I just wanted some opinions and reviews for my children's book

[Sigmagirl]

@mrsvoelkel

I just wanted to add that I got a call about my book but it was from a self publishing company. Should I go ahead and self publish or do I try my luck at the traditional publishing? Do you think that this would make a good children’s book? The idea in general, I know I need to adjust a few things. Thank you for all your replies and help by the way =)

It depends on your goal. If all you want is a few copies of a book to hand out to your friends, self-publishing isn’t a bad option, but if you do this, I urge you to visit the forums at Absolute Writeand check them out before you do business with them. Many of them have very, very bad reputations and deservedly so.

If your goal is to write a book that people will want to buy, I suggest you go to a bookstore or library and find books that are similar to yours and look at who published them. Look at the names of the illustrators and find some names of illustrators you like. Do some research and find out where they are located. Maybe you can find some near where you live. Contact some and see if they are interested in your project.
Read How Real Publishing Works. Read Children’s Writer’s & Artist’s Online Toolkit.

ETA: I like jjimm’s suggestion about a series, with seahorse, etc.

[Czarcasm]

@mrsvoelkel

I just wanted to add that I got a call about my book but it was from a self publishing company. Should I go ahead and self publish or do I try my luck at the traditional publishing? Do you think that this would make a good children’s book? The idea in general, I know I need to adjust a few things. Thank you for all your replies and help by the way =)

Self (Vanity) publishers will publish your laundry list if you have the money up front. Is this book for the general public or just for friends and family? If the former, send it to, and only accept offers from, legitimate publishers. If they ask you for any money whatsoever drop them like a hot stone-real publishers pay you, and not the other way around.
if this story is just for friends and family, either use a local company to put it together for you, or create a website you can send people to.

[Drunky_Smurf]

I have no suggestions but wanted to say good luck.

[mrsvoelkel]

@IvoryTowerDenizen

FWIW: Daisy, Brownies, Juniors, Seniors are all Girl Scouts. Daisy Girl Scout, Brownie Girl Scout etc.

However, at age 5 they are generally Daisy (kindergarten) and only work on Daisy petals. She could be Brownie, perhaps, if in first grade and not yet 6.

The text, while sweet, sounds a bit young for a badge earning scout.

I agree, I’m pretty set on taking the “scout” part out of the story all together. Thank you

[mrsvoelkel]

@Arrendajo

It’s OK. Not breaking any new ground. The quality and style of the illustrations will be crucial. I don’t know how self-publishing works WRT illustrations. I think publishing houses normally team the writer with the illustrator. At my library we get submissions quite often by authors who self-publish. They are normally pretty poor quality, in terms of both writing and art. Some are just awful. Self-published submissions are often accepted for review with some discreet eye-rolling by the staff. Our general policy is we won’t add it to the library collection unless there are published reviews. Sigmagirl’s suggestions are very good. Picture books are normally 32 pages or less, and by my counting this would just fit. Have you read up in Writer’s Market for submission guidelines and potential publishers? Got an agent? Editor?

I am going to polish it up a lot and do some research on publisher’s of this type of book. I have read a few guidelines and things on publisher’s websites and agents websites here and there. No agent or editor as of yet, but I am hopeful that maybe one day.

[Czarcasm]

Do you already have an illustrator?

[mrsvoelkel]

@Sigmagirl

It depends on your goal. If all you want is a few copies of a book to hand out to your friends, self-publishing isn’t a bad option, but if you do this, I urge you to visit the forums at Absolute Writeand check them out before you do business with them. Many of them have very, very bad reputations and deservedly so.

If your goal is to write a book that people will want to buy, I suggest you go to a bookstore or library and find books that are similar to yours and look at who published them. Look at the names of the illustrators and find some names of illustrators you like. Do some research and find out where they are located. Maybe you can find some near where you live. Contact some and see if they are interested in your project.
Read How Real Publishing Works. Read Children’s Writer’s & Artist’s Online Toolkit.

ETA: I like jjimm’s suggestion about a series, with seahorse, etc.

This is a great idea and I will be sure to look for the publisher’s on the back of the same type of picture books. Also, I am very weary of the self publishing, just seems like a scam to me.

[mrsvoelkel]

@Czarcasm

Do you already have an illustrator?

No I don’t, I have read on most sites that they match you with one if they choose to publish your work.

[mrsvoelkel]

@Drunky_Smurf

I have no suggestions but wanted to say good luck.

Well thank you =)

[Czarcasm]

@mrsvoelkel

No I don’t, I have read on most sites that they match you with one if they choose to publish your work.

The reason I asked is that if you were to self-publish, you would have to provide your own.

[mrsvoelkel]

@Czarcasm

The reason I asked is that if you were to self-publish, you would have to provide your own.

Okay, thank you. My brother can draw VERY well, but he never pursued it so I doubt he would want to illustrate a book.

