Guest Blog by Trisha J. Wooldridge
 
It’s a busy day, the small staff is trying to help more customers and do more projects than is humanly possible, and New Author flags someone down.

“I just published my new book and I’d like a signing next Saturday. How many copies do you want to buy? I’ll give you ten per cent off the cover price.”

Insert screeching record-needle scrape.

Bookseller gingerly takes the book that’s been thrust in their face. The cover art is... “interesting”, the title font looks hand drawn, and at first glance the bookseller has already found three grammar errors on the jacket copy. There is no barcode nor a price, and the spine isn’t centered.

“So how many copies do you want to buy? I’m a local author!”

Some version of this happens frequently at the store where I work. We have a fairly large local author selection, because we try to support our community. A fair number of those books hurt the appearance of the section because of bad covers; many cause confusion with staff when hand-written price stickers fall off in humidity; and some customers walk away from the entire section when they find books riddled with errors.

This makes most bookstores wary about working with “local authors” or “indie authors.” Most traditional authors don’t contact us; we get their information from publishers. Some newer authors with traditional publishing houses do contact us—usually after first contacting us via email or on the phone, as our website suggests (ALWAYS check bookstore websites for preferred communication about selling books or doing events)—and that interaction is usually simple: 

“Hi, I’m a New Author, and I’ve got a book coming out in a few months with Publisher, would you be interested in hosting an event? Here’s the information on the book.”

New Author hands Bookseller a bookmark, sell sheet, card, or Advanced Reader Copy. Bookseller can easily order books from a distributor or publisher at their usual discount of 45-55% off cover. There is plenty of time for the bookseller to promote the event.

You’ll notice I’ve tied my examples with events. An event sells books. While most people who go into bookselling love books, they can’t be a bookseller without making money. Bookstores have limited space. A book on a shelf needs a reason for people to get engaged. An event is meant to get readers engaged. So, if you want a bookstore to consider carrying your book, see if they’ll consider hosting an event for your book.
Here are the most basic things a book store needs to consider your book event:

• A quality product. It’s painful to say, but too many books have poor covers, have not been edited (or have been poorly edited), have misaligned formatting, and/or are missing basic information a bookseller needs. While we’ve worked with some presses who also have these issues, this is mostly a problem with self-published books.
• A means to make money by hosting this book event. Can the bookstore order your books at a profitable discount (as mentioned above, usually 45-55% off cover)? If your books are ordered through a publisher or distributor, can the bookstore return unsold copies? Are you willing to sell within the bookstore’s consignment parameters (usually 30% off cover, often with a flat stocking fee)? (This also means, for authors setting their own prices, that it is important to consider the bookstore’s cut.)
• A minimum of a two to three month lead time. Many local publications want press releases weeks or months before an event. Many local calendars need time to approve listings. The bookstore wants to include the event on their mailing list, blog, and social media several times. Books about sales often cite a person needing to hear about something multiple times to remember. There needs to be time to create, print, and distribute flyers. The bookstore needs to make sure it has sufficient staffing. The more time to plan, the better chances of having a strong-selling event.
• An idea of what you, the author, will do to promote this event. Will you share our event listing? Our blog posts? Retweet us? Tell your fans to buy your book at our store? Invite friends and family to the event? Will you get your friends, family, and fans to share, retweet, and talk about the event? Don’t expect the bookstore to carry all the promotional weight. The best events we’ve had, hands down, are the ones where the author was involved in the promotion.

If working with you is a positive experience, even if an event wasn’t huge, a bookstore will be willing to host future events by you. Here are a few tips for being someone a bookstore loves to work with:
​

• Have a press kit ready to send or easy to access on your web page. A good press kit includes:
  • Bios of varying lengths
  • Short book descriptions
  • Cover images that can be used in flyers and online
  • Author photos that can be used in flyers and online
• Answer emails in a timely manner, usually within 48 business hours.
• Share, retweet, and promote the event along with the bookstore.
• Do not call the bookstore every day or every week for updates on the event or sales.
• Be friendly, fun, and approachable at the event.
• Have readings from your work ready and practice them.
• Do not yell at the bookstore staff if few people or no one comes to your event. Believe me, we already feel bad—and it is a financial loss for us because we do spend staff hours and funds promoting and marketing.

