Creating and Publishing Your Children's Book

A two minute preview of what you can expect to learn in Creating and Publishing Your Children's Book including topics like finding your target audience, working with an illustrator, an inside look at publishing, putting together a compelling proposal, finding an agent, the business of self-publishing and much more.

A more in-depth look at what you can expect to learn during this class on Children's publishing. We'll look at getting started, creating fun characters, working with an illustrator, producing a storyboard and book dummy, and tips to get your book ready for submission. You'll also learn how to submit your book to an agent or publisher and explore opportunities in self-publishing.

A fun, brief animated trip through the journey of publishing your book.

In this session we'll take a quick look at the history of Children's publishing and how we got to where we are today . We'll see how Children's books came into being and how publishing for kids has changed over the years.

When you're writing for children it's important to know what age group you're aiming at. There's a big difference in writing for a new reader and writing for an 18 year old. Are you doing a board book for preschoolers? A picture book? A Middle Grade humor book? A YA novel? Using well known examples, this class will help you figure out the age group that's appropriate for your project.

Trying to come up with unique and creative ideas can be tough. This session will help you start looking in unusual places for your ideas and pretty soon you'll be off and running. We'll talk about topics that touch kids like loneliness, trying to fit in, loss and several others. Keeping a notebook or sketchbook handy will also help you remember great ideas whenever they occur, no matter where you are.

Your biggest priority when writing a book for children should be creating compelling, interesting and unique characters. In this session, we'll look at all the pieces that fit together to make your characters fun and engaging. We'll talk about age, names and nicknames, habits, hobbies and even their quirks. Are they funny? Depressed? A worrier? All of these aspects make your characters more three dimensional, realistic and relatable.

In this class we'll continue working on creating compelling and diverse characters by looking at how a child's age affects their life experiences. Preschool children have life stories that are much different than middle school or high school kids. We'll look at building our characters- and our stories- so that our target audience will relate, and start to engage with our story's "stars".

There are a lot of things to think about when putting together a children's' book. In this session we'll look at using language and vocabulary that are appropriate for your readers. There are tricks out there to help you make sure your book is connecting with the age group you're writing for. We'll also look at a couple resources that will help you choose the right vocabulary, one that's appropriate and engaging for your audience.

In this class we'll answer a lot of your questions about Illustrators- where do you find one? How do you work with them? How much input do they want? We'll also find out a little known secret about authors and illustrators that most people don't know. And we'll give you tips to help make your collaboration go smoothly.

In this session you'll learn over forty words that will make you sound like a publishing pro. Do you know what a kill-fee is? Returns? A galley? An Advance? Trim size? You'll pick up words that agents and publishers use all the time and before you know it you'll sound like you've been doing this all your life.

Almost every picture book author or illustrator puts together a storyboard or thumbnail of their book as a first step in the creative process. Making a miniature version of your book is a great way to get the overall "big picture" of your story and get a sense of its flow. Using visuals, this class will show you how to do a Storyboard version of your picture book. Plus this session includes two storyboard samples that you can download. Even if you're not an artist, making a storyboard is essential and can be a lot of fun.

Making a book dummy is a fun and important step in creating your picture book. In fact some agents and publishers want to see your dummy as part of your proposal. In this session, using just eight pieces of paper, a stapler and your imagination, you'll learn how to put together your own 32 page book dummy. It's easy, fun and a great way to get a "feel" for your finished book. When you're done, remember to download my Dummy sample sheet.

All right, you've got your book written, maybe illustrated, you've even put together a dummy. Your family and friends are convinced this is going to be the next New York Times bestseller. But before you submit it to an agent or publisher, you want to make sure that it's as good as it can be. This session will give you tips on how to make sure your book is almost perfect before you send it in. You only have one chance to make a good first impression so let's take the extra time to make sure your proposal is fantastic. You'll be glad you did.

Some agents and many publishers want to be sold on your book (and you!) before they even want to look at your manuscript. Part of that is putting together a compelling query letter. In this session you'll learn the elements that go into a winning query and you'll get tips on how to make your letter capture your personality and even the tone of your book.

In this fast paced world you may have only thirty seconds or a minute to impress a publisher with your project. An attractive One Sheet might be the answer. In this class, we'll learn how to put one together. One sheets are relatively new to the publishing world but if done right, they can open some doors into publishers and agents. They're easy to do and can make a great impression on the person on the other side of the desk. Plus I've included a downloadable sample One Sheet for a book I did a short time ago that might help you.

A strong, complete book proposal goes a long way in showing an agent or publisher that you're a professional with a winning book idea. We'll look at several elements that need to go into a great proposal, including the hook, the synopsis, your author bio, marketing ideas and the close. I've also included a sample proposal that you can download to give you more ideas.

Agents and editors can spot an amateur a mile away. So I've come up with a quick list of five things you definitely don't want in your book proposal. Make sure you leave these out of your proposal and you'll be on your way to making a great first impression. Plus I got carried away so I added one bonus tip that you won't want to miss!

What exactly do literary agents even do? Do I need one to get published? And if so, how do I meet one? These and other questions will be dealt with in this class as we continue to look at the business of publishing. We'll weigh the pros and cons of having an agent as well as the best ways to connect with them. And remember they're always on the lookout for new talent so who knows? You may be their next big find!

This is a brief inside look at how publishers decide on what books they want to publish. It's a little more complicated than you might think. You'll learn the process of how an Acquisitions Editor becomes your cheerleader when they present your idea to the rest of the company.

In this exclusive class I'll share with you five ideas for Children's books that publishers are currently interested in. Take note as we go through these, your book just might be a perfect fit for what they're looking for. Or if you're just deciding on a new project some of these suggestions might set you off in the right direction.

Self publishing is so much bigger- and easier- than it was ten years ago. In this class you'll discover the pros and cons of self publishing and learn some avenues that are available for you in which to self publish now. There are so many companies out there who will walk you through the self publishing maze. We'll see exactly what they have to offer and which ones to avoid.

Here's a tongue in cheek Top 10 list of all the things you want to avoid when you self publish your book. If you follow this list your book might just look like it came out of one of the major publishers in New York. Either way, I think you'll like finding out how to make your book look more professional.

As with any creative business there are people and companies out there who would like to take your money and give you nothing in return. In this class you'll learn what to look for when dealing with an agent or self publishing company to make sure they're legit. You'll learn how to protect yourself with some easy common sense steps as you investigate resources in the self publishing world.

In the new world of publishing it's up to the author to be the chief marketer of their book. In this session we'll look at several ways to get the word out including creating an author website, using Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social media to market your book. Have you thought of starting a blog? Or guest writing on a friend's blog? We'll also look at using traditional media like newspapers, radio and book reviews to let people know you've got a new book out there that they've got to read.

You've completed your book, you've sent a stunning proposal to an agent or publisher...now what do you do? We'll look at some ideas to keep you busy and the creative juices flowing while you wait for them to get back to you. Don't sit by the phone or computer waiting for a response! Get onto the next thing! We'll look at other avenues in which to use your creative gifts while you're waiting, there are a lot of them out there and you might just keep busy exploring all the options!