10 Tips from a Children's Book Editor: Break Into Print With YA Nonfiction

If you're like many people, deep down, you dream of writing a book someday. Becoming a writer is a common ambition, and the world of publishing is notoriously competitive. But don't let the idea of competition stop you. It's easier than you might think to get your work into print, and one of the best ways is to try your hand at young adult nonfiction. From biographies to detailed histories, these are the kinds of books that kids read for book reports or take out of the library to do research. In general, YA nonfiction books don't earn huge royalties, but it is often easier to break into this market than others, even as an unpublished writer, which gives you valuable experience that can lead to bigger contracts down the road.

As a children's book editor for over ten years, I've helped dozens of people - many of them stay-at-home moms with just a little spare time - get published. I've also turned down many would-be authors because they made some easy-to-avoid mistakes. If you have ever wished you could write a book, the following tips can help you get published by approaching the YA nonfiction market.

1. Research your topic. So you've got a great idea and you think you're ready to write. Stop! Before you spend a lot of time and energy laboring over your book and choosing just the right words, do some homework. Your goal is to ensure that your idea is at least reasonably original and, more importantly, marketable. For example, if you want to write a biography of Clara Barton, make sure that four new books on Barton haven't just been released. There are several easy ways to research the current market. One of these is a huge database, available online for a fee, called Books in Print, which (as the name suggests) lists all literary works that are currently in print, and shows any reviews the books have received. Other resources you might use include online booksellers such as Amazon.com and magazines that review new children's books. Among these are VOYA, Booklist, and School Library Journal. These publications can help you get a feel for the kinds of books that are coming out and how they're being received. Keep in mind that just because there may be a book or two out there that seem similar to what you want to write doesn't mean your idea is a bad one. Some topics, such as biographies, will always have a niche in the market.

2. Research the publishers. Before you start sending out your manuscript or even query letters to drum up publisher interest, you need to know something about the publishers to whom you are appealing. Using magazines, the library, and the Internet (publishers' Web sites are particularly helpful), find out what kinds of books each publisher puts out. You might also go online or call publishing houses to request a current catalog (some will require you to pay a small fee). A catalog is a great way to see the publisher's latest books, and to find out whether your idea will fit in with the publisher's current program. If you can see that a certain publisher has just put out a biography of Clara Barton, then this might not be the publishing house you should approach when you're ready to sell your book.

3. Don't send your entire book. Although there are publishing houses that prefer to see an entire manuscript (get the publisher's submission guidelines online or check the publisher's listing in Writer's Market to be sure), most editors are much more responsive to a well-written query letter that highlights the topic of your book and shows why your book will be appealing in the current market. Overworked editors will often toss a full manuscript that is unsolicited into a slush pile-usually a dusty, rarely opened file cabinet drawer in which unread manuscripts lie forgotten until they are ultimately thrown into a recycling bin. To avoid this unlucky fate, it is usually better to send just a chapter or two from your book, to give the editor an idea of your writing style. It is also very helpful to send a detailed outline that shows how you envision the manuscript being organized.

4. Avoid sending your book at crunch times. There are certain times of the year when editors are particularly overloaded. These periods usually come in mid- to late spring or early fall, when a large number of new books are being published. The start of the New Year is also a rough time. Many editors are returning from their holiday break to find mountains of unread mail on their desks. If your query letter or manuscript ends up on an editor's desk during one of these hectic periods, it won't receive the same attention that it might get during a time when the editor is actively looking for new authors. Try to find out a little bit about when different publishers put out their new titles, or, at the very least, wait a week or two after the New Year to give editors time to clear off their desks before bombarding them with your book.

