Children’s Picture Book Manuscript Format
Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011 at
5:02 am
Tagged with: children's picture book manuscript format
Filed under: Uncategorized
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I cannot help with this question, but you can visit many web sites about writing children’s books. Purple Crayon web site, for example, has suggested books on the subject in its online bookstore.
Proper Manuscript Format for a Children’s Picture Book?
Hello to all children’s book writers and writers in general,
I’m a newbie who has a question about the proper manuscript format for a children’s picture book. The format seems a lot different from one for a novel. I know that the name and address goes on top left side of page, approximately word count on right, and the whole thing is double-spaced.
However, since a children’s book is a lot shorter, and it’s illustrated, would I, on the actual manuscript, write page 1, page 2, page 3, etc. and separate it out or should the whole manuscript just essentially be one big, double-spaced paragraph?
1.) How do I format my manuscript so as to make it clear that, for example, sentences A and B would be on the first page in an actual children’s book, sentences C and D would be on the second page, etc.
2.) Or should I just not do that?
3.) Should I indent and start a new, double-spaced paragraph for my manuscript
Answers are greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone!
Feedback of this literary agency…?
I’d like to send my children’s manuscript to a literary agency called Adams Literary. It seems legitimate, and it solicited some books I have heard of (many of Margaret Peterson Haddix’s novels, the Newberry Honor book “Rules”) though I am a little confused on some things. On the submit section of their website http://www.adamsliterary.com/submitnow/submitnow.php when I look at the submission guidelines they don’t seem that specific enough so I can make my manuscript look more “professional”. I am very unsure if there is a certain way of having the format of a children’s book for younger readers (like how picture books have a sentence per page?). And on the same page of the link I have given, I am also confused when they say “exclusive”. Can someone briefly clarify these guidelines to me, this is my first time sending off my manuscript.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AoSNcT6q2Ug_2H6DtiXw9XPsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20100923153329AA7Wax8 if you would like to answer my other question (about my character)?
All manuscripts should be typed in a simple font like Courier or Times New Roman, 12pt, double line spacing. Keep the margins wide and number the pages.
For a picture book manuscript, simply the type the story. Although in the finished, illustrated book, there would only be a sentence or two on each page, when you submit your manuscript, you don’t format it like that – ie, don’t start a new page every time a new page would start in the printed picture book.
When they say ‘exclusive’, they’re talking about submitting to other agents. If your submission is ‘exclusive’ it means you haven’t submitted to any other agents, and do not intend to do so until you’ve heard back from Adams. A non-exclusive submission would be one where you have submitted or will submit to other agents before you get a yes/no from Adams.