I wrote a picture book manuscript.
Revised until my eyes threatened to cross. Pitched it to my critique partner
for feedback. Revised again. Back to my critique partner, and revised again.
Since most picture books have two
components, pictures and text, the goal is to limit words to the bare
essentials. The characters' clothes, house, shoes don’t need to be described,
unless vital to the story, because the illustrations will provide those. For
writers who are not illustrators, it can be difficult to think visually, eliminating
the aspects that can be shown through illustrations.
Lack of description provides space
for illustrators to carry the story beyond the text and to develop a variety of
picture possibilities. Sometimes illustrations add a second story line.
Focus the story on action and
dialog. Dialog allows the emotion of the character to step off the page.
Introduce characters that reflect
the interest of the audience/age group.
Move characters forward in the
plot and into different settings.
Vary the emotional intensity of scenes.
With a maximum of 600 words or
less, omitting description allows writers to delve deeper into the story in a
short amount of space.
Call for
Submissions for Young Writers:
Amazing Kids! Online Magazine. Do you love writing,
art, photography or videography, and are between the ages of 5 to 18? Would you
like to be published in the Amazing Kids! Online Magazine? Submit
your writing and art; it might just be published in an upcoming issue!
Send your name, age,
and state/country when you send us your work. Please keep in mind we only
accept kid-friendly, age-appropriate original creative works done by kids and
teens. (The work must be appropriate for kids ages 12 and younger) and can be
any of the following:
Submission guidelines at http://mag.amazing-kids.org/get-involved/write-for-us/
Call for
Submissions for Adult Writers:
East of the Web is keen to provide exposure for writers by offering them a place
where their work will be seen and read in a high quality, respected setting.
The site receives about half a million unique visitors per month, so successful
submissions are likely to be viewed by more readers than in almost any other
short story publication. In addition, the site receives attention from agents,
the press, film makers, schools, universities and other publishers.
Submission
guidelines at http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/Publishing.html
Nancy Kelly Allen has written 40+ children’s
books and a cookbook, SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY: BOURBON COOKBOOK.
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