Illustration in your children’s book can make or break your chances of getting published. Right now, the market is flooded with illustrators, some good, some bad, some horrible. Do you know how to pick an illustrator and how to decipher between the good and the bad? Read on to learn about what I look for in illustrators:
1) Find someone you can work with. What I mean by this is, find some that you can have a successful, professional relationship with. They may be the best illustrator in town, but if they are overbearing, too opinionated, arrogant, or non-collaborative, they will not work out. You will be meeting with this person often, giving feedback and trying to make the best illustrations for your children’s book. You want to make sure that your relationship with them will be successful and not tumultuous.
2) Get an experienced children’s book illustrator. Too many children’s books authors make the mistake of going to a friend who occasionally draws or is a graphic designer for an unrelated field. Though these friends are very talented, they don’t understand the field of children’s book illustrations: what captivates kid’s attention, what illustrations will complement your writing, how to create characters that you can brand. It may be tempting to give a friend a gig or a chance at publicity, however then don’t expect to see large successes with your book.
3) It’s not all about them, and it’s not all about you. This should truly be a partnership. This is a risk for the illustrator just as much as it is for you. Listen to them, hear their feedback, and make sure that you can actually work with each other. Refer to #1 if you feel that they’re starting to feel that they aren’t listening to your concerns or making it all about them.
I hope these tips provide some insight to the extremely competitive world of choosing a children’s book illustrator. Lastly, I’d like to recommend illustrator Erin Taylor who created the illustrations for http://www.bonnieleebooks.com/html/popular_children_s_books___mom.html. She was extremely creative, professional, and fun to work with! Here is her website with contact information: http://erintaylorillustrator.com/ If you have additional suggestions or recommendations of great children’s book illustrators, please add them to the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
Showing posts with label how-to. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how-to. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
How To Write a Great Children's Book Review
Right now we’re running an amazing promotion where if you write an Amazon review on Go Go Sadie, Bonnie Lee Books will send you a FREE Go Go Sadie magnet! In honor of this great promotion, I wanted to share my own tips for writing the perfect children’s book review.
How to write a book review:
1) Make sure to include the books title, author, ISBN, price, copyright info, and genre. Though this information may seem basic, you’d be surprised how many book reviews lack this essential information.
2) Offer a brief summary of the content but be sure not to reveal any major plot twists or story endings. For most children’s books, you should be able to summarize the story in two sentences or less.
3) For children’s books, it’s important to comment on the illustrations. Were they exciting? Colorful? Boring? How did they support they story? Illustrations make up a large part of children’s books so it’s important to acknowledge how they supported the story.
4) Include your opinion. Did you like the story? If so, why or why not? Would you recommend this children’s book to others? What reservations would you have in recommending it? Sometimes it’s helpful to take notes while you are reading in order to pinpoint your thoughts and opinions on the story.
5) Lastly, be sure to include any other relevant information. Do book proceeds benefit a nonprofit or promote a certain cause? Where can this book be purchased? Does the author have a website? For Bonnie Lee Books, you can download free coloring book pages online. This information would be helpful to a parent or teacher that is looking to read a book that has a corresponding activity.
What tips do you have for those looking to write book reviews on children’s books? Please share your tips below in the comment section!
How to write a book review:
1) Make sure to include the books title, author, ISBN, price, copyright info, and genre. Though this information may seem basic, you’d be surprised how many book reviews lack this essential information.
2) Offer a brief summary of the content but be sure not to reveal any major plot twists or story endings. For most children’s books, you should be able to summarize the story in two sentences or less.
3) For children’s books, it’s important to comment on the illustrations. Were they exciting? Colorful? Boring? How did they support they story? Illustrations make up a large part of children’s books so it’s important to acknowledge how they supported the story.
4) Include your opinion. Did you like the story? If so, why or why not? Would you recommend this children’s book to others? What reservations would you have in recommending it? Sometimes it’s helpful to take notes while you are reading in order to pinpoint your thoughts and opinions on the story.
5) Lastly, be sure to include any other relevant information. Do book proceeds benefit a nonprofit or promote a certain cause? Where can this book be purchased? Does the author have a website? For Bonnie Lee Books, you can download free coloring book pages online. This information would be helpful to a parent or teacher that is looking to read a book that has a corresponding activity.
What tips do you have for those looking to write book reviews on children’s books? Please share your tips below in the comment section!
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