 
Boiled down to a “simple” answer, if you want a bookstore to carry your book, be a professional the bookstore wants to work with. Success of your book and book event is a success for the bookstore. When thinking about approaching a book store, have in mind what will make this partnership fun and profitable for all parties involved.

NOTE: Trisha is currently working on Annie's Book Stop's Annual Small Business Saturday event. They host a group of authors for a day of readings the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Small Business Saturday is an event created by American Express where cardholders get extra bonuses for shopping local at participating stores. Annie's Book Stop shares that extra promotion by inviting local authors in to spotlight their work, and this year they are focusing on children's book authors.

Annie's Book Stop of Worcester is at 65 James Street, Worcester, MA, and will host authors from 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM with scheduled readings, Q&As, and snacks through the day.

If anyone is interested, shoot Trisha an email at trish@anniesbooksworcester.coom or trish@anovelfriend.com (both come to the same place; one is easier to misspell than the other). ​

​Guest Post By Alison Goldberg
 
As I started thinking about this post, I asked critique partners and friends for their questions about promoting a debut picture book. In addition to nuts and bolts questions about swag and event planning and blogs, one person asked: What if you (secretly) don’t want to promote?
 
And I kept thinking about this question, since it underlies a lot of conversations I’ve had with writers on this topic.
 
For many of us, creating a promotion plan for a first picture book can feel intimidating, at times overwhelming. It requires diverting precious time away from writing and/or illustrating. The activities involved may demand a different set of skills from the ones honed to polish a manuscript for publication. Just the idea of marketing ourselves can be challenging, and for the introverts among us, particularly exhausting.
 
My first picture book, I Love You for Miles and Miles, released from Farrar, Straus and Giroux on December 26, 2017.  During the past year I’ve tried several different strategies to promote my book. I have also not tried several different strategies to promote my book.
 
There are countless ways to tackle book promotion. As I reflected on this question, I realized that a big part of making this process feel manageable, accessible, and worthwhile—something that I actually wanted to do--was to come up with my own goals for success.
 
Book promotion isn’t just about trying to sell more books, but I think sometimes the resistance to promotion is the feeling that’s the only thing we’re supposed to be doing. But there are so many other reasons to leverage the opportunity of a book launch to promote--especially as a debut. It can be empowering to redirect our focus to goals that support our ongoing careers as published authors, help us develop new skills, strengthen our communities, and connect us to kids, families, librarians, booksellers, and teachers.
 
Just like each of our writing journeys will vary, each of our book promotion paths will vary. What do you hope will happen when you send your new book out into the world? Who do you want to share it with? Who do you want to connect with? What skills do you want to develop? What steps can you take with your debut that will help you launch your next book? How can you use the opportunity of this book launch to support your community?

My Book Promotion Goals:
 
1) Develop infrastructure for my writing business
As a new children’s writer, I had invested a lot of time and resources in developing my craft, far less in developing my writing business. One goal was to use the opportunity of my launch to create more business infrastructure. What did this look like for me? I overhauled my website, and created contact lists for email outreach to friends and family and a postcard mailing to bookstores and libraries. All of this was pretty time consuming, and the website was resource intensive, but these things will be in place for my next book launch too.


2) Tell my story as a debut
At every step in my writing journey I have read the profiles of writers, often in the form of blog posts hosted by other writers. Another goal I had was to tell my story as a debut in order to give back to this supportive children’s writing community with content of my own. This was easy to do, free, and great preparation for a media interview request when it came along. (Here are those posts and interviews.)

And telling my story as a debut connected back to my goal of developing business infrastructure. I wanted to establish a greater presence online to make it easy for potential readers, reviewers, and editors to learn more about me as a writer.


3) Connect with my local bookstores and libraries.
I love my local indies. I love my local library. A big part of my excitement for launching my book was the chance to connect with and support bookstores and libraries in this new role. I prioritized events in these venues and this has been a highlight for me--a chance to get to know more bookstores in my area and share my book (and crafts and cookies) with kids and families.​ 

Alison Goldberg is the author of the picture book I Love You for Miles and Miles, illustrated by Mike Yamada (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2017). Before becoming a children’s writer, she worked for economic justice organizations and co-wrote the resource guide, Creating Change Through Family Philanthropy: The Next Generation (Soft Skull Press, 2007). To learn more about Alison visit her website at ​alisongoldberg.com/




​To purchase I Love You for Miles and Miles go to: 
www.indiebound.org/search/bookkeys=i+love+you+for+miles+and+miles or  
www.amazon.com/I-Love-You-Miles/dp/0374304432/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528207432&sr=8-1&keywords=i+love+you+for+miles+and+miles

Signed copies are available through www.portersquarebooks.com/alison-goldberg

Guest Post by Lisa Rogers

Please welcome author and librarian Lisa Rogers to 24 Carrot Writing. 

