jiolp

Okay, you’ve written a great story. It’s pretty short, under 1000 words (hopefully closer to 500). You like it. Your critique group likes it. It really is good, but is it a picture book? It isn’t enough that it be good, or even great, a picture book is a particular kind of writing. So, ask yourself some questions:

1. Does your story sing? Whether the story rhymes or not (and not is usually better), your prose needs to sing. Read it aloud, or better yet, try humming the story to yourself. Does it have a flowing, singing rhythm? Not sing-song, but melodious. Picture book stories require a special attention to the sound because if they succeed, they will be read again and again.

For 6 more valuable tips on evaluating your story, listen to the show!

Listener Question of the Week

Jennifer asks:

How do you know if the book you’re writing is targeted at the right age group?

Listen to the answer in the podcast!