Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5459 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

That's Life (September 2007)
'If you think you have the talent to be a children's writer, this book is the comprehensive guide to the market.'

Synopsis
The comprehensive guide to markets in all areas of children'smedia, completely revised and updated, now in its 4th edition, with aforeword by Jacqueline Wilson New articles for this edition include: 1. Writing for 7-9 year olds - Lauren Child2. The role of the children's literary agent - Rosemary Canter3. Adapting children's books for theatre - Stephen Briggs4. Writing plays for children - David Wood5. Setting up a website - Suna Cristall Contains information on a wide range of topics with the emphasis ongiving the aspiring writer and illustrator knowledge of the children'smarket in all areas, to help them pursue their careers in thisincreasingly competitive area. No other guide to writing andillustrating for children does this. 'Every writer has to take a first step. Make the Children's Writers & Artists Yearbook yours' - Meg Cabot 'Between the covers of this book is everything you need to know to get published' - Julia Donaldson

Customer Reviews

Essential reading for children's writers
The Children's Writers' and Artists' Yearbook 2008 has plenty of sensible articles written by those 'in the know'. It's enough to bolster you along and keep you in the swing, though some of the submission details are no longer relevant as these things are apt to changes. On the whole, it's essential reading for anyone interested in writing for the children's market.

Regular Buyers Please Be Aware -
If you've noticed this book in the shops,you may get the impression that this year's edition has a lot more in it, as it's almost half as thick again as last year's edition.

Don't be fooled, the publishers have just used cheaper paper, which is thicker, (there are actually 3 pages fewer this year, to be precise). This can be (was) a let-down, when you get it home and realise.

However this is indeed an essential book for any budding children's author to have (but only) when they are at the stage of seeking an agent or publisher. For this it would warrant 5 stars.

For those of us who do buy it every year to keep our contact info up to date it's disappointing to see mainly the same articles run out in it, (and also in its big brother - the red one).

I was really in two minds whether to buy it again this year, however I made the mistake of thinking that bigger must mean more content, and went ahead. An easy mistake that other regular buyers may make,which is what prompted me to post a comment.

It's only fair to mention this, as most struggling writers are indeed....struggling.

If you write kids or crossover fiction you need this book
Let's get one thing straight: making it as an author is one of the toughest things you can ever try and do. Everybody seems to have this idea that its easy, any one can do it, theres a book in everyone. Let me tell you something - There's not! Writers, story-tellers, I should say are few and far between. It's a talent, not an accademic skill. If you have that talent (trust me you'll know if you have), and you are willing to pursue it until the day you die, then one day you will make it. If you are an average writer, but great story-teller you can learn (Buy How to make the words work or Creative Editing) but if its vice-versa you are in trouble. Nobody wants to read great prose with a terrible plot and boring, irritating, predictable characters. A whole series about a boring family in a boring kingdom, who are actually boring gods with a boring destiny. Whoopee! Great! Another rubbish book. You know where I'm going. . .

People need to understand that this book isnt there to turn you into J.K Rowling, Darren Shan, or Stephen King; it is there to help you, guide you, give you that tiny bit of confidence when yet another rejection wheels its way back to you just a week after you sent off your manuscript. By taking the advice in this book, scouring the agents and publishers listed , and just being determined enough to never give up, I am starting to get interest from certain agents now: some of them even enquire how my latest story is going and when it will be finished.

In short I dont see how this book can not be a five star rating. If I had never started buying this book five years ago, then I'd have pulled my hair out a long time ago. I'm sure of it. Just because of this books existance I have broadened my horizons, done more research in my market and how to make my books more appealing, different, better.

Anyway, there's a lot of help in this book in varying form, but remember: You also need to do alot of the work yourself. If it was as easy as "buy the book and become a world famous author" then everybody would be doing it, then there would be no challenge. And if there's no challenge, then there's no originality. That makes for boring stories.

Regarding the submission details: If you are going to submit, I believe you should be checking the websites anyhow, so if their details do change you will know. Even if you do send an unsolicited manuscript off to a publisher I'm pretty sure they will still scan over the first page at least. They will always have a slush pile.

As well as the CW&AYB, I also recomend Stephen King's "On Writing" and "How to get your book published". Buy this book. Buy it every year. Keep reading. Keep writing. Oh . . . and never give up.

Good Luck.