Lisa is an elementary library teacher in a K-5 school in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Her debut picture book, 16 WORDS: WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS AND THE RED WHEELBARROW (Random House/Schwartz & Wade Books) will hit shelves in the spring of 2019. 

From her unique seat as both an author and a librarian, we asked Lisa to share her thoughts on how books are selected for classroom and school library shelves. 
 
Thank you so much for joining us Lisa! 
​

How do librarians and teachers choose their books? And how can you get your book in front of them?

Here’s how I choose: Readers, teachers, budget and time. Ideally, I would know and be able to read all of the new books and order the ones I think my readers would most enjoy. I preview as many books as possible before ordering and I've been focusing on books that offer characters and perspectives that reflect our diverse world. It all comes down to choices.

First, my readers. What do students want? What do they like, and what might I present to them? Sometimes, choices are simple: yes, that new Fenway and Hattie; Jasmine Toguchi, definitely. When School Library Journal advises grades 5-8 for a middle grade book that sounds amazing, I request it from the public library and read it before buying. And, I must think about readers like the first-grader who desperately sought nonfiction truck and tank books. For that, I dug into my book distributors, Mackin and Follett, and used their filters and previewing tools to make sure the books I chose were age-appropriate and had enough information to satisfy my student.

​Next, teachers. What can I buy that might help them fill a hole, refresh an old reading list or invigorate a lesson?  That takes curricular familiarity as well as a deep knowledge of my own library’s strengths and shortcomings. When Carolyn Crimi’s The Louds Move In came out, I knew it would be perfect for the third-grade teacher looking for onomatopoeia-based picture books. Miranda Paul’s Water is Water, I knew, would fit in two places: kindergarten study of the water cycle and third-grade nonfiction genre study.
​

​We are thrilled to welcome Rob Broder, co-founder of Ripple Grove Press, to 24 Carrot Writing.
 
Ripple Grove Press is an independent, family-run children’s book publisher. Their list includes picture books like the award winning Grandmother Thorn, Seb and the Sun, and Monday is Wash Day.
 
I had the chance to meet Rob at the book launch of Ripple Grove Press’s newest picture book, Iver & Ellsworth. The book was in hot demand and luckily Rob had extra copies in his car!
 
Ripple Grove Press is looking for its next book and Rob graciously offered to share his thoughts on the submission process from the publisher’s side of the desk.  
 
 
1.       Can you talk about the unique perks and challenges of being a family run independent children’s book publisher?
 
Since it’s just Amanda and myself doing everything to run Ripple Grove Press, we face challenges with reaching as many bookstores, libraries, and parents as possible.  We don’t have a separate marketing team.  We are the marketing team.  So while reading submissions, promoting our current and backlist titles, communicating with our printer and distributor and working on books for next year, we do wish we had some extra hands helping out.  But we love it, and the best perk is finding that next writer and illustrator we are passionate about, who has a wonderful story we resonate with.
 
2.       Querying writers, who are looking for publishers, sometimes forget that publishers are looking for them too! And while groups of writers can often be heard discussing the angst of having a manuscript out on submission, what is the process like for the publisher on the hunt for the next great manuscript?
 
For us, it’s just going through the hundreds of email submissions we receive a month and finding one that just clicks.  Perhaps one where I like the title, I like the first few lines and then I just keep on going.
 
3.       While writers understand that the volume of submissions received by editors makes it unfeasible to respond to every submission, how can a writer know the difference between a complete miss as opposed to a submission that was very close? Writers are willing to put in the work, but sometimes it is hard to know if a submission is just not quite a good fit for a particular editor or if it is in need of major revision. 
 
There have been times where I love the story, but it’s just not for us for some reason. I want to reply to that person and say, “Your story is great.  But do you have something else?” or “Keep writing and you’ll get there.”.  But I just don’t have the time. And if I reply, it might give the wrong signals to that person.  With RGP, as long as the person follows our submission guidelines, I want them to know your story has been read and considered.
 
