I am in the early stages of writing and illustrating my own children's book - which I would like to see about the possibilities of it being published. Can anyone offer advice on where I can start, or if I can start sending some of my work to some publishers?
Hi Frankie!
The answer to your last question is NO.
NO.
NO.
NO.
NO.
NO.
NO.
Sorry to be so negative, but NO.
You write that you are in the early stages. No publisher is going to want to look at your book until it is finished. MOST publishers aren't going to look at your book unless an agent sends it to them. And ONE agency wrote that they get something like 300 children's books sent to them EVERY WEEK. You should be very aware that the competition is fierce. 3 nights ago I arrived at my 3-year-old step-grand-daughter's house and had a look at her bookshelf. The sight is daunting. We're not talking poorly-written, boring books here. (And there ARE loads of them out there, which for one reason or another [e.g. they were written by a pop star who "took it into my head to write a children's book"] do make it through the publishing maze into bookstores.)
No, in the case of my s-g-d, the books on HER shelves were almost exclusively chosen by people of taste, several of them artists and/or writers, all of whom are discerning about quality in children's books. And there are LOADS of them! And many more that haven't been bought for her.
A word about publishers: THEY care less about quality than about "Will it make us a handsome profit?" (Hence the pop star rubbish mentioned above.) And agents know this.
[One agency in the Writers and Artists Yearbook listings says it straight: "We represent writers who have already made a name for themselves in their own field." My question: Why would Prince William or David Beckam or Ginger Spice NEED to hand over 15% of their royalties to this agency, when publishers would be falling over each other, pushing and shoving, to beat a path to their door and trying to outbid each other???]
This is why several of them have decided not to represent me, one of the most gifted writers on the face of the planet [shy, modest smile]. And with an illustration technique that is - as far as I can find out - absolutely unique in children's books. [i.e. No graphic talent and proud of it!!! (See my icon.)]
Most rejection replies from agents are standardised letters/e-mails, giving no reasons, aside from generic "the high quality of children's books being submitted these days" or "I’m sorry to say that yours is not quite right for me". But I did get one that came right out and said that "I’m afraid that I just don’t have the necessary belief that I could place your work with a publisher." This is also a standardised reply, but at least it hints at that theory I propounded: "If it'll sell, quality doesn't matter. If it won't sell, quality be damned".
So now - at the early stages - you're faced with a dilemma: Do you want to produce a book that YOU will be proud of? Or one that will convince an agent that it will sell?
I opted for the former and started my own publishing concern. But don't send me your book until it's been worked on a lot more...