Is This a Picture Book?

Okay, you've written a great story. It's pretty short, under 1000 words (hopefully closer to
500). You like it. Your critique group likes it. It really is good, but is it a picture book? It isn't
enough that it be good or even great, a picture book is a particular kind of writing. So, ask
yourself some questions:

1. Does your story sing? Whether the story rhymes or not (and not is usually better), your
prose needs to sing. Read it aloud, or better yet, try humming the story to yourself. Does it
have a flowing, singing rhythm? Not sing-song, but melodious. Picture book stories require a
special attention to the sound because if they succeed, they will be read again and again.

For 6 more valuable tips on evaluating your story, listen to the show!

Listener Question of the Week:

Jennifer asks:

How do you know if the book you're writing is targeted at the right age group?

 

Two episodes you might like:

Episode 003 - Creating Characters for Children's Magazines

Episode 005 - Picture Books 101

 

Will you please review our podcast … It really makes a huge difference in iTunes. Thank you!  Click here