4.       When you get excited about a manuscript, you are also deciding to get excited about the author. Could you describe the ideal prep work an author should do before submitting to Ripple Grove Press, both in terms of working a draft to a submission ready place and in preparing themselves to be knowledgeable about the industry?
 
Yes, please be professional.  Please be open to editorial suggestions.  We become just as passionate as you are about your story and we are working together to make the most beautiful book, the most wonderful story possible.  So please have an open mind.  Be knowledgeable about children’s picture books.  If you don’t read current and old titles, it will show in your writing and your professional etiquette when discussing picture books. 
  
5.       Once a writer has revised a manuscript and taken it through a cycle of feedback from critique partners, what other steps can and should an author take to make sure the manuscript is submission ready?
​
Have a close friend read the story out loud to you.  But with emotion.  What and where does your
friend think certain words should have emotion.  When should they shout, or whisper, and perhaps make your voice sad.  It really helps hear where your story should be from another perspective.

​6.       Sometimes the best way to learn is by example.  Can you share examples of opening lines that made you excited to keep reading a submission? And what are some opening lines that made you put the submission down before you finished the manuscript?
 
If the opening line has a good simple narrative, it usually resonates with me and I want to keep reading.
​
Like: Ellsworth is a rooftop bear.
or
Grandmother Thorn lived in the very first house on the very straight road to Shizuoka Village.
or
Rain or shine, Monday is wash day.
 or
The gentleman bat, with his gentleman’s cane, went out for a walk one night in the rain.
or
Seb lived in a sleepy coastal town far in the north.

​7.       At the end of the day, it’s all about the writing. But, where does the query letter fit in? Do you read it first? Second? What do you really want to see in that query letter and what do you never want to see?
 
It is all about the writing, so I do go straight to the story.  The main reason for that is I don’t have time to read every query and submission together.  I wouldn’t get through my pile.  If I like your story, I absolutely read your query.  I open every submission hoping to say “Yes! This is it!”  And sometimes, I get excited about the query because it’s so well-written, but then the manuscript doesn’t have the same feel as the query.  I’d like to get excited about your manuscript first, instead of getting excited about your awesome query.
 
8.       Can you share the journeys that brought Iver & Ellsworth and/or Grandmother Thorn from submission discovery to published book? 
 
These two stories came to us through our submission inbox.  And when a story gets moved over to our “Lets Discuss” folder, it . . . well… gets discussed.   We read it over and over before contacting the author.  We read the story to ourselves, we reread it out loud, we read it with the emotion we feel it should have.  We talk about alternate endings, even if we don’t change the ending, we always say “what if this happened.” just to see how it sounds.  We discuss what type of art we see with this story.  We go for walks and visualize how this book might look. 
​
We usually like stories that capture a moment, and both of these stories do.  Proud to say, Grandmother Thorn won the 2018 Anna Dewdney Read Together Award Honor.

9.       Seb and The Sun is a companion book to Jami Gigot’s debut picture book Mae and the Moon.  How is the submission process different for an established author?  Does Ripple Grove Press actively look to publish multiple books by the same author?
 
Mae and the Moon at the time was our best selling and most reviewed book.  And when Jami approached us (actually had a celebration drink over Mae and the Moon) about a companion book titled Seb and the Sun, it was just a concept at the time.  I boy collects bottles, in a dark coastal town and searchers for the sun.  Since we loved working with Jami, we knew how the process was going to be.  So we asked for a rough draft and some sketches. It came together beautifully, earning three starred reviews and becoming our most reviewed book to date.  So yes, building a strong relationship helps.  We know how hard you work to make the book, but it also helps to know how hard you work promoting the book and yourself.

I’ve always written a bit here and there over the years.  When something comes to me I jot it down.  And since starting RGP, I have read so many submissions, that I wrote down a story about a boy who receives a ukulele. Perhaps because I wasn’t seeing a simple ukulele story submitted to us.  And when I showed the story to Amanda, she liked it.  And when we saw Jenn Kocsmiersky’s portfolio, I said what if Paul was a fox and not an actual boy… and it fit.  It worked.
 

