How to Write a Children’s Book Description

 

Contributed by Morgan Lee Clasper 

Writing a description for your children’s book means tackling a unique problem.

When an adult buys a novel, the reader and the buyer are typically the same person. But for children’s books, they couldn’t be more different.
Your story may be for kids, but the person who’s searching Amazon or browsing a bookstore is likely a parent, grandparent, teacher, or librarian. For this reason, your book description needs to make your story sound appealing to kids, while also convincing adults to buy.

To help you do this, here are a few tips to keep in mind when you write your children’s book description so that it speaks to all ages.

Sell your story (even if it’s low stakes)

One particular difficulty that leaves many children’s authors stuck is that, according to conventional wisdom, you need to pack your book description with tension, conflict, and constant escalation.
The problem is that most children’s stories have low stakes, and so authors may struggle to write a description where nothing really “bad” ever happens.

However, even a low-stakes story can create the right sense of tension. To achieve this, ask yourself two questions: What does my protagonist want? And what makes achieving their goal interesting to read about?

Your children’s story might not have world-ending stakes or a race against time, but tension doesn’t need to depend on a sense of impending doom. 

Consider these examples:
•    A nervous child wants to make friends on her first day of school
•    A little rabbit learns about the value of teamwork and sharing
•    A pufferfish discovers how to express his emotions constructively

A cozy and comforting picture book about friendship, bedtime, or overcoming a fear can still have a compelling description, provided you frame your protagonist’s desire in a way that makes it interesting to read about.

Remember who’s buying your book

As we’ve seen, your book description should appeal to both parents and kids, but for different reasons. Parents may care about things like age appropriateness and educational value. Children, meanwhile, are more interested in the promise of funny characters, colorful illustrations, or an exciting story.

A good children’s book description focuses on both. It identifies what adults are searching for, while also sounding like a story that kids will love.

One simple technique you can use is to divide your description into two parts. The opening can focus on the story itself, while the second half communicates the details that parents want to know.

Don’t forget to give parents practical details

Because children’s books focus on a range of topics and themes, it’s helpful to provide parents with additional details and context to help them figure out if your book is right for their child.

One powerful way to do this is to use a bullet list to communicate your book’s unique selling points. This could include your target age range, whether it makes for a good gift, if it features a rhyming narrative, and so on. 

For example:
•    A rhyming bedtime story for children ages 4-8 
•    Features colourful illustrations on every page 
•    Shares a gentle story about courage and belonging 
•    Makes a thoughtful gift to inspire young readers

Notice how each bullet doesn’t read like a table of contents. Every point communicates something important about the book, setting the story apart from other titles while giving parents useful details to inform their buying decisions.

Make your description match the feel of your story

A good children’s book description is filled with emotion and wonder. It should feel as lively to read as your story itself! Before you start writing, imagine that you’re describing your book to a parent without explaining the plot.

Is your book playful, silly, and energetic? Is it a warm and gentle bedtime story? Or is it magical and whimsical? These words can act as a guide when choosing the language for your description.

These words can infuse your description with life. Instead of saying simply, “This book contains illustrations,” consider something like “features illustrations that leap from every page.” This subtly communicates how your book will feel to read, while also giving parents a better sense of what they're buying.

Remember that parents are looking for a fun story for their kids, so your book description shouldn’t sound dry or lifeless!

Conclusion

Writing a good children’s book description means balancing your two audiences. Kids need a story that sounds appealing, while adults are the ones making the decision whether to buy.
The best descriptions have something for both. They capture the emotional heart of your story, give a window into the reading experience, and provide the practical details that parents are looking for.

Bio
Morgan Lee Clasper is a copywriter, book sales strategist, and author of The Blurb Puzzle. With over seven years of experience in the publishing industry, he’s worked with New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling authors, writing 4,000 blurbs and counting. Morgan is also the author of the YA fantasy series The Frostwing Quadrilogy and The Chronicles of Alcabaza. To read The Blurb Puzzle, visit https://morganclasperauthor.com/

Point of View and Children’s Storytelling

Point-of-view (POV) is the narrator's view of what's going on.

The POV is who's telling the story. This will determine what the reader 'hears' and 'sees' in regard to the story. And, it determines the ‘personal pronouns’ that will be used.

Having this element of the story consistent throughout is essential.

There are three main POVs in young children’s storytelling: first person, second person, and third person (limited). And, in each of these POVs, the protagonist (main character) must be in each scene – the story is told through his five-senses. If he doesn’t see, hear, smell, taste, or touch it, it doesn’t exist in the story.

1. First person.

This POV has the protagonist personally telling the story. Pronouns, such as “I,” “my,” “me,” “I’m,” are used.

Example from “Because of Winn-Dixie:”

That summer I found Winn-Dixie was also the summer me and the preacher moved to Naomi, Florida, so he could be the new preacher . . .  (The protagonist, Opal, is talking to the reader – italics are mine for clarity.)

