Editorial Calendars

You're dying to write an article for children.  But you don't know where to begin or what to write about.  You're stuck.  Brain freeze sets in.

Relax.  Let me offer you a good place to start:  take a look at the editorial calendars of potential markets. Editorial calendars are usually found on the guidelines page of a publishing company's website.  Here you'll find a list of themes and the month and year in which those themes will be published.  In some cases, editors have listed possible topics.  Take for example the theme “Age of Exploration” as listed for Appleseeds Magazine.  The editors state they’d be interested in seeing ship builders, sail makers, map makers, and explorers.  Think of all of the possibilities just from this one theme!

When I glance at the editorial calendars from different magazines,I find that many of the themes are broad.  For instance a couple of years ago, Appleseeds Magazine listed  “horses” on the editorial calendar.  You could write about a particular breed, horses in history, horses helping people, and so on.  But the key to catching an editor's eye is to find a specific and a unique facet of the topic.  In this case, I found a unique subject—a candy-loving Kentucky Derby horse. This unusual horse and his story impressed the editor and I was awarded a contract to write the piece.  

An editorial calendar gives you ideas that you may not have thought of before.  When you review the themes, think about a topic that interests you and has the potential to interest kids.  Ponder how can you make this topic exceptional.  Consider how you’d research the topic.  Afterward, think about where you will submit such an article.  You can pitch to the publication that has presented the theme.  Or you can use the topic for a piece that can be submitted to a different magazine.

If you’re not quite ready to begin researching, writing, and submitting an article, simply keep a list of all of the topics for future reference.  Check the editorial calendars throughout the year to see if any have been updated.  Review your list and brainstorm other closely related topics.  In time, you’ll never be short on ideas.

Give an Editor Your Very Best

You've written a great picture book story.  You've had it reviewed by a writing partner or by a critique group.  Are you ready to submit it to a publisher?  Probably not yet.  Your work must be carefully edited.  Everything has to be just right.  You must use good grammar and have no punctuation mistakes.  Your story must have good pacing, sound structure, and a unique plot.  The story arc should blend voice and characterization with strong writing.  


If you’ve met these goals, you’re probably ready to approach a publisher.  But if you’re not sure if your manuscript is good enough to submit, you might need to invest a little money and time.  Here are four ways to help you improve your manuscript before you send it to a publisher:   

1. Invest in grammar books like The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E. B. White and a thesaurus like The Children’s Writer’s Word Book by Alijandra Mogilner.

2. Take classes that focus on writing for children, either locally or online.  Writer’s Digest offers some amazing webinars.

3. Read books about the craft of writing for children. For starters, check out Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul.

4. Familiarize yourself with books that you’d like to write.  Read them for enjoyment, to be inspired and to help you hone your craft.

Editors are looking for your best work.  They expect you to carefully edit and proofread your submission.  They expect you to submit a piece that is free of grammatical and spelling errors. Most editors maintain that manuscripts with punctuation and spelling errors, or otherwise poorly written or edited submissions will not be considered. 

Unless you have a special relationship with an editor who is willing to help you revise your manuscript, it’s up to you to edit your work.  So learn as much as you can about the craft of writing for children.  Be patience and persevere.  Then give an editor your very best.

In No Particular Order

The bibliography is one of the first things I look at when I receive a submission.  I review the sources used and check how well the bibliography is formatted.  Recently I received a submission with a bibliography that shocked me.  The author submitted a nonfiction article with a strangely composed bibliography.  The sources —titles only—were listed in random order.  Come on.  A bibliography has to have order.  It's called alphabetical order.

This is not the first submission that I’ve received that had a poor bibliography.  Many times, authors are careless in writing the bibliography.  Words are misspelled; titles are not capitalized; punctuation is missing; formatting is incorrect.  These errors however, are more common than a bibliography composed in no particular order.

In most cases, nonfiction submissions for children’s magazines are required to include a bibliography.  Stories for Children Magazine only requires three sources, two of which can be Internet sources.  So, composing a short bibliography is not hard.  Still, even with only a few sources, the bibliography has to be formatted correctly.

Most magazine editors make their preferences known for formatting in their guidelines.  Some editors prefer the Chicago Style.  The University of Chicago Press has created the Chicago Manual of Style, which provides guidelines for citing sources as well as for formatting papers.  Other editors like the MLA Style (the Modern Language Association) which is used primarily for subjects related to the humanities and liberal arts, such as literature, mass communications, and media studies.

When writing nonfiction for children, always include a properly formatted bibliography with good sources. It may be the first thing an editor looks at. If you've spent time researching and writing an article, make sure that an appropriate bibliography accompanies your work. Visit the MLA organization's website on the Internet or refer to a copy of the Chicago Manual of Style if you have doubts about citing sources.  With a little practice, you'll be formatting bibliographies with ease and perfection.

