Deliver What You Promise

When I first receive a nonfiction article submission, I glance at the title.  But if the title fails to promise what it plans to deliver in terms of content, I’ll ask the writer for a new title.

Recently, I had a submission with a title that led me to believe that the piece would be about specific scientists helping people in unique ways.  Instead, the article centered more on the inventions than on the scientists.  So the author had two choices:  either change the title to reflect an emphasis on the inventions or revise the article to focus on the scientists. 

Titles should reflect what the piece is about.  They can be straightforward, but a creative title works better when writing for young children.  For example, I titled one of my own nonfiction pieces “Wild Thing.”  The title entices children to read about the unruly plant known as kudzu. 

Titles should ideally pique a reader’s interest.  My article “Below the Sidewalks of Pioneer Square” makes people wonder:  what lurks underneath the city streets?   An article written by Erin K. Schonauer and Jamie C. Schonauer and published in Stories for Children Magazine was titled "The Cresent's Ghostly Guests".  Makes you curious, huh? 

Here are some tips in choosing titles:

Choose a title after you’ve written the article. 

Keep the title short.

Use playful titles and alliteration for a very young audience. 

Use snappy titles for older children.

Create intrigue.

Read your article again and see if the title is a good fit.

Nonfiction article titles don’t have to be boring.  Aim to create a title that will pique the interest of an editor and of course, the audience.  Above all, remember to relate the title to the content of the piece.  That way, you won’t disappoint your readers by promising them something you haven’t quite delivered.

Worms and School Visits

Not long ago, I volunteered again at the Children’s Garden at the Arboretum.  My station was set up to teach kids about recycling and to show them live worms.  Every kid—even the girls—stretched out their hands to hold a slimy wiggly worm.  And they loved it.  They giggled and squealed.  Holding and feeling the worms helped the children connect with the mini lesson.

What does this have to do with writing for children?  Plenty!  Imagine you’re doing a school visit.  You sit before a group of children.  You open your book, read a page and then show the illustrations.  But halfway through the story, a kid or two loses interest.  Soon more kids are talking, and only a handful is paying attention.  How can you avoid this?  How can you guarantee that you’ll have an entire captive audience? 

Several days before your visit, locate items that are mentioned in your picture book which are easy to transport and light enough for children to hold.  You can bring items that are interesting to touch, taste, and smell.  Take small musical percussion instruments so that children can make sounds that may relate to the story.  Put the objects in a colorful box in the order in which they appear in your story, so that when you reach for them, you can easily pass them out.  Reinforce listening by having the children raise their hands if they are holding an object that is mentioned in the book. 

By using their senses, children will connect better with the story.  More, they will actually be involved in the story.  Children will not only enjoy your presentation, they will remember you.  (And if your book is about worms, you’ll have a giggly, squealing audience—just don’t forget the wipes!)

Digging Deep

It always surprises me when a writer uses an encyclopedia or Wikipedia as a source when researching a nonfiction article.  As the nonfiction editor for Stories for Children Magazine, I occasionally see these sources cited in a submission.  I also wonder why a writer would ever consider using an out-date source.  Once I received a submission that cited a book published over 50 years ago. 

Your goal as a nonfiction writer is to find reliable sources of information.  Aim for primary sources. For instance, consider interviewing experts.  They may clarify information or divulge amusing anecdotes.  They may even offer facts not yet published.   

Think about using journals, newspapers, diaries, or letters.  The information from these sources will provide firsthand accounts with rich details.  

Once while I was researching a female American Civil War soldier (disguised as a male), I was able to locate and purchase photocopies of her letters.  Talk about holding history in my hands!  What an amazing primary source—the letters dated back to the 1860s!  Her handwritten letters not only  unveiled  her  spunky  personality, but revealed her lack of schooling:  "I dont belve thare is eny rebels bullet maid for me yet."

When trying to publish outstanding nonfiction, you need to dig deep when resesarching.  Put time and effort into finding reliable sources.  Library databases are a good place to begin to find these sources.  And if you plan to interview an expert for your article, politely ask her to review it after it's written.  That way, you'll know that the facts in your article are accurate.  Having impressive sources and an expert review are two ways to catch an editor's eye.  

Word Count

As most of you know, magazine editors have word count limits.  Literary agents or editors may impose word limits when critiquing your work.  You job is easy:  keep your submission within the limits.

Recently, I received an 1800-word nonfiction submission for the educational website Viatouch,  where I'm an associate editor.  The guidelines state that we accept pieces that are 500 words.  The writer had read our guidelines and politely asked if I’d take a look at this longer piece.  But the article was much too long.  If it had been 600 words, I would have considered it.  The writer also suggested that the piece could be broken into 3 shorter pieces.  Perhaps, this is what she should have done in the first place.

Magazine editors establish word counts based on the needs of their audience.  The editor of the writers' e-newsletter Extra Innings likes the articles to run about 300 -500 words.  He believes that his readers like shorter pieces.  For Stories for Children Magazine, the word count varies for each of our three age group categories.  The younger kids like the shorter pieces and the older kids are more interested in the longer pieces. 

