIES by Kim So-Un, illustrated by Jeong Kyoung-Sim

LET’S LEARN KOREAN by Laura Armitage (edited by Tina Cho)

The post It’s Multicultural Children’s Book Day! appeared first on Make a Living in Kidlit.

In Part Three of my series of book reviews for Multicultural Children’s Book Day (#ReadYourWorld), I’ll be reviewing KOREAN CHILDREN’S FAVORITE STORIES by Kim So-Un, illustrated by Jeong Kyoung-Sim. The publisher is Tuttle Publishing.

Before I forget to mention it, I was gifted a copy of this book so I could provide an honest review. Which I am happy to do to help promote diverse books and support the mission of MDBD.

As a second-generation Korean-American, I was delighted to first discover this book several years ago. This book represents a recent reprinting with a new cover.

This book contains a collection of thirteen short folktales which the author describes as having been told for generations. Most contain an obvious message for the reader, such as the rewards of behaving with kindness, empathy, and generosity. Some contain echoes of classic fables such as those by Aesop, including animals acting with human qualities, such as a clever rabbit or dangerous and badly-behaved tigers (and some kind tigers as well).

One thing to keep in mind is that these stories have not been updated to reflect modern sensibilities. As a result, there are elements in some of the stories that will, at best, be perceived as old-fashioned. For example, there are many references to the beauty of some of the female characters that equates them with being superior—a message labeled the “feminine beauty ideal” by some literary scholars. This is, of course, precisely what is found in classic western fairytales such as Cinderella and Snow White. But in a couple of these Korean stories, daughters are offered as a reward, and the most beautiful ones are “given” as the top prize. The best way to approach this issue is to take the opportunity to use the stories as a discussion point for both girls and boys. Most children are quick to recognize the superior importance of a person’s character over their appearance, regardless of what they may read in a classic fairytale.

These stories do serve to illustrate some of the broader cultural elements unique to Korea. Themes of honesty, hard work, forgiveness, and courage are all included in the collection, alongside some light-hearted or, quite frankly, head-scratching messages. Not all stories end neatly or happily—something to keep in mind when sharing the book with younger readers. On the whole they are entertaining and a departure from most stories kids encounter today. The watercolor illustrations are beautiful and depict the historical dress and landscape of the country.

My other reviews for MCBD include THE PIRATE PRINCESS, FILIPINO CELEBRATIONS, and LET’S LEARN KOREAN.

For more details about Multicultural Children’s Book Day, take a look here. Please take a moment to note the list of generous sponsors for this important event.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021 (1/29/21) is in its 8^th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators.

Eight years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues. Read about our Mission & History HERE.

MCBD 2021 is honored to be Supported by these Medallion Sponsors!

FOUNDER’S CIRCLE: Mia Wenjen (Prgamaticmom) and Valarie Budayr’s (Audreypress.com)

Platinum Sponsors: Language Lizard Bilingual Books in 50+ Languages, Author Deedee Cummings and Make A Way Media

Gold Sponsors: Barefoot Books, Candlewick Press, Capstone,  Hoopoe Books,  KidLitTV, Peachtree Publishing Company Inc.

Silver Sponsors: Charlotte Riggle, Connecticut Association of School Librarians, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, Pack-N-Go Girls

Bronze Sponsors: Agatha Rodi and AMELIE is IMPRESSED!, Barnes Brothers Books, Create and Educate Solutions, LLC, Dreambuilt Books, Dyesha and Triesha McCants/McCants Squared, Redfin Real Estate, Snowflake Stories, Star Bright Books, TimTimTom Bilingual Personalized Books, Author Vivian Kirkfield, Wisdom Tales Press, My Well Read Child 

MCBD 2021 is honored to be Supported by these Author Sponsors!

Poster Artist: Nat Iwata

Authors: Author Afsaneh Moradian, Author Alva Sachs & Three Wishes Publishing Company, Author Angeliki Stamatopoulou-Pedersen, Author Anna Olswanger, Author Casey Bell , Author Claudine Norden, Author Debbie Dadey, Author Diana Huang & Intrepids,  Author Eugenia Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Green Kids Club,  Author Gwen Jackson, Author Janet Balletta, Author Josh Funk, Author Julia Inserro, Karter Johnson & Popcorn and Books, Author Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, Author Keila Dawson, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove, Author Mia Wenjen, Michael Genhart, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Natalie Murray, Natalie McDonald-Perkins, Author Natasha Yim, Author Phe Lang and Me On The Page Publishing,Sandra Elaine Scott, Author Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher,  Tales of the Five Enchanted Mermaids, Author Theresa Mackiewicz, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Author Toshia Stelivan, Valerie Williams-Sanchez & The Cocoa Kids Collection Books©, Author Vanessa Womack, MBA, Author Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series

MCBD 2021 is Honored to be Supported by our CoHosts and Global CoHosts!

MCBD 2021 is Honored to be Supported by these Media Partners!

Check out MCBD’s Multicultural Books for Kids Pinterest Board!

FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day

Diversity Book Lists & Activities for Teachers and Parents

Homeschool Diverse Kidlit Booklist & Activity Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Activism and Activists Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Empathy Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Kindness Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Poverty Kit

Gallery of Our Free Posters

FREE Diversity Book for Classrooms Program

TWITTER PARTY! Register here!

Join us on Friday, Jan 29, 2021, at 9 pm EST for the 8th annual Multicultural Children’s Book Day Twitter Party!

This epically fun and fast-paced hour includes multicultural book discussions, addressing timely issues, diverse book recommendations, & reading ideas.

We will be giving away an 8-Book Bundle every 5 minutes plus Bonus Prizes as well! *** US and Global participants welcome. **

Follow the hashtag #ReadYourWorld to join the conversation, connect with like-minded parts, authors, publishers, educators, organizations, and librarians. See you all very soon on Twitter!

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

The post Multicultural Children’s Book Day Book Review: KOREAN CHILDREN’S FAVORITE STORIES appeared first on Make a Living in Kidlit.