In parts one and two of this mini-guide, I gave some technical tips to help with the writing of your rhyming picture book, and some facts to bear in mind when trying to sell it to agents/publishers. This last instalment is to help you envisage the culminating event that all your efforts lead towards: the moment the book encounters its readership. But let’s start with a fact that cannot be emphasised strongly enough:
PICTURE BOOKS ARE PRIMARILY READ BY ADULTS!
Adults are not only the readers, they are also the gatekeepers and purchasers of picture books. In fact, it’s crucial to keep in mind that every step of your book’s journey from your keyboard to a child’s bookcase has to be made with the approval of a succession of grown-ups, starting with you as author, going through agents, editors, marketers and booksellers, and ending with Mummy or Daddy at Bedtime. Like it or not, if you are writing for small children you are doing so at one very big remove.
SWEET: Your writing must trip off the tongue. Stick to familiar metrical feet, such as iambs (o-O) and anapaests (o-o-O), trochees (O-o) and dactyls (O-o-o), but NEVER assume knowledge of such things in your reader. Crafting and technique is yourjob, and you are paid to get it right. Ideally, you will have shepherded the natural stress pattern of the language in such a way that the reader has no choice but to deliver the story in the singsong rhythm you have chosen. No, it’s not very easy to do, but it’s pleasing, and challenging too! And your verse will run sweeter with crystalline metre and rhymes that are honest and true.
But perhaps you’ve a differing view?
Or a technical question or two?
Well, the ‘comments’ below
Is the place you should go.
In the meantime…
….good writing to you!
A fascinating insight, completely upstaged by the adorable picture at the top! (and don't tell me I'm biased!)
I'm giving a talk on picture books next month. Very helpful. Thanks!
Caroline, Good luck with that talk. I'm glad you found these posts useful.
Picture books aside – that was the best description of anapaests and dactyls I have EVER read! BEAUTIFUL boy, btw, and haven't I seen that blanket somewhere before?
Thanks, Rachel. He is a beautiful boy, when he isn't raising hell:)I like that blanket, so it's possible I've used it somewhere before. I'm thinking of adopting it as my superhero cape.Crochet Man!
Hi Thomas, Nice series of posts on rhyming picture books. (Enjoyed the HP cover post too).I've just submitted my rhyming picture book manuscript and I think it follows most of the advice here. Hoping for the best!
Thanks, Abraham — I'm glad you found them useful. Good luck with your ms!
Hi Thomas – just stepping out into the world of submitting rhyming picture books. Been writing rhyming verse for a while, and published my own collection last year (www.conradburdekin.com). Wondered if you knew of a complete list of agents / publishers in the UK who will accept submissions of rhyming picture books? Really enjoyed your insights. Thanks so much. Conrad
Hi, Conrad. Thanks for commenting. The best list I know of is the Writer's and Artist's year book:http://www.writersandartists.co.uk/I hope that helps! Good luck with your writing and with submissions. And now I'm off to visit your site…
Hello Thomas,
Nice post. I ‘ve written a rhyming book and have been trying for 3 years to get it published. I’ve tried for three years and have received positive and negative but mostly negative about the rhyme, Do publishers just hate rhyme?! I read it to the general public and they enjoy and say wow that should be published. I’ve tried to change to the story so its doesn’t rhyme and it doesn’t flow or sound right. Should I just keep trying?
Hi, Wendy. It’s really difficult because children and parents love rhyme, it’s publishers who have a problem with it. I would never say give up, but it will be an additional struggle to get a publisher on board with a rhyming text. However, if it’s very strong, there are some signs that publishers are less rhyme-averse now that they used to be. Good luck with it! T
Thank you, Thomas for your blog entries about writing rhyming children’s picture books! I’ve written and illustrated three books, but have not yet ‘put them out there’ to be shared with publishers! I’m not really an illustrator but rather a teacher of 30 years and only tried doing watercolor illustrations so that i would be able to post a page a day on my website with pictures.
My biggest hesitation about sharing with publishers has been that I had read that the two things publishers shied away from were rhyming stories and self illustrated stories. Your blog entries are both encouraging and seem realistic to me! THANK you!
I’m wondering if you have any current suggestions of publishers in U.S., U.K., or anywhere who might be more open to the rhyming ones as well as self illustrated? (It’s been a few years since you wrote your blog.)
Enjoy your days!
Ann
P.S. I LOVE your books!
Hi, Ann
Thanks for getting in touch, and for your kind words. It’s been a while since I’ve submitted anything in rhyme so I don’t think I can help with current suggestions, I’m afraid. It’s such a thorny issue. These days I mostly write prose fiction. But Good rhyme will always cut through, I’m sure, so don’t be put off. Good luck! Thomas
Hey Thomas. Fantastic advice. I’m a first time writer and was wondering if you could also share incite in terms of specific formatting to send to publishers. I know they all have requests on how you submit to them, but none are very specific in the type up, if you will. I’ve found a few for picture book suggestions that put it more in paragraph form but for the rhymers, paragraphs seem to be rather short and strange looking lol. Any tips would be phenomenal. Thank you so much!