Notice the above isn’t in quotation marks for dialog. Dialog would be used if the protagonist talks to another character in the story or another character talks. See examples below:

“But you know what?” I told Winn-Dixie. (Opal is talking to her dog.)

“Well, I don’t know,” said Miss Franny. “Dogs are not allowed in the Herman W. Block Memorial Library.” (The librarian in the story is talking to Opal.)

Children’s books in first person POV:

“Because of Winn-Dixie (Kate DiCamillo)
“Green Eggs and Ham” (Dr. Suess)
“The Polar Express” (Chris Van Allsburg)
“Fly Away Home” (Eve Bunting)

2. Second person.

This POV uses “you” as the pronoun, referring to the reader and isn’t used that often in young children’s writing. But, there are some authors who pull it off very well.

An example of this POV from “How to Babysit Grandpa:”

Babysitting a grandpa is fun. If you know how. (The protagonist is talking to the reader, involving him. Italics are mine.)

Children’s books in second person POV:

"How to Babysit Grandpa" (Jean Reagan)
"Secret Pizza Party" (Adam Rubin)
"The Book That Eats People" (John Perry)

3. Third person (limited).

This POV is probably the most popular in young children’s writing. Pronouns, such as “he,” “she,” “its,” “they,” and “their” are used.

While this is similar to the other two POVs, in that they’re all told from the protagonist’s point-of-view, in third party, the narrator, is telling the story. He’s privy to all the senses and emotions of the protagonist.

Here’s an example from “Walking Through Walls:”

“You will practice by walking through this brick wall. You must repeat the magic formula over and over as you go through it.”

Wang looked at the wall. He tightened his fists, clenched his jaw, and wrinkled his forehead. This is sure to hurt.

“Uh,” he paused, “Master, what will happen if I do say the words to the magic formula out loud?”

“Wang, you are trying to delay your task. It is a good question though. Your tongue will cease its movement if you speak the words to the formula.”

Wang's eyes opened wide and he flung his hands on top of his head. Never to talk again! I am sorry I asked for the formula. What if I slip?

The narrator is telling the reader what’s going on. Again, he’s privy to the protagonist’s thoughts, senses, and feelings.

Children’s books in third person POV:

“Walking Through Walls” (Karen Cioffi)
"Owen" (Kevin Henkes)
"Tops and Bottoms" (Janet Stevens)
“Stephanie’s Ponytail” (Robert Munsch)

Be consistent.

When writing for young children, it’s the author’s job to make sure the story is engaging and CLEAR (easy to understand). One quick way to lose the reader is to mix and match point-of-views within the story. Even if you slip just once, you may very well throw the reader off.

One easy error is to slip in a second person POV within a third person story. How this might happen:

The third-party narrator is explaining what the protagonist did then throws in something like, Can you believe it?

That one little sentence has switched POVs and can cause confusion.

Remember to choose one POV and stick with it throughout your story.

There you have it, the three main points-of-view in young children’s storytelling. Which do you prefer?

Sources:

http://literarydevices.net/point-of-view/
http://www.childrensbookacademy.com/mondays-with-mandy-or-mira/second-person-point-of-view-in-picture-books

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author, successful children’s ghostwriter, and author/writer online platform instructor with WOW! Women on Writing. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Writers on the Move.

For more on writing, stop by Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi. And, be sure to sign up for her newsletter and check out the DIY Page.


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Had a Children’s Book Ghostwritten - Now What?

With a steady stream of ghosting clients, I am often asked what comes after the manuscript is written and edited.

Well, this depends on which publishing road you’ll be taking: self-publishing or traditional publishing.

Since the majority of my clients go the self-pubbing route, I’ll start there.

Self-Publishing a Children’s Picture Book

Some basic pages and copy in addition to the story.

1. You’ll need back cover copy. This is a brief synopsis of the story, usually 100-200 words. It needs to be ‘grabbing’ and ‘clear.’

2. It’s a good idea to have an About the Author or Author’s Note page at the end of the story. It’s definitely optional though.

3. A Copyright page – you can include acknowledgements on this page.

4. A Dedication / Acknowledgment page is a thought.

5. Some authors want a Preface page, but in most cases this isn’t necessary.

6. If you have words that may need to be defined for the young reader, you might include a Glossary right after the story. Most authors don’t bother with this.

7. Then there’s the Activity Page and Reading Comprehension Page. If you’re hoping to get your book into the classroom, this is a must.

Unless you’re creating your own pages, these items will usually be an additional fee.

Illustrations

Interior:

If you have a children’s picture book you’ll need to get illustrations done. This can be done one of two ways: 32 illustrations (one per page) or one illustration per spread (16 illustrations). This is based on a standard 32 page picture book.

Keep in mind that a full spread illustration (two pages - left and right sides) is usually considered two pages of illustrations.

Exterior:

The book cover is a BIGGIE. The cover is one of the most influential elements to motivate someone to pick up your book. You want it done right. Covers are more money than interior spreads.

You might also want to go for a small back cover illustration. This isn’t really necessary though. You can simply have a colored back cover with your synopsis on it. Possibly include an image of yourself (the author).

