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From: Norma Jean Sawicki <nsawicki_at_nyc.rr.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:30:40 -0400
;
Meghan McCarthy has made several terrific observations about writing/ illustrating nonfiction for the picture book crowd, and it is clear that she is in good hands when she says the editors with whom she works would object if she wanted to include sources, etc., on the copyright page. In looking at many books published today, especially picture books, one would not realize there are rules governing pagination/ good bookmaking ( check out the Chicago Manual of Style), and as long as the printed book exists it is not unreasonable to want to introduce kids to books that are made the "right" way. The "rules" that dictate good book design are different but not unlike rules that govern good grammar, etc., the difference being the general public is not acquainted with them.
As a children's book publisher, I often said of nonfiction for young kids, one must know more to write less. The writer must be almost expert in the subject in order to know what to include/ignore in order to give readers an accurate, engaging, and well rounded introduction to a subject. It is not easy, that's for sure, and from the chair in which I sit, writing engaging and accurate nonfiction for young children is, in certain ways, much harder than writing for older kids, or for adults for that matter, where in some cases, the writer includes everything but the kitchen sink.
In my experience, writers of nonfiction for all ages, had enormous integrity about being accurate and took great care with their research/sources, and while not published in their books, could easily document their sources. Meghan is quite right in saying most picture books are 32 pages...a minimum of three pages should be reserved for front matter, leaving 29 pages for a text to be reproduced in a type size and leading that is readable/appropriate for the intended age group, and, of course, the illustrations.
I appreciate the concern/interest in sources but there are certain realties in the picture book format , and one must take good care not to tamper with the necessary pages for heart of the book to accommodate source material. Norma Jean
"I am fortunate in that I write longer books and for publishers who have always been generous in giving me as much space as I need for notes. And, yes, the 32 page format is unyielding -- there is simply no way to add another page. But, that said, I would suspect that there is generally enough white space on a copyright page to at least list attributions for quotations and other needed source citations."
I don't know about other PB authors but I'm not allowed to put other stuff on the copyright and title page besides the title and the copyright information. There are rules to formatting a book an I just can't break them. I have even asked if I can put info on the endpages but was told that I could not. This was turned down because I was told that librarians like to stick cards and things on the back of the book and it would cover the information.
Now I know how seriously some people take things and I will bring this information to my editors. I will say that you can't please everyone and that's another lesson that I must learn. Nomatter what an author does someone is going to find something wrong with some part of the book. It's inevitable. The children are the most important part of the equation. If the book is over their heads or is boring then who cares how much backmatter is in there or how well it's done. There's too much dry nonfiction out there.
meghan
Received on Thu 21 Oct 2010 07:30:40 PM CDT
Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:30:40 -0400
;
Meghan McCarthy has made several terrific observations about writing/ illustrating nonfiction for the picture book crowd, and it is clear that she is in good hands when she says the editors with whom she works would object if she wanted to include sources, etc., on the copyright page. In looking at many books published today, especially picture books, one would not realize there are rules governing pagination/ good bookmaking ( check out the Chicago Manual of Style), and as long as the printed book exists it is not unreasonable to want to introduce kids to books that are made the "right" way. The "rules" that dictate good book design are different but not unlike rules that govern good grammar, etc., the difference being the general public is not acquainted with them.
As a children's book publisher, I often said of nonfiction for young kids, one must know more to write less. The writer must be almost expert in the subject in order to know what to include/ignore in order to give readers an accurate, engaging, and well rounded introduction to a subject. It is not easy, that's for sure, and from the chair in which I sit, writing engaging and accurate nonfiction for young children is, in certain ways, much harder than writing for older kids, or for adults for that matter, where in some cases, the writer includes everything but the kitchen sink.
In my experience, writers of nonfiction for all ages, had enormous integrity about being accurate and took great care with their research/sources, and while not published in their books, could easily document their sources. Meghan is quite right in saying most picture books are 32 pages...a minimum of three pages should be reserved for front matter, leaving 29 pages for a text to be reproduced in a type size and leading that is readable/appropriate for the intended age group, and, of course, the illustrations.
I appreciate the concern/interest in sources but there are certain realties in the picture book format , and one must take good care not to tamper with the necessary pages for heart of the book to accommodate source material. Norma Jean
"I am fortunate in that I write longer books and for publishers who have always been generous in giving me as much space as I need for notes. And, yes, the 32 page format is unyielding -- there is simply no way to add another page. But, that said, I would suspect that there is generally enough white space on a copyright page to at least list attributions for quotations and other needed source citations."
I don't know about other PB authors but I'm not allowed to put other stuff on the copyright and title page besides the title and the copyright information. There are rules to formatting a book an I just can't break them. I have even asked if I can put info on the endpages but was told that I could not. This was turned down because I was told that librarians like to stick cards and things on the back of the book and it would cover the information.
Now I know how seriously some people take things and I will bring this information to my editors. I will say that you can't please everyone and that's another lesson that I must learn. Nomatter what an author does someone is going to find something wrong with some part of the book. It's inevitable. The children are the most important part of the equation. If the book is over their heads or is boring then who cares how much backmatter is in there or how well it's done. There's too much dry nonfiction out there.
meghan
Received on Thu 21 Oct 2010 07:30:40 PM CDT
