So you're going to self publish ... you found yourself an editor. But what about the art?

by Hazel Mitchell

You got options. We all got options, these days. Let's look at the possibility that you're going to self publish your story.

Maybe you're not doing this because you are abandoning traditional publishing. There could be several reasons that you're going down this path.  I'm hoping it's NOT because you are desperate to have a published book in your sticky mitts. Self publishing (and making a success of it) has to be one of the hardest (and most expensive) ways for an author to see their book in print. Maybe you have a niche book .. you know your market, you can sell a lot of copies. Or traditional publishing doesn't appeal to you - you want to keep control of your book and sell it for many years to come. Or you have a good online base and are going to sell online. Or you love marketing and a challenge!

Whatever the reason it's becoming more and more of a requirement for your book to be as PROFESSIONAL as possible to succeed in an over-crowded market place. Whether your project is a physical book or an e-book, there's a whole support team you may need. No, wait, very PROBABLY need!

You've got a great story. Maybe it's a novel, non-fiction or a picture book. For reasons (as above) you are not submitting it to publishing houses. You're going it alone.


Route One - you use an 'all inclusive' publishing house. They do everything from editing to marketing. Read no further.
Route Two - you are going to put this book together yourself and hire all the individuals.

You'll need:

An editor. (Don't skimp on this one - an editor is a damned fine idea. God made them for a reason. OK, they have issues, but they are GOOD issues). You are the creator, not the editor. Publishing has worked good for this long for a reason. Everyone has their own job to do!

An illustrator. (Maybe you are also the illustrator? Fine) Hmm .. let's come back to that one.

An art director. Really? What the hell do they do anyway??

A book designer/graphic designer. (No, you can't just knock up the whole thing in word or similar.)

A proof reader. (Hire a pro, or maybe your editor will offer this service).

A printer. (Shop around.)

A marketing professional. (You, possibly.)

A PR person. (Nice to have.)

An understanding partner. And lots o' stamina. And not a small amount of investment (hence understanding partner.)

That's a lot of people right?

And here's the thing. Unless you are a professional artist/illustrator, most creators will need to hire someone to produce a cover and any internal art. Find the best you can. (That's the best, not the cheapest.) Don't be surprised if your favorite book illustrator isn't interested. They're usually busy working on their own projects. But good illustrators can be found to produce self-published projects. But expect to pay industry prices. Check references and see previous work.

You may be lucky and find an illustrator who can also do the book design. If not, then find a good book designer.

But wait, I was talking about art directors. You understand the need for an editor, but an art director? Hell, you know what looks good, why pay someone to tell you?

Because a professional art director can save you a lot of money in the long run. Without someone to oversee or place a guiding hand on the entire project, then your vision, (and all the money you're investing in it), may come to nothing. 

You CAN get by without an art director. But I'd suggest, (just as any sane person would hire an independent editor), it's as important to have an art director look over the total design BEFORE it's produced or illustrated. Someone who can pull the project together, advise on any design issues and look at the art from an outsider's POV.

It could be the difference between a project booksellers can't wait to get on their shelves, or that festival organizers are begging to have at their events. A poorly produced book, however stellar the writing or art, will NOT get a second glance from a professional buyer. Or hold the attention of a reader. Think about it.

Seeking out these individuals is a bit harder than locating an independent editor. But it can be done. Ask your editor if they know an independent art director that would work on your project. If you hire an illustrator or book designer, they also may be able to refer you. Ask contacts or your local SCBWI chapter for any information they have. Get a copy of the Graphic Designer's Handbook and leaf through the directory. Also of help might be The Graphic Artist's Guild and the Art Director's Guild. And then there is always the internet - but check references! A great website to look at for talented individuals is http://www.creativehotlist.com/.

What I wouldn't suggest you do is call an art director at a publishing house. They are working for someone else!

Don't leave it to chance. It could be the difference between a successful book or the waste of a great story.

(Also ... if you know any, OR are a freelance AD, leave a comment!)

Toodles!
Hazel

See my latest books at - http://hazelmitchell.com/Hazel%20Mitchell%20Books.htm
I'll be speaking next at the Europolitan SCBWI, Paris, France on 29-30th March.

Manuscript First Aid – Notes from a contest judge

by Marilyn Hilton

In the last few years, I've served as a judge in the children’s categories of many writing contests. I'd like to share some of the recurring problems I've noticed, in hopes that if you're beginning to write for children—or thinking about it—this list might help as you write and revise your manuscripts.

 

Missing or unclear story arc. Just as with stories for adults, stories for kids—picture books included—need to have a story arc, driven by characters’ desires, motivations, and challenges. What do your characters want and why, and what obstacles do they face reaching their goals? Then, what do they learn? What do they have at the end that they didn't expect?

Adult characters or narrator/storyteller. Make the story a child’s story instead of an adult's. If Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, the teacher, or any other adult who, by their nature, will protect, defend, help, teach, preach to, save, or sacrifice for the child, keep that character out of the story as much as possible. As adult writers, getting the grownups out of the way in children's literature is one of the hardest things to do.

Backstory. Readers don’t need to know most backstory, and it’s not interesting to them. If you have to tell some backstory, weave it into the story where it’s needed most, instead of at the beginning.

Main character as observer. A main character who gets into the deepest pit of trouble and then finds a way out of it is far more interesting than the character who learns a lesson from watching his or her friend get into the deepest pit of trouble.

Unclear direction and unimportant details. Get to the point of the story quickly, and then stay on track. Avoid details that don't matter.

Mechanical and style errors. Proofread carefully for punctuation, style, and grammar, because they do matter. Hire a professional proofreader if you don’t feel confident about editing yourself.

Incomplete synopsis. A synopsis summarizes the story from beginning to middle to end. A synopsis isn't the same as back-cover copy or a book review.

Perfect characters with no problems. Childhood is as challenging, frustrating, and disappointing as adulthood can be, but we adults often forget that when we look back nostalgically and write children’s literature. Adult problems are really just kid problems in grownup clothes, and the boardroom is simply the playground in mahogany. Kids have intense problems with friendships, power, autonomy, loss, jealousy, insecurity, loneliness, anger, worry. You don't have to have kids or grandkids, or work with kids, to write well for that audience. Remember that child inside you who couldn't stay up all night, whose best friend left you for a new best friend, who didn't have enough money for that thing you wanted more than anything else, whose mom was scary-sick, whose cat disappeared, who got separated from the group in the woods in the middle of the night, who dreamed of one day doing whatever you wanted, who was teased to tears by someone you admired and trusted.

Issues unique to picture books.
- Picture books don’t have to rhyme. In fact, don’t write a picture book in rhyme unless the verse works seamlessly and with surprise. If you had to force the verse into fitting the meter or rhyme scheme, try writing the story in prose.

-  Picture book characters—just like characters in books for older readers—should be fully fleshed, allowing readers to know and identify with characters by their personalities as well as their appearance.
-  Because text and art work together in a picture book to tell the story, remove any text that can be shown by the art.

One last piece of advice. If you're not a member of Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), join! It's the premier organization for authors, illustrators, agents, and editors of children's literature. You’ll meet lots of people who love children’s literature as much as you do.

 

What in this list resonates with you? What would you add?