What happens when the work is accepted?
Once accepted, an editor will be assigned to work with you and your book.
Contracts are entered into. Caution is needed. Have someone else read the contract and take particular note of the “fine print”. If you don’t understand the legal terminology, it would be worth your while to have a solicitor or someone with a legal background read the contract through. Avoid making promises you cannot keep and ensure that any promises the publisher has made are written into the contract. It is worth seeking independent advice if you need help with negotiating clauses. Professional literary societies can be of great assistance in this legal mine field.
The job of the editor is to work with you to produce the best book you can. Every detail will be looked at carefully. Suggestions for changes will be made. These may relate to changes in specific words, the sharpening of an idea or a character. Perhaps there’ll be little work to be done with the written text.
Changes come when the illustrator gets to work. Much of the text can be carried by the illustrations. Writer and editor look at a wide range of illustrators’ work and the manuscript is sent off to the illustrator for acceptance. A lot of discussion is involved. Illustrators perceive things differently from the writer and their ideas cover things the writer has never envisaged. There can be many wonderful surprises.
Writer, illustrator, layout designer and editor work in close collaboration and this can result in the book taking several months to come to fruition.
Rough copies of illustrations are done and then discussed. Colours are added to suggest different moods and feelings, create a sense of energy or disturbance. Intensity of colour can also affect the feelings and tone of the story.
The cover is designed to sell the book so this needs to grab the attention of buyer.
The type on the cover must catch the eye.
Decisions have to be made about the paper to be used.
The editor checks the “dummy” work before the finished artwork is commences.
The artwork when finished is checked again by the editor before printing.
Proofs are checked to ensure the sizing, position of illustrations and colours are exactly as they should be. Black, yellow, red and blue are the only colours the printers use. They have to be blended to imitate the illustrator’s work.
The book rolls off the press. The writer and illustrator usually only see the finished product when it arrives.
After months of working and waiting, the book is born and has a life of its own.
Now the work begins in bringing the book to the readers – book launches, signings, creating your website, visits to schools, and shopping centres, press releases and reviews in literary magazines.
ARE YOU STILL KEEN TO WRITE CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOKS?
IF YOU ANSWERED “YES”, THEN START WRITING NOW!
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