Guest blog by Ellen Mayer

We are excited to introduce author and early literacy specialist, Ellen Mayer to our 24 Carrot Writing family. 

Ellen is the author of the Small Talk Books collection published by Star Bright Books that includes Red Socks, A Fish to Feed, Cake Day, Rosa's Very Big Job, and Banana for Two. She is  a member of the TERC Storytelling Math community, a former education researcher at Harvard Graduate School of Education studying how families engage in children's learning, and she worked as an early literacy specialist with diverse and immigrant young children and their parents.  

We've invited Ellen to share her knowledge of writing math-related fiction picture books for children. 

Enjoy! 


​Interested in trying your hand at writing a math-related fiction picture book for preschoolers?

As many kidlitters may know, publisher Charlesbridge recently issued a call for submissions as part of the Storytelling Math project, (https://www.charlesbridge.com/pages/storytelling-math-guidelines) seeking manuscripts for fiction picture books that weave together engaging story lines, mathematical themes, and diversity. The Storytelling Math project is spearheaded by TERC, the non-profit STEM education center in Cambridge, MA (https://www.terc.edu/display/Projects/Storytelling+Math) and is funded by the Heising-Simons Foundation.
​
I was a participant in the pilot phase of the project that included publisher Star Bright Books, and I created two playful math-infused board books for under-threes with diverse characters. Banana for Two features a toddler learning about amounts of one and two with Mama while they shop for groceries and then share a snack together. Clean Up, Up, Up! features a toddler learning about spatial relations with Daddy as they clean up the toddler’s room together and then sit down to dinner with Mommy. Both have stunning art by the illustrator Ying-Hwa Hu.

 Congratulations to Dee Romito with the release of her new middle-grade novel, POSTCARDS FROM VENICE,
​a companion to THE BFF BUCKET LIST. We are honored that Dee took a break from the book birthday celebrations to talk about writing timelines.

Guest blog by Dee Romito

One of the questions I’m often asked is how long it takes me to write a book. The thing is, it’s not a simple answer.

My first manuscript took a year to write, and I’ve always thought of it like working on a Master’s Project. I was learning how to write a book with that manuscript. My next one took six months. The next, four months. During that time, I was also exchanging with critique partners. Which means those time frames include waiting for feedback.

Being able to complete a project in less time was definitely good practice for when I’d have actual deadlines. And while you may or may not write faster as you grow as a writer, remember that becoming a stronger writer is really about practicing and continuing to learn your craft.

Most of my books have sold on proposal, which means I wrote sample chapters and a synopsis and was then asked to write the rest. In those cases, I had between 4-7 months to turn in a somewhat polished draft to my editor. And for me, that means leaving time to have my trusted critique partners give me feedback, and then revise based on their notes.

However, my new release, POSTCARDS FROM VENICE, took longer. Maybe … eight months for that first draft? And it took much longer in revisions too.

This book was different. For one thing, I was still at various stages in the process with two other books, so I was essentially working on three books at the same time. It was like a revolving door of stories that I had to keep track of. I couldn’t devote all my writing time to any one project. Not to mention the time I spent working on promotion for the other books.

There was also a lot I needed to learn for this book. It takes place in Venice, where I’ve never been. There’s some Italian in the book, but I took Spanish in school. And there’s an Australian boy, who I wanted to be sure was authentic. And did I mention I’ve never been to Venice?

So it took time. It took Google Earth and Pinterest and Tripadvisor.com’s reviews of tourist sites and travel blogs. It took critique partners and reaching out to friends of friends who had been to or lived in Venice. It took lots of questions and lots of videos of Italy. It took listening and reading and researching. And with all of that to think about, sometimes I needed to step away from the project and work on something else.

So how long does it take to write a book? The real answer is that it depends. Which means it’s up to you to answer that question on your own, without a preconceived notion of how long it should take.
I asked a few published middle grade author friends, and the responses to “How long does it take you to write a book?” ranged from a month to two years.

It takes what it takes, and many factors come into play—the category, the genre, the word count, how complex the project is, if you plot extensively or spend more time in revisions, if there are deadlines, if critique partners or agents need time to read, if you have other books to work on or have other life-related things going on, how fast you can write, etc. The time it takes you to write a book could be years or it could be months. And how fast you write does not determine how good the book will be.