5. Follow up, but don't harass. It is a good idea to drop the publisher a note or email if you haven't heard anything after several weeks. Most publishers say that they get back to authors in a few weeks to a month, but my experience is that it often takes much longer. I admit that I have often been guilty of taking several months to contact even those authors whose books I was interested in publishing. Even if an editor likes your work, he or she is most likely juggling several projects that are already in progress. In addition, there are few editors who have the authority to decide on their own to publish a manuscript they like. Most editors have to bring a manuscript to an editorial and/or marketing committee that gets the final say on whether an author will be offered a contract. These committees are often very, very slow when it comes to making editorial decisions, if only because they have lots of other issues competing for their time. So, just because you haven't heard back from the publisher, don't assume that your idea has been rejected. Be patient, and try to limit your follow-ups to writing. The last thing a busy editor needs is a frantic phone call about a book that he or she may not even have reviewed yet. In the publishing world, patience is indeed a virtue.

6. Don't be married to your idea. You may have poured your heart and soul into coming up with an idea that you think is both interesting and original. Unfortunately, the editor may not care. Nonfiction publishers often have a list of topics that they want to cover, and they may not be willing to consider other ideas. If a publisher contacts you and suggests a variation on your theme, or offers you a chance to write about a different topic, seize the opportunity. Once you've established a reputation as a reliable and talented writer, you'll have a much better chance of working on books that are based on your own ideas. At first, it is always best to concentrate on proving that you can write. Be open to trying out other ideas and then work with whatever topic you're given to the best of your ability.

7. Be willing to do your own photo research. A publisher may like your idea, but may not be willing to work with an unknown, first-time author. Sometimes, you can help persuade a publisher (especially a small press that has to work with limited funds and personnel) to go ahead with your book if you offer to do any photo research that is needed. Many YA publishers put out heavily illustrated books or books with photographs placed throughout the text. Doing your own photo research saves the publisher time and money, and shows that you're really committed. Photo research is a lot easier than you might think. Places like the Library of Congress, National Archives, and other federal and state government agencies have tons of photos on almost any topic you can think of, and their fees are fairly low, so paying for them won't cut into your profits too much. It can actually be fun to track down the perfect pictures to go along with your words, so don't overlook photo research as a way to help get your foot in the door.

8. Make contacts who can help you. Join a writer's organization or visit chat rooms on the Internet where you can get to know some authors who already have experience in YA nonfiction. Some associations, like the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, hold meetings and give unpublished writers the chance to meet authors who know a lot about the business. It's always helpful to approach an editor by saying you're a friend of another author he or she has worked with or knows by reputation. One note of warning-be sure you actually know the person whose name you're dropping. You're just setting yourself up for embarrassment if you say you know someone you don't.

9. Have up-to-date equipment. If you're even thinking about starting a writing career, it is vital to have access to the latest technology. Gone are the days of authors pecking away at old-fashioned typewriters. This is the age of the Internet and ultra-fast personal computers. I'm not saying you should set up your family room to look like something out of Star Trek, but you should at least have a place where you can go online occasionally to see what's new in the industry. Above all, you should have access to a computer on which you can type your work. There isn't much that turns off an editor more than a writer saying she can't supply a digital copy of a manuscript. Although most publishers do want to see a hard copy of your work, a computer file saves time and money in typesetting costs, so you should be ready to send one, even if you have to borrow a friend's computer.

10. Always proofread! I can't stress this enough. You should read, proofread, and then proofread your manuscript again before sending it to a publisher. This is especially important before you've received a contract for your book. Your letter and/or writing sample is the first impression the publisher gets of you. If it is sloppy or contains misspellings, an editor will not be all that eager to work with you. Even less-than-perfect writing can be fixed with the help of a good editor, but spelling errors and typos in your initial correspondence show that you are careless and will make editors think twice before contracting you-no matter how great your idea may be. So eliminate those errors-both in your manuscript and in your correspondence-before you make that first contact. It will make a world of difference.

I can't promise that these tips will guarantee you a career in children's publishing. However, my years of experience have taught me that even little mistakes can hurt your chances of getting your manuscript read and published. A terrific idea and a talent for writing are always useful, but I have also seen many mediocre writers get published when they have followed these rules and made their manuscripts more appealing. So get to work and get yourself published-and make sure you have fun, because that's the most important part of writing for children!