FAQs: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT WRITING PICTURE BOOKS FOR CHILDREN

Q: Do I have to be an artist to write a picture book?

A: No.  Many picture books are written and illustrated by two different people.

Q:  Do authors and illustrators collaborate on picture books?

A:  If you mean do they sit down over a cup of coffee and hash out the fine points--in a word, No.  With the possible exception of some writers who are related to the artists who illustrate their work, the writers of picture books don't collaborate directly withe illustrators.  Many have never even met the artists who have illustrated their work.  The picture book is a blend of art and words, mediated by an editor who works with both author and illustrator, fine-tuning both art and words, separately, to serve the story.  

Q: How do I find an illustrator?

A: You don't.  You just write a story that is so lively, evocative, lyrical, and worthy of illustration that it provides openings for imagery.  If it's accepted for publication, you trust that the publisher will find a talented illustrator who will create fabulous art for it.  

Q:  What if my book needs to be historically or culturally specific? Do I get any say in the imagery?

A: You will need to discuss that with your publisher at the time your work is acquired.  Most publishers will be happy to learn of source materials that you can recommend or offer, that will help an illustrator research the background of your story more effectively.  Many publishers will also be agreeable to letting you see preliminary sketches as the illustrator develops them.  But remember that the artist is a professional too, and above all, that your role is not that of resident art critic!
     
Q:  Can I write illustrator notes into my manuscript?

A: If you do, make sure they are essential to the story, as, e.g., if the picture needs to contradict the words for the sake of humor, or if something needs to be shown as a surprise, that is deliberately not mentioned in the text.  These are rare instances, however.  For the most part, I'd aim to write clearly enough that the emotional nuances or actions you want to see in the imagery are cued into your text.

I've heard from illustrators how annoying it is to get a manuscript laden with dictatorial directions from an author.  If you want creative, illuminating pictures to bring life to your story, you have to give the art some room to grow.  I even know of illustrators who cross off the author notes before sitting down to read the story.  I don't blame them.  If you can't trust an illustrator to read the spirit of your words, maybe you're not trusting the effectiveness of those words!

Q:  How do I begin to write a picture book?

A:  First, read lots  of them, preferably ones that have been been published in the last 10 years.  Don't try to write like Beatrix Potter, or even Dr. Seuss.  That's been done already.  Get to know this market before you decide your story is perfect for it.  Find out who's publishing what kind of picture book.  They come in many varieties--rhymed, unrhymed, free verse, prose, realistic, fantasy, with people and animals for protagonists.  To be a successful picture book, the story must be able to stand multiple readings. It must draw a child back again and again.   Compelling is good.  Lyrical is good.  Rhythm and pacing are essential.  Overly cute and sentimental can be the kiss of death.

Q: Any tips for writing a picture book story?

A:  Cut to the chase.  No meandering beginnings.  Sufficient action to carry the story through changing scenes. Read, read, read what's out there already, so you can see where your voice might fit into the conversation.  Read your work in progress out loud.  That's the ultimate test for a picture book. Picture book story lives in the space between the words and the images, and that space is governed by the story being read out loud.  Remember also that picture books are most often intended to be read by adults to children.  Make sure there's enough in there to sustain both a child viewer/listener and an adult reader through many repetitions.

Q: How do I know if my story is not right for a picture book?

A:  If it's too long, or it raises more questions than it answers, or it has a sensibility more appropriate for an older reader, it may not be a picture book. If it all takes place in a single scene, it is most likely not a picture book.  If it's all in conversation, without a storyline that containes action it might not work either.

Q: In what format do I submit  my picture book manuscript?

A: The same as any other--double spaced, with 1 inch margins.  I personally don't indicate page breaks at this stage, unless the story depends on it (e.g., if a page must turn in the middle of a sentence for surprise or humor).  If it's in verse, double space the stanzas.  Before you submit it, however, I strongly recommend dummying the story out to make sure you have enough for 32 pages, the length of a standard picture book.  Visualizing it in scenes also helps. (You will have 14 spreads and a single to work with, more or less.)  

Do not illustrate it yourself if you are not an artist--no stick figures, no decorations.  Don't laugh, this is serious