Having a general idea of ranges when it comes to the publishing world is helpful. But always know that you will have your own challenges and goals, and your own path. Finishing a book is one thing, but starting one … Well, now that’s something you can accomplish right now. 😊
 
Dee Romito is a former elementary teacher and is the author of THE BFF BUCKET LIST, NO PLACE LIKE HOME and co-authored BEST. NIGHT. EVER. Always a traveler at heart, she's sent postcards of Big Ben from London, of snow-capped mountains from Switzerland, and of majestic castles from Ireland. Although she's only been to Italy once for a quick plate of pasta, sending a post card from Venice just might be on her bucket list. You can visit her website at DeeRomito.com 
​Dee is also the Scrivener Queen.  For Scrivener advice, writers can head over to her blog
 www.writeforapples.com/p/write-book.html

by Francine Puckly

It’s spring! Time to dust off the mantel, shine up the windows, replace the rotting floorboards on the deck, and apply a fresh coat of paint to our nicked-up walls. But spring spruce-up doesn’t stop with our homes. Refreshing our writing spaces and projects before the heat of the summer hits is equally important. This is not a waste of valuable work time. Rather, this is rejuvenation of mind, body, and spirit so that we can go forth with extra verve as we tackle our projects. So grab the 24 Carrot Spring Checklist and get your ideas and writing space tidied up!
 
Clear Away Winter Debris
Just as we strip off heavy, flannel bedding and replace it with light cotton inside our homes and remove dead leaves and stems from our gardens outside, we also need to strip away paper clutter in our offices in order to lighten up for the summer. Spring is the perfect time to clear the unwanted and unnecessary (also known as “managing your papers”). New Zealand writer Katherine Mansfield once said, “Tidied all my papers. Tore up and ruthlessly destroyed much. This is always a great satisfaction.”  She was right. It feels great!
Be ruthless with your papers. 
* Did you forget to file your conference handouts or have multiple copies of critique comments on your most recent manuscript or portfolio review lying around? Clear those papers. (Taming Conference Handouts). Keep only what cannot be referenced online. Remember: owner’s manuals, newspaper and magazine articles, and oftentimes workshop presentations are all available at the click of your mouse. There’s no need to keep the extra paper cluttering up your space. 
* Have you been super aggressive with your annual goals and are juggling multiple projects? Make sure each project has its own hanging file with manila folders labeled Research, Marketing, Synopsis and Query Details, Drafts, and any other categories that are helpful for you. Place a cover sheet inside each file that gives a brief summary of the project at the top and then a blank section where you can list what is needed for the project: Do you need to buy or request research books or mentor texts from the library? Do you need to interview someone? If so, list those items here. When you open up the file in the future, your next steps are front and center.
* Keep all of your project files in one file drawer so you can reference them and also quickly refile them so that you won’t add to the clutter in your space.
* Once you’ve gone through all of your papers, compost that “yard waste” by shredding and recycling all of your papers!

Prune Dead or Damaged Branches
Are you hanging on to ideas that are dead? Don’t be afraid to prune out ideas and projects that you no longer have passion for. It’s okay to let go of the 47 versions of the very first picture book you ever attempted. Keep the draft that’s most nostalgic and let the rest go. Did you try a first draft of a psychological thriller and then decide your voice was in quirky middle grade humor? Delete the project and recycle the drafts.

Sharpen Your Tools
Writing with a pen that’s desperately low on ink? Choosing to print in gray scale because you can’t find or haven’t bought a replacement ink cartridge for the printer? Time to restock your supplies! Take a 20-minute trip to your favorite office supply store and refresh your supply of pens, pencils, paper clips, sticky notes, ink cartridges, file folders and paper and pads for your office area.
 
Wipe Down the Walls
Yup. This is the Lemon Pledge portion of our checklist. Now that you’ve tidied your workspace, it really is time to pull out the cleaning supplies. Be sure to vacuum, dust the corners, check the light bulbs in your desk lamp, and shine the windows. Buy a bouquet of fresh flowers or clip some lilacs from the garden. Arrange them in a pretty vase on your desk.  
 
Fertilize Your Lawn 
Our creativity won’t grow if we don’t take time to fill our wells with joy and new ideas. Start a summer reading list of genre books or summer beach novels.  Crack out the sangria and enjoy a light and happy movie that makes you laugh or possibly dance.
 