Pricing for illustrations vary. I recommend two illustrators to my clients: one charges $50-$60 per interior illustration and the other charges around $75-$100. There are others who charge $150 and up per interior illustration.

On the flip side, you can probably get illustrations cheaper through various services / illustrators. Just be sure the one you choose is capable of creating quality illustrations.

Again, cover illustrations are more.

Here are a three places you can look for illustrators:
https://www.upwork.com
https://fiverr.com
http://blueberryillustrations.com/childrens-book-illustrations/

You can also do a Google search.

So, you can see that self-publishing a children’s picture book can get pretty expensive.

Hot Tip: Unless you’re a professional illustrator, or really, really, really good, don’t attempt to do your own illustrations.

Checking the Illustrations and Illustrations to Text

Unless you hire someone to oversee this process, you will need to make sure there are no errors in the illustrations.

For the first part, you need to carefully review each illustration, including the cover and back cover (if you have an image on the back cover).

It can be something as simple as part of a foot missing, or a picture described in the story conveyed wrong in the illustration. These, among many others, were mistakes I found for one of my clients who hired me to oversee this process for him.

It can even be consistency, maybe how the characters look throughout the story or even the background scenery. In one project, the illustrator had molding in some illustrations and none in others where is should have been.

You’ll have to have a keen eye for this stuff, but getting it right is the difference between a good quality product and a poor quality product.

For the illustrations to text review, it’s the same. You want to make sure the illustration fits the text per spread. Most illustrators get this right, but I’ve come across a few who do make mistakes.

This is your book. You want it to be the best it can be. This means getting all the details right.

Time Frame

Having the book ghostwritten and illustrated can take around 3 months, possibly longer.

The Story

Using myself as an example, I usually take two-four weeks to write a children’s picture book manuscript of 800 – 3000 words (depends on what my clients want). I do mention in my freelance agreement that it can take up to six weeks.

It’s important to know that if you’re self-publishing your word count can be around 1000 words. If you’re going the traditional route, it’s a good idea to stay under 800 words.

Another factor in the time it takes to write the story is the time it takes the client to respond to questions and approvals of content. If a client takes more than a couple of days to respond to emails, the time frame will be thrown off.

The Illustrations

Getting the interior and exterior illustrations done can take one-two months, sometimes more. It will depend on the illustrator you use and his/her workload.

Getting the Book Published (ready for distribution / sale)

Depending on your budget, you can hire someone from a site like Fiverr.com to format and upload your book onto Kindle and/or other publishing venues.

Or, you can hire a service, like CreateSpace, Dog Ear Publishing, Golden Box Books, and Publishing Push to do it for you. This route will cost more money, but you’ll have all your “Is” dotted and “Ts” crossed.

For a great resource on publishing ebooks, check out:
https://janefriedman.com/how-to-publish-an-ebook/

Self-Publishing a Chapter or Simple Middle Grade Book

If you have a chapter or simple middle grade book ghosted, you’ll only need illustrations for each chapter. And, they can be simple grey tone sketches.

While it’s not an absolute must to have illustrations for these books, it does help with engagement for the young reader.

The Traditional Road

The traditional route will cost much less. All you’ll be paying for is the ghostwriter. You won’t need illustrations.

While it will cost less, it will certainly take a lot longer.

You’ll have to submit your manuscript to publishers and/or literary agents to hopefully get a contract. You’ll need a query letter for this. And, having a synopsis of the story is another must.

When and if a contract happens, it takes an average of two years before your book is actually published. So, patience will be needed.

And, be prepared for the publisher’s editor to go over your story and possibly request changes. This is just part of the process. Be open to suggestions.

I recommend you get the most recent edition of “Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market” by Writer’s Digest Books. This book provides information on publishers and agents in the children’s writing arena. These are the people you’ll be submitting your manuscript to.

I also recommend reading:

Children's Writing and Publishing - The Traditional Path


The Author Website

Before you publish your book, you absolutely need an author website. Publishers and agents will expect this. And, if you’re self-publishing it’s even more important.

According to Chuck Sambuchino of Writer’s Digest, in his book “Create Your Writer Platform,” an author’s platform (its visibility, connections, and reach) is a key factor when looking for a publisher or agent.

Take note that this is not after a book is published; it’s when the author is looking for a contract. Your platform begins with a website.

Summing it Up

So, there you have it, a basic run-down of what to expect and what you’ll need to do to get your manuscript published.

About the Author

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning author and children's ghostwriter. You can learn more about her at http://karencioffiwritingforchildren.com

NEED HELP WITH YOUR CHILDREN’S MANUSCRIPT / STORY?

Let Karen take a look at it. She's a working children’s ghostwriter and rewriter. She can turn your story into a publishable book that you'll be proud to be author of. Send her an email at: kcioffiventrice  @   gmail.com

Article originally published at: http://karencioffiwritingforchildren.com/2016/03/27/had-a-childrens-book-ghostwritten-now-what/


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