Comments on: how much does a writer of childrens books make?

By: D'artagnan

D'artagnan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:18:27 +0000

Easy to use links that will help with all your research needs, try typing a keyword or two into the search engine and see what happens.

http://www.ask.com

http://vos.ucsb.edu/index.asp

http://www.aresearchguide.com/

http://www.geocities.com/athens/troy/886...

http://www.studentresearcher.com/search/...

http://www.chacha.com/

By: Miss Liberty

Miss Liberty — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:18:27 +0000

I hear writers in general don’t make a lot of money, unless you somehow hit the jackpot and make it big like J.K. Rowling. Have faith. Write lots of press releases and build up your own fanbase from scratch. Hell, if GP Taylor can achieve success off a mediocre "Shadowmancer," any decent writer should be able to push their way into blockbuster territory.

By: Obi_San

Obi_San — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:18:27 +0000

Less than 5% of writers make enough money to live on.

You will need to have completed and editted your manuscript before querying potential agents. No one will consider an unwritten work of fiction by an unproven author.

Children’s books are one of the most difficult fields to break into and you will face significant rejection. Take a look at the most recent copy of "Writer’s Market" or "The Guide to Literary Agents" to begin your search.

No publisher or agent should charge you any money up front! That is the sign of a scam! They make money by selling your book. Agents work on a commission (generally 15% of the amount of money the publishers pay you).

Make sure that you follow their exact submission specifications. You can’t send them your book, but you should be sending them a query letter (Nicholas Sparks has a good example on his website). Don’t copyright your book first, it looks amateur and would cause them trouble down the line when you do the revisions they ask for. Do not bind it into a book if and when they ask to see it, send loose pages. These are easier for them to deal with.

Here are some websites that can help. Read them thoroughly and research, research, research! Pay special attention to Miss Snark, because her archives can answer any question you ever have about publishing:
http://www.nicholassparks.com/WritersCorner/Agent.html
http://www.publishersmarketplace.com
http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/
http://www.agentquery.com
http://www.misssnark.blogspot.com
http://www.squidoo.com/booksonbooks

And be warned of the people on this list:
http://www.sfwa.org/beware/twentyworst.html

I would suggest that you spend time practicing your grammar and spelling. If you want to write professionally, you should put your best food forward. Using "were" when you mean "where" is not helpful, nor is ignoring capitalization.

Good luck!

By: tepishane_13

tepishane_13 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:18:27 +0000

once again, this question is asked. wait for persiphone hellecat’s answer. she will tell you that you only have 5% of a chance left and much more.

By: dreaming_of_my_fairytale

dreaming_of_my_fairytale — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:18:27 +0000

Depends whether you’ve hit on a good subject or not – there are some really talented writers out there who’ve just not written about subjects people want to read about, or not-so talented writers who’ve hit on a lucky subject!

Try this site out, I’ve checked it out, and they’ll publish it for you free if they like your stuff : http://www.wlchildrensagency.com/submission.html

or try lulu.com or elance.com

hope i helped

good luck

By: skokiesam

skokiesam — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:18:27 +0000

Considering your question is asking how much a children’s book writer can make and NOT how difficult it is to actually break into said field, I can tell you: not much. It also depends on what type of book you are talking about: picture book, middle-grade novel, teen novel (which is published by the children’s book division); if it’s fiction, nonfiction, blah blah.

First-time authors, I have noticed on contracts at the publishing house I work for (I work on children’s books), get paid very little: between 5K to 15K. If you have an agent and your work is extraordinary and houses express interest in it, they hold an auction for it. You can make significantly more money since you have several houses bidding to acquire your text/contract.

Otherwise, yes, children’s is hard to break into. I would try to find an agent (check Writer’s Market or LMP) and be persistent, if you feel very strongly that your book is fantastic. All famous writers were first-time authors too.