Disappointed
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After reading the other reviews for this book I couldn't wait to get hold of it and ordered it right away. But when I received it I was very disappointed with the contents. I was expecting a fantastic book filled with amazing information and unfortunately it isn't, in my opinion. For me, The Children's Writers' and Artists' Yearbook is by far a much better source containing the majority of information Mr Shepard has in his book, plus a hell of a lot more.
From my point of view Mr Shepard's book is written mainly for author's writing illustrated books,(I'm not) which I didn't pick up from the other reviews, and also promoting books that have been self published, a route I don't want to go down.
I find his advice of sending out manuscripts with a Post-it note stuck on the front instead of a covering letter mind-boggling!
This book has obviously been of help to others but unfortunately not to me.
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Mayra Calvani -- TCM REVIEWS
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If you’re thinking of writing, selling and promoting a children’s book, The Business of Writing for Children is a title you’ll definitely want to add to your permanent reference shelf. In it you’ll find tips, useful information and resources on how to write children’s fiction, learning what editors want to see in a manuscript, how to submit your queries and promote your book. The book’s short length and concise, right-to-the-point approach make it an ideal first guide for beginners in the field. Shepard begins by listing some “Dangerous Myths and Terrible Truths” about the business. Then he offers general guidelines on how to write for children, dealing with topics such as Theme, Plot, Story Structure, Characters, Setting, Style and Tone. The different kinds of children’s books categories can be confusing and hard to distinguish from one another; Shepard describes each in a clear manner. Everything from formatting and submitting your manuscript, to negotiating a contract, to understanding the publishing process, to building your career, to scripting your story can be found between these pages, and more. A separate section is given to other topics such as Rhythm and Writing and Researching Folk Tales. Most helpful are the author’s sample flyers and queries, especially his ingenious way for sending one query for multiple titles, saving time and postage fees. Shepard also offers clever alternatives to sending queries by using Post-its. At the end of the book there’s an Appendix filled with useful resources. Be aware this book will not teach you how to self publish a children’s book, but only how to sell your work to traditional publishers. However, this is a reference work valuable for anybody who wishes to understand the business of writing for children. Highly recommended.
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Very good, could be longer
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Excellent source of tips for an aspiring children's author. Could have more information in the actually 'how to write' section, but the advice he gives is very good.
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A Good Starting Point For New Aspiring Writers
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As a "would-be / want to be" children's writer, I found this book a vault of golden nuggets! It really does deal with everything from where to start to getting published. From basics to building your career, it covers handy hits and tips for writing your book, presenting and submitting manuscripts, dos and dont's and what to avoid when writing children's books. Moving on from the creative part, Aaron then goes on to give guidance on publishers and agents, contracts, promotion, pitfalls, what to expect and how far, as a new author, you can negotiate. Throughout Aaron clarifies meanings of different writing terms, which is very useful to the novice. Using his own material, he provides examples of manuscripts, theatre scripts, promotional aids and flyers. I was particularly impressed with the picture book query method he used to find a publisher for several of his books. There are a few American market referrals, but not enough to make it irrelevant to the British market. What is particularly useful is the further reading guides at the back of the book. Favourable quoted reviews from other children's authors, publishers and editors, gives the impression this is a very accurate look at the vocation of writing for children. I loved this book so much I read it in a day! Clearly written and easy to understand it is my little bible that I carry everywhere - I think my friends are already sick of me saying "Aaron Shepard says..." As I have never been published, I don't know how relevant this book is for already successful writers, but I would say it is a must for beginners!
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A Good Starting Point for New Aspiring Writers
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As a "would-be / want to be" children's writer, I found this book a vault of golden nuggets! It really does deal with everything from where to start to getting published. From basics to building your career, it covers handy hints and tips for writing your book, presenting and submitting manuscripts, dos and dont's and what to avoid when writing children's books. Moving on from the creative part, Aaron then goes on to give guidance on publishers and agents, contracts, promotion, pitfalls, what to expect and how far, as a new author, you can negotiate. Throughout Aaron clarifies meanings of different writing terms, which is very useful to the novice. Using his own material, he provides examples of manuscripts, theatre scripts, promotional aids and flyers. I was particularly impressed with the picture book query method he used to find a publisher for several of his books. There are a few American market referrals, but not enough to make it irrelevant to the British market. What is particularly useful is the further reading guides at the back of the book. Favourable quoted reviews from other children's authors, publishers and editors, gives the impression this is a very accurate look at the vocation of writing for children. I loved this book so much I read it in a day! Clearly written and easy to understand it is my little bible that I carry everywhere - I think my friends are already sick of me saying "Aaron Shepard says..." As I have never been published, I don't know how relevant this book is for already successful writers, but I would say it is a must for beginners!
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