How to break into the children's book market

Kelly Milner Halls broke into the competitive children's book market through necessity.

A single mother who wanted to work at home while her children were growing up, Halls studied journalism in college and launched her writing career as a freelance writer for children's magazines, including "Boys' Life" and "Highlights for Children." Halls has written about 1,600 articles to date and 18 children's books published since 1996.

Writing books for children, Halls said, is ordinarily a job that is "underwritten by a spouse." She recommends that budding authors write about their "secret passions."

Halls admits her passion has always been "weird" topics, and it was enough to find her a niche writing nonfiction works for children 10 years and older.

Book publishers, Halls said, will often discourage beginning authors from submitting unsolicited manuscripts or tell them that a literary agent is required.

"It's not true," Halls said. She recommends writers send in the entire manuscript if it's a short children's book, and two sample chapters if the book is longer, "so they know you can write."

The first book Halls pitched to a publishing company was initially entitled "Leonardo," the name given a 77-million-yearold fossil of a soft-tissued dinosaur found in Montana by a paleontologist. Darby Creek Publishing, a new house, accepted Hall's book proposal, which would be the first book in their first line of children's books.

When Halls had completed five out of the six sections of the book, her publisher delivered bad news: The paleontologist sold the rights to "Leonardo" to Universal for $3 million-including book rights.

"The publisher almost died," Halls said. But she salvaged the book and proved to be a reliable and responsible worker, having changed the story to include information about other softtissued dinosaurs, and opening the doors to future projects.

The original "Leonardo" was repackaged as "Dinosaur Mummies-Beyond Bare-Bone Fossils." Since then, Halls has written other books on dinosaurs and offbeat topics such as "Albino Animals," a series of science fair books, a book about a man who collected yo-yos, a 163-word children's book and craft books for youngsters and others.

Another avenue into book publishing is to put a "fresh twist on an old favorite," Halls said.

She also recommends doing thorough research on a topic to make sure your book has not already been written by someone else, and learning how to write clear, compelling query letters to specific people at publishing houses.

Halls said the money she earns from writing books is supplemented by writing articles for children's magazines. Ordinarily, a publisher will pay a $4,000 advance for a completed book-$2,000 when the idea is accepted, and $2,000 when the book is finished. Authors often receive a percentage of total sales as well.

Several reference books for writers are available at libraries and local bookstores. Halls recommends "Children's Writers and Illustrators Book Market," which is revised each year with new publishers' contact information.