Lesson 19

Writing Class 101 by Rick Kurtis
 Submission Letters, don’t believe everything you read. Lesson 19 (another rant)
 Welcome back to another week. I hope my classes are doing you well, or at least making you think. Today I want to give you a little insight on writing a query letter.
When I started writing, many said you need to submit a query letter, which is a cover letter. Some people say it is a three paragraph letter, short and sweet, and others say it is four paragraphs, adding your marketing skill and strategy.

This is usually sent out with a synopsis, telling the whole story layout all the way to the end. They don’t want the synopsis any longer than a page to maybe a page and a half. This way they can see if your story is worth its weight, or reject it, and have their own best-selling author read through it, change it, and write the same concept. It happens all the time.
Other things you read are like all the suggestions on how to write or what to write. They school you in diction, structure, verbiage, and constructive flow. A lot makes sense, but something that works for me, may not get the story across for another.
They say to have someone who will edit your work, but who is good, and how big is their price tag, and do they really know your story? They don’t know how you wrote the character or scene. They are not in your head. One guy said he would send three chapters to one agent, then to another, then to a third, and they would all add, change, and charge. After all of that, his books were no better than mine.
Book publishers want books written in the “Chicago style,” all prim and proper. People really don’t talk like that, and yes, it helps to tone down your ignorance, but really. I was told that publishing children’s books especially needed to be pristine in diction, because children are learning to read and grow. Then I found a whole series of books published by a name-brand publisher, big in children’s literature printing sentences like, “She runned to the store.” And, “Breaked her arm.” And so many others that I could not even read one page without seeing three strange encounters. And this is okay for children by a major publisher? They also said that a broken arm is too violent for a children’s book. Just give them a boo-boo, or an owie, but there it was in black and white. But mine can’t even reach the front door, because my cover letter wasn’t pleasing enough.
One vanity publisher told me they liked my twenty-one little children’s books, but wanted to only make one large book making each twenty-one stories into chapters, then sell this humongous book with a price tag of thirty dollars. What parent in their right mind would spend thirty dollars per one book, and what child would lift and read that big of a thing?
Whereas a mother will buy a small five dollar book to shut her child up every week and to keep them busy and entertained, and the child will love one little book just the right size in their little hands. Why can’t they see that? Oh, that’s right, they only care about you paying them up front, and children’s books are a dime a dozen.
Only twelve percent of the national book sales, or is it seven percent, I forget. Either way, it’s a very small margin of sales. It is divided up by millions of authors, and publishing companies have their own in-house writers or already established authors. As a matter of fact, James Patterson just released a children’s book. It was on a commercial, something we can’t afford.
With a traditional publishing company, if you use their artist, or your own, five percent of your ten percent goes directly to the artist. With a vanity publisher they will charge as little as $400 a drawing, and most only allowed ten drawings per book included into your price tag. More drawings are $250 each just to add them within your text. Most children’s books have twenty pictures each, oh boy.
Go out into the world and pick up a book by a best-selling author. Read the first paragraph, or the back cover of a well-known, established, best-selling author and you might find that they broke all the rules. And these books fly through editing and off the shelves, and are most likely published by traditional publishers. Go figure. They buy the book because they know the authors name, or the name of the well-known publisher.
I don’t know if any of this has helped you, but at least I’ve gotten it off my chest. Next week I promise to be back on track and give you some sound advice. Until then, have a wonderful week. Write your story, write lots of stories. I am usually working on two or three books all at the same time. If you have any questions, rants, or advice, good or bad, send me a line. I’d love to hear from you. There is strength in numbers, but I don’t think that holds true when it comes to authors. Again, enjoy your week. Until next time,
 
Happy Writing from rickkurtisbooks.com