[jjimm]

I am acquainted with Reb Williams, who wrote Grow Your Own Cows. It’s my opinion that it’s so entertaining and well written that a bona fide publisher should have snapped it up, but despite its quality, and that she has connections in the industry, she ended up publishing it herself. She has told me that the main expense - over and above printing and publicity - was the illustrations (which are very good - but sparse, as it’s a book aimed at adults), and she had to source and pay for her own illustrator.

ETA: she recouped her costs a few months after launch.

[jjimm]

Thought of another word: eggplant.

There’s dogfish too but that might be a bit samey.

[mrsvoelkel]

@jjimm

I am acquainted with Reb Williams, who wrote Grow Your Own Cows. It’s my opinion that it’s so entertaining and well written that a bona fide publisher should have snapped it up, but despite its quality, and that she has connections in the industry, she ended up publishing it herself. She has told me that the main expense - over and above printing and publicity - was the illustrations (which are very good - but sparse, as it’s a book aimed at adults), and she had to source and pay for her own illustrator.

ETA: she recouped her costs a few months after launch.

That’s good that she made her money back! If worse comes to worse in my case I will just self publish a few for friends and family and stick with writing psychological thrillers!

[jjimm]

In that case, try somewhere like lulu.com - on-demand digital printing, sold to you at retail, but at least you wouldn’t have to shell out for a huge print run.

However I think if you could get the right illustrator, you could put it together and try for getting an agent. It’s found a good niche that I haven’t seen before.

By the way, I have no genuine expertise here - I’m just an enthusiastic amateur who knows a few people (including my dad) who have written books that have been published ‘properly’, a few aspiring writers, and I also have a couple of ideas for children’s books but have never had the patience actually to write them down.

[mrsvoelkel]

@jjimm

In that case, try somewhere like lulu.com - on-demand digital printing, sold to you at retail, but at least you wouldn’t have to shell out for a huge print run.

However I think if you could get the right illustrator, you could put it together and try for getting an agent. It’s found a good niche that I haven’t seen before.

By the way, I have no genuine expertise here - I’m just an enthusiastic amateur who knows a few people (including my dad) who have written books that have been published ‘properly’, a few aspiring writers, and I also have a couple of ideas for children’s books but have never had the patience actually to write them down.

No ones really an expert on anything, things are always changing! But I value your input and ideas anyways.

[mrsvoelkel]

So I changed it up a bit…let me know what you think!

Hi. My name is Andi, Andi with an “i” my mom likes to say because I’m a girl, and I have been very busy tagging along with my dad this summer. Today we are going to the lake to go fishing.
My dad says we are going to catch fish, and not just any fish, a catfish! But fish are in the water and cats hate the water so how could a cat be a fish too?
Dad says that fishing is all about watching your pole and that if it moves, you might have a fish. I hope I catch one today, a catfish! But how will I know if it’s a catfish?
Will a catfish have warm fuzzy fur like my cat that is always extra cuddly?

Will a catfish eat cat food like my cat who loves the kind in the can?

Will a catfish have claws like my cat who likes to scratch the trees?

Will a catfish have a long round tail like my cat who likes to swish his back and forth?

Will a catfish meow like my cat who greets me when I come home?

Will a catfish have tall ears like my cat that can hear me when I call him?

My fishing pole is wiggling! I might have a fish and so I reel it in…and reel it in…and reel it in…

Wow I caught one! But is it a catfish?

This fish doesn’t have any fur and is too small to eat from a cat food dish.

This fish has no claws and its tail isn’t long and round.

This fish isn’t meowing and doesn’t even have ears.

This fish is just a fish…

But wait, There is something different about this fish.

This fish might not have fur, claws or tall ears, but it sure does have long whiskers, just like my cat.

Catfish have whiskers, just like cats do. That’s why they call them catfish!

Holding my pole, I proudly smile and dad takes my picture, catfish and all.

[Captain_Amazing]

I don’t know if your first three lines fit well with the rest of the story, especially the first line. It’s a lot longer than the rest of the lines, and seems kind of wordy and slow.

“Hi. My name is Andi, Andi with an “i” my mom likes to say because I’m a girl, and I have been very busy tagging along with my dad this summer. Today we are going to the lake to go fishing.”

We know she’s a girl because we can see her picture, and we don’t need to know her entire summer itinerary. How about:

“Hi. My name is Andi! Today I’m going fishing at the lake with my dad.”

Also, in the last line:

"Holding my pole, I proudly smile and dad takes my picture, catfish and all. "

That present perfect participle (“Holding my pole”), I wouldn’t use it for books for that age range. It’s not the way kids that age speak, and I think for most kids that age, that form is too advanced to throw in there, especially when you’ve been pretty constant in your tenses up to that point.

[devilsknew]

It’s very “cat-centric” and has nothing to do with fishing.

[devilsknew]

To be constructive, by that I mean, it lacks focus. It seems like you want to write a cat book, but incidentally want to make a fishing book. It’s sorta cutesy, but pedestrian and misguided.