Letting Work Die, All Yellow

As nonfiction editor for Stories for Children Magazine, I keep a log of all submissions.  The log is divided into months and each submission is color-coded.  Green is for a Phase I acceptance, blue is for a Phase II acceptance, and magenta is for the most-sought after Phase III acceptance.

More colors describe various points in the submission process.  Orange means the submission is still being considered.  Red is for rejection (there aren’t too many of these!) and yellow means that a Phase I or II acceptance is likely if some edits are made. 

As I glance at my log, I have many green, blue, and magenta submissions.  But I have way too many yellow submissions, the ones that need just a little editing.  And yet, most of these submissions have remained yellow for months.  Many writers don't revise and re-submit.

The yellow-highlighted submissions have promise, and I’d like to see them published. But if a writer refuses to edit, then it's a waste of time for the both of us—the author has spent time researching and writing the piece and I have spent time reading the submission and making thoughtful suggestions.

Editing is an important part of writing for children.  Most of the suggestions I make are easy to implement.  I might ask to correct grammar.  Or, I might like to see another source.  So it's hard to conceive why anyone would walk away from work that was once deemed worthy of submission.  It's a shame letting a submission "die" all yellow on my log.

Out and About at the Zoo

Today, Jo Linsdell reveals the story behind her picture book.

Like most kids, my son loves animals. I got the idea for my children's picture book Out and About at the Zoo after taking him to the zoo for the first time. He'd been asking me why I hadn't written a book for him and I figured he made a good point. I decided to make the text rhyming as they were his favourite types of books.

He was a big help throughout the whole process. As you can imagine of a 4- year old, he wasn't shy about giving feedback. He was also an eager audience when I needed to read through the text. He loved being able to be involved in my work for a change and asked a lot of questions. It was actually really helpful as it made me think about the project from a different angle and kept my target reader as the focus of the book.

He helped me with the illustration part, too. He had great fun helping me create the animals for the book. We researched together to find pictures of the animals I needed, using our own photos from our trip to the zoo and pictures we found in books and on the Internet. Every illustration included in the book was given his seal of approval... and trust me he was very demanding. If it didn't look right to him it was re-drawn.

Involving my son in the project made everything more fun. He would often ask "Mummy did you finish that picture yet?" or "Is the book ready now?" which was great for motivating me to work on it. This book definitely holds a very special place in my heart.

Synopsis:  Rhyming text and colourful pictures accompany this fun day out discovering different animals at the zoo.

About the author:
Jo Linsdell is a freelance writer, author and illustrator. Originally from the UK, she now lives in Rome, Italy with her husband and their two young sons.

Author website: www.JoLinsdell.com

Release Date: 1st June 2012

Product details:

ISBN/EAN13: 1477446591 / 9781477446591

Page Count: 32

Binding Type: US Trade Paper

Trim Size: 6" x 9"

Language: English

Colour: Full Colour with Bleed

Related Categories: Juvenile Fiction / Stories in Verse

Purchasing Links:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.it

CreateSpace.com

Contact details:

Email: webmaster@jolinsdell.com

Reviews: 5 Stars: "Out and About at the Zoo is a cute book that describes a child's memory-filled trip to the zoo. Are you heading to the zoo and you would like to tell your kids what animals they will see there and what they might be doing? Then Out and About at the Zoo would be a great choice. Easy to understand and easy for children to read along with. It is filled with simple yet colorful pictures that even help my one-year old's attention. Would also make a good gift for young readers who are just beginning to read!
By Virginia L. Jennings, author

5 Stars "Out and About at the Zoo by Jo Linsdell is a delightful story set in rhyme about a boy and his mum.  The two spend the day at the zoo and meet many animals along the way. Your child will enjoy reading this book time and time again. The colorful illustrations make this book a joy to read. Pick up a copy of this book and share a day at the zoo memory with your little one."
By Kate Mueller, Author of Bella's Birthday Surprise  

Writeoncon

Writeoncon is a great way to learn more about the craft of writing for children.  This year, the conference features literary agents Cheryl Pientka, Daniel Lazar, Peter Knapp, Michelle Humphrey, Mollie Glick, Emily Keyes, Sarah Davies, and Katie Grimm.  This program will have industry professionals in the forums, looking at query letters, pitches, and anything else they want.  And it's free!  I participated last year and loved it.

The online conference will be held on August 14 - 15.  For more information check out:
http://writeoncon.com

Blog Tip and Writer's articles

Today Children’s Writer’s World shares two articles and a blogging tip.  Enjoy!

Horn Book June 26^th:

Profile of Kadir Nelson author of Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans
http://www.hbook.com/2012/06/authors-illustrators/a-profile-of-kadir-nelson/

Writer’s Digest June 24^th

 “4 Keys to Writing Un-Put-Down-Able Middle Grade Adventure”
http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/march-15-richard-ungar-4-keys-to-middle-grade

Blogging Tip   http://savvyblogging.net/5-simple-seo-tips/