I'll admit when I first starting to write picture books I
didn't approach it as I did when writing my non-fiction
books. That is to say I didn't see my stories as a product that had to fit in a
competitive market. However when I finally experienced that light bulb moment I
quickly placed my first picture book, A
Book For Bramble.
What changed?
I started to research the market. I visited the local
library and spent hours looking at picture books. As I read I took notes. I then visited the local
bookstore and repeated the exercise (slightly more discreetly) to discover if there
were differences between what was being published and what had been published
(the books in the library). Armed with these notes I returned home and tried to
discover if I could see patterns in subject matter, in the way subjects were
covered, in the way sentences were constructed.
I discovered:
- Humour appears to play an important part in many books
- Tools such as repetition are used to help move the story along
- The magic number three appears in many books for example in The Gruffalo you'll discover 'three' hidden all over the place
Today I still continue to research the market and read
picture books as often as I can. The receptionists at my dentist, doctor,
optician and vets are used to seeing me rummage in the stock of picture books
they provide to keep kids entertained. The assistants in the library and
bookstore now take no notice as I read their picture books. Family and friends
watch in amusement as I encourage their children to show me the latest addition
to their bookshelf. Without this research I'd not be able to keep up-to-date
with a changing market.
So if a new writer (of any genre) wants to become published
my advice is research, research, research.
Lynne Garner
I have three new distance learning courses commencing in September via Women On Writing:
3 comments:
This is a great tip, Lynne. Particularly as (as far as I can see) publishers are always changing the criteria as to what makes a picture book publishable. The current vogue appears to be for very minimal text - quite a change from twenty years ago when I was editing them. I love the image of you rummaging through picture books at the dentists' and doctors' surgeries!
This is a great tip, Lynne. Particularly as (as far as I can see) publishers are always changing the criteria as to what makes a picture book publishable. The current vogue appears to be for very minimal text - quite a change from twenty years ago when I was editing them. I love the image of you rummaging through picture books at the dentists' and doctors' surgeries!
In a widely competitive world, research is a great module to not just keep you updated with the changes and improvements in the industry that you're in but also to widen your horizon, to also improve what you can do and discover more of your capability to compete.
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