I have a whole list of “Pam’s Pointers” that I would like to share with you. So, let’s start with Pam’s Pointer #1.
1) Age — Aim high; Word count — Aim low.
Aim high. The first part of this pointer is for authors who write for the children’s market. Children’s stories — whether short stories, picture books, chapter books, or novels — are grouped by age. For example, if you’re writing for the 9-12 age group, then you want to have your main character’s age in the upper range of that group…11 or 12. Children tend to enjoy reading about characters their own age or older, so your readership will increase when you aim high within the age grouping.
Aim low. The second half of this pointer is about word count. If you’re writing picture books, short stories, or articles (for the adult market or children’s market), word count is important. Chapter books and novels (whether for adults or children) are more lenient with word count. Magazines and newspapers must count every word; space is a premium. If a magazine or newspaper gives a maximum word count, then you need to respect it. Don’t go over even by 10 words and think that the editor can fix it. Instead, go under. When you go over by even 10 words, then an editor must take time out of her day to make your article fit the space allotted. If she has a choice between two good articles or short stories and one is just under the word count and the other is just over…which one do you think she’ll pick? Yep. The shorter one. Don’t go crazy and make the story or article 100 words shorter, because then it won’t fit the space either.
Editors and readers look at the white space on a page. When there’s a lot of black letters, then the reader subconsciously thinks, “There are a lot of words to read. It looks hard. It will take a lot of time to read this.” The white space looks more inviting and makes the reader think, “This looks fast and easy to read.” White space allows room for photos and illustrations, which catch the reader’s eye and make him stop on that page andwant to read it. Since we writers want people to read our words, white space is a good thing.
Picture books are at the maximum 50/50 pictures and words. Some picture books are 100% pictures, but none are 100% words. A picture book is 32 pages, of which the author has 27-28 of them in which to work. Your audience for a picture book is usually no older than 7-8. Yes, there are some “older” picture books, but these are rare and much harder to sell. Most publishers want no more than 1,000 words, and even that word count might be pushing it. Just ask a tired mom or dad who have worked all day, but still want to read their child a story before bed. Which picture book will they pick? Ones with lots of pictures and not as many words? Or one that is text-heavy? That’s right. They pick the shorter one. Okay, now think of a young child. Most young children have short attention spans. Some will only sit still for one book. Some will cuddle for a long time in your lap, but they want lots of different books. So, keep your word count low and allow plenty of space for your illustrator. He or she gets 50% of your royalty anyway; might as well let him or her earn it.
Write for your audience. Write for your editor. And then you’ll sell.