Spring really is the time to lighten up. Take a few hours out to spruce up your space and care for your papers and projects. You’ll go forward with renewed energy as the Summer Solstice approaches!
 
~ Francine

by Kelly Carey

Looking for comparative or comp titles for your manuscript can sometimes seem counterproductive.  Editors are looking for unique books and if you are able to provide a list of books just like yours, then how can you argue that your book is original?

If you can find piles of books just like yours in tone, character, plot, theme and narrative quality then perhaps your manuscript lacks that special original spark.  The hunt for comp titles can help you assess the originality of your work.  No sense wasting time and energy revising and submitting a manuscript that will fall short of publication because editors will say it already sits on the shelf. 

But, beware. Readers will always crave books on certain topics and if you have added your own twist and voice to the manuscript, then your manuscript will be unique. See my blog http://www.24carrotwriting.com/-blog/find-your-own-bear for a discussion on originality. The trick with creating fresh manuscripts and finding comp titles is to locate books that share one common thread with your manuscript rather than the entire knitted fabric.

When searching for comp titles consider the following hunting tactics:

1. Character: Look for books that have a main character that would be best friends with your main character or for whom your MC shares major traits or flaws. For example, it could be argued that Katniss Everdeen would be best friends with Han Solo, and that Bruce from Ryan Higgins’ Mother Bruce and Mike from Michelle Knudsen’s Big Mean Mike would be best buddies.  However Star Wars and The Hunger Games, while comparable, are very different stories. And while both Bruce and Mike share similar qualities and themes that make them comparable, the plot and humor found in those stories are original.  
2. Theme: Is your story about perseverance, confidence or bullies? Look for books that handle the same topic explored in your manuscript but with a different tone, delivery, and plot.  For example, The Book of Mistakes and Tyrannosaurus Rex vs. Edna both present themes of confidence, however one uses lyrical language and a gentle plot while the other uses humor and an active plot. Similarly, The Big Bed and In Your Hands are both stories that revolve around the child/parent relationship. However, The Big Bed uses humor and a spunky main character while In Your Hands uses lyrical language and heartstring tugging text. These manuscripts are thematically similar and, as a result, are comparable titles, but they are still unique.  
3. Style: Perhaps your manuscript uses rhyme, humor, or Meta to deliver the story. Josh Funk’s Albie Newton uses a fun rhyme and a capable and determined main character to present a science-centered theme about imagination and creation, while Ashley Spires’ The Most Magnificent Thing presents an imagination themed main character using a narrative style. Both share similar themes and Albie and Spires’ main characters would be pals, but Funk and Spires use totally different writing techniques. Clearly the two books are both comparable and unique.

 
It is important to know what you are looking for when you set out to find comp titles, but it is also helpful to know where to look. The best spots to find those elusive comp titles include:

1. Advice from Crit Partners: Sometimes a reader who can take a step back from your manuscript is a fabulous resource when searching out comp titles. Take advantage of the reading knowledge your writing buddies can offer and share your own suggestions on their manuscripts
2. Librarians & Booksellers: These folks are trained to offer advice on finding titles that match a reader’s taste and topic desire.  Ask “Do you have any picture books with a quiet character searching for confidence?”  or even more simply “Do you have any humorous picture books about trucks?”.
3. Internet Searches: Type in searches like “picture books about sharks” and you will be amazed at the lists that pop-up. Amazon, to Goodreads, to wonderful blog posts titled “25 Best Kid Books About Sharks” will have you running to the bookstore or library finding great comp titles.
4. You!: Read and read heavily in your genre. You will accumulate, in the most fun way, the best catalog of comp titles when you keep track of the books you have read and enjoyed. I like to manage my own reading list in Goodreads (see my blog post use-goodreads-to-build-your-virtual-library.html). Whether in Goodreads, in a spreadsheet, or on notecards, build your own comp library with shelves and topic headers that read “picture books about snow”, “picture books about confidence”, or “picture books about girl power”. Those personal lists become gold mines when searching for comp titles.

Having strong comp titles can help you sell your book to an editor, help your editor sell your book to the acquisitions board, help booksellers promote your book to bookstores, and ultimately give the reader a wonderful incentive to pick your book up and read it. Don’t miss the opportunity to link your manuscript to the perfect comp titles.

You’ll be glad you did!