Editors and literary agents set fairly strick word counts when doing critiques.  They have stacks of submissions to read; so, the word count gives them just enough of a manuscript to get a feel for the story.        

If you are writing a magazine article or sending in a critique to a literary agent or editor, be mindful of the word limit.  Should your piece exceed the limit just a tad, it’s generally okay to submit it.  When in doubt, ask.  But it you’ve written an article that is grossly over the limit, an acceptance or a favorable critique may fail to come your way.   

A Satisfying Ending



Courtesy of Clipart

Recently, I had the opportunity to have my picture book story Rootin’ Tootin’ Cowboy critiqued by a literary agent Mary Kole.  Before I emailed the manuscript, I felt confident that this story would wow her.  In fact, I felt it was one of the best stories I had ever written.

Several months later, I received the critique.  She wrote that she liked the voice of the story.  And that’s a good thing, because voice sells picture books.  But what she didn’t like was the resolution.  She wrote that it was “a bit unsatisfying.”

That comment shook my confidence.  However after a week or so after feeling dejected, I realized it was only one opinion.  Nonetheless, it was an opinion that I valued and trusted.  Luckily, Mary suggested that I read Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse.  This book was similar to mine in plot, but it had a stronger resolution.  After reading it again, I found hope—I wouldn't give up on my story.  I just needed to rework the ending.    

First, I had to analyze what was wrong with the resolution.  To do so, I had to get inside my main character’s head to figure out how he really wanted to conclude the story.  When I “listened” he “told” me that he’d do things differently than originally written. 

So, I modified his actions toward the end of the story so that it was more true to his character.  This change caused him to reflect on his situation.  It prompted him to set things right, which in turn led to the growth of his character.  The ending became more heart-warming, and I believe more satisfying.  Thanks to Mary’s comments, I feel that my book is even better than before.  I like to imagine that if she read it again, she might even say “wow.”       

Getting Paid

Last year, one of my articles was published by a prestigious children’s magazine.  The good news:  I had a great clip.  The bad news:  I wasn’t paid. 

I called the publishing company several months after publication and was told that payment would be mailed nine months following publication.  Accepting this as standard procedure, I decided to wait (although deep inside it didn’t feel right).

Meanwhile, I wrote about publishing for this children’s market and submitted my articles to writers' magazines.  However, one editor passed on my article.  She informed me that she could not publish a piece that centered on this publisher.  Many writers had not been paid, including herself.  I was not alone. 

To make a long story short, I had to call the publisher’s accounting department several times to get results.  I was told that someone would call me back.  I was told that my check had been cut.  I was told that my check would be mailed.  But none of that happened.  After additional phone calls, I was told that I needed to send a W9 form to accounts payable.  So I did, still having doubts; however, I received my check a week later.

What does this little story tell us?  Before submitting to a market, look into when you’ll be paid.  For me, this publisher guaranteed payment “sometime after publication" (which translated to:  over a year following publication).  These terms are too vague.  If you should find yourself in a similar situation, call the publisher to find out exactly when payment will be made.  If it exceeds your expectations, negotiate and then get it in writing that you want to be paid in a shorter amount of time.  That’s what I should’ve done.   It would have saved me time and trouble.  But live and learn.  Now I know, and so do you.

The Smartest Summer Ever

In the spring of 1998, my daughter was finishing her first year at Providence Montessori.  She loved school and didn’t want it to end.  So it occurred to me that I could try to create some lessons that would stimulate thought and inspire creativity to bridge the school year.  Several months before summer vacation, I made a list of subjects I thought a five-year old might like.  From there, I divided each subject into five separate units and researched each unit.  I wrote a short lesson plan and incorporated a “hands-on” project. 

That summer, I prepared for our first “class.”  I set out the materials for the project on the kitchen table the night before to create curiosity and anticipation.  Though I felt prepared for teaching, I was unprepared for my daughter’s reaction.  She wanted to be the teacher, too!  Our “class” consisted of her dolls, arranged shoulder to shoulder on the couch in the living room.  In our arrangement I presented the lesson, and afterward, she quizzed “the students.”  She helped demonstrate the art or science projects for the class. 

These summer classes were so successful that I continued to write more lessons and to invent more activities for five more years.  The result became my book The Smartest Summer Ever: 50 Fun-filled Lessons for Grades 2 - 5.
 
Inside my book, you'll find 100 colorful pages of kid-tested and teacher-approved lessons and activities for learning English, math, history, art, and more, which will provide opportunities to enrich your child's summer.  The book is a great teaching tool, whether you offer lessons on a daily basis or on the weekends.  Many activities integrate more than one skill like writing practice and spelling words.  The projects reinforce the theme of the lesson and they're fun, inexpensive, and easy to do.  For example, children will: 

                                        Perform sweet pollination experiments
                                        Cook easy and delicious international foods
                                        Design Pop-Art pictures using cookie cutters
                                        Create and play a colonial board game
                                        Go on a scavenger hunt for verbs
                                        Construct a coral reef diorama 

The Smartest Summer Ever is perfect for parents hungry to bridge learning from the school year, to encourage creativity, and to spend time and make memories with their children. For a free lesson plan and activity or to order, please leave a comment.