by Nicolette Montano

Created on: February 05, 2007   Last Updated: May 08, 2007

When I compiled three written children's books, I thought to myself, 'Hmmm..What do I do with these? What is the best publisher who will accept them?' I was an amateur writer and had no idea where to start. My first reaction was to research through the internet and google 'children's book publishers'. Most of the publishers' websites only indicated the submission guidelines in terms of word length and the genres they accepted. This was all fine but I needed more. Off I went into a myspace literature forum where I posted a thread asking the members what are the best techniques when publishing my book. I received helpful responses and there were a few book recommendations, but out of them all was one that suited my needs: The Children's Writers & Illustrator's Market.

I almost ordered the book on Amazon.com but I couldn't wait. I visited my nearby Barnes & Noble location and in the Publishing section was the green-covered paperback! As I was skimming through the book, there was much more than what I had expected. The book included companies in the greeting card, puzzles, games, and magazine industries as well. It provided every bit of information before sending your manuscripts, articles and illustrations out. In addition, there were examples of good and bad query letters. This was one of the most important parts of the reference book as it is clearly a given that the query letter is what sells your book. You can also find the advance and royalty amounts the publishers may offer you.

In between the lists of companies and agencies were interviews with amateur and professional authors. They shared their experiences from when they first published their books and what to look out for in the process. This book also contained a glossary of literary terms which was very beneficial when an agent or publisher wants to contact you about your work. Their index was also amazing as it broke down the genres and topics that agents and publishers primarily seek.

I bought The Children's Writers & Illustrator's Market at the beginning of January of this year so the information is accurate and up-to-date. You can tell the researcher for the agencies and publishers did their homework. In some of their summaries, they indicated whether or not they were accepting submissions and included informative tips as quoted. So, do yourself a favor if you have no idea what do with your stories and buy this book. It's the best investment you could ever make and you will save yourself a lot of time and effort figuring out what to do with your valuable work.

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