… and now am looking around for a publisher. I’ve got my handy “Idiots Guide to Publishing a Childrens Book” but unless I skimmed over it, it doesn’t actually have any dang addresses in it.
so I know there are some literary Dopers. Any advice?
Any addresses?
Wish me luck folks! If I get published and get a Caldecott I’ll send out signed copies to the Dopers that helped me out… Hehehehe…
You can register for free at Literary Marketplace (LMP) to use their search engine to look up publishers.
There’s also the Society for Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators. Unfortunately, you can’t access publisher information on the website unless you’re a member. If you’re serious about the member it’s worthwhile to join. You don’t have to be published. You get their publications and access to their biannual conventions.
If that’s too much, take a look at their Links page. You should be able to find something useful by going through it.
Here’s the best idea: go to a bookstore or library and look through the books for ones that are similar to the type of book you wrote and jot down the names of those publishers, which you can look up at LMP.
Well then. Now I have a list of publishers…
Thank you all, and wish me luck.
Tristan, much congrats on the book!
Do you have an illustrator? Are you looking for one?
(your OP suggested you’re already set for publishing, so I’m assuming you’re already done with art, yes?).
I’ve been looking for an author for the longest time to write the kids’ book I’d potentially illustrate… you can see where I’m going with this…
If it’s not too forward of me, and you’re interested, please drop me an email (address is in my profile). We can discuss further.
Dangergene
-ars no diligens-
If it’s not too late, I’ve got kids, ages almost seven and just barely nine. If the book falls into their age range we’d be happy to be an impartial test audience for you. If you don’t need that we’ll just read it after it has the little Caldecott seal on it.
Either way, best of luck!
dangergene I hate to say this but it is easier to sell a kids book without illos. Publishers prefer to match an author with an illustrator and it’s very rare for an illustrator and a first time author to be able to pitch a book and sell it. You’d be better off submitting portfolios to publishers. What are your links to Australia? I’d be targeting Australian publishers if you were ever planning to return to Australia or NZ.
Tristan have you considered looking for an agent? It’s hard to sell in the US market without an agent, especially as a first time author. It’s hard to sell even with an agent.
’Flora, sadly, this thing I already know.
However, I’m also aware (he says with some glimmer of hope) that some publishers are also as keen to consider recommendations by the author. There’s a bit of give and take, depending on the market and the publishers.
One thing that makes it especially hard is that most publishers won’t consider your portfolio unless you’ve been published (which I have, countless times, just not in the crucial children’s book field).
I don’t think this is quite right. A publisher would probably consider an illustrator recommended by a well-established and previously successful author who says, “I’d really like so-and-so to illustrate my new book.” Otherwise, the publishers almost always choose the illustrator for any book on their upcoming list. (I think they tend to have a “stable” of illustrators they call upon and match with book projects. This does not apply to author-illustrators, of course–those who submit both an ms and accompanying drawings.)
To that end, in order to be considered by a house, you DO have to submit your portfolio to publishers. The above mentioned resources, the LMP and SCBWI, are good places to start. (I’m a member of SCBWI; it has its pluses and minuses, but overall membership seems to be worth it.) I’ve also found Herman’s Guide to be a good resource; I seem to remember it having specific listings for children’s publishers, with information about
If you’re good enough to have had illustrations published before, even outside the context of childrens’ books, and you send along samples of your best work, publishers should at least be willing to take a look at your portfolio and make a judgement. They won’t necessarily hand you an assignment, but they should at least take a look. Look over the listings, find someone to submit to, and give it a shot.
Sorry, but I keep getting interrupted by idiots here, and my previous post went up unedited and incomplete. What I meant to say ways:
I don’t think this is quite right. A publisher would probably consider an illustrator recommended by a well-established and previously successful author who says, “I’d really like so-and-so to illustrate my new book.” Otherwise, the publishers almost always choose the illustrator for any book on their upcoming list. (I think they tend to have a “stable” of illustrators they call upon and match with book projects. This does not apply to author-illustrators, of course–those who submit both an ms and accompanying drawings.)
To that end, in order to be considered by a house, you DO have to submit your portfolio to publishers. The above mentioned resources, the LMP and SCBWI, are good places to start. (I’m a member of SCBWI; it has its pluses and minuses, but overall membership seems to be worth it.) I’ve also found Herman’s Guide to be a good resource; I seem to remember it having specific listings for children’s publishers, with information about who’s looking for who’s looking for what, formats for submission, and other pertinent and useful information.
If you’re good enough to have had illustrations published before, even outside the context of childrens’ books, and you send along samples of your best work, publishers should at least be willing to take a look at your portfolio and make a judgement. They won’t necessarily hand you an assignment, but they should at least take a look. Look over the listings, find someone to submit to, and give it a shot.