Get a Second Opinion – Critique Partners, Book Doctors, Editors, and More

Critique Partners

The children’s writing community is extremely supportive. There are people out there who will read your work for absolutely nothing (see Free-tiques, I am one such crazy person). And there are many more who’ll read your work if you read theirs. This is a very common practice in our children’s writing world. I strongly advocate finding a critique partner or group who can serve as your sounding board as you work on your books.

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How Long Does a Book Have To Be?

Knowing the typical word counts of different types of children’s books will help you understand what goal you need to hit. These are only guidelines. If your word count comes in too high or low, you could raise eyebrows with publishers. Some might not even consider your work.

  • Picture books – You’ll hear many people say the shorter the better. A good goal is 500 words or less. Definitely strive for under 1000.
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The Grinch lives at the UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE

So today I had the courage to go to the USPS. I made sure my packages were sealed, addressed and so on, before I got there. But did that matter? NOOOOOOOOOO! You want to know why? Because the BLEEP! at the counter was kicking everyone out of line to exert her power over us Underlings who, God Forbid, want to MAIL something.

“YOU!” She pointed. “You can’t use tape on a priority mail package.”
“YOU!” She pointed at someone else.

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