Publisher Seeks Fiction, NonFiction for Children with a "Hook"

Do you write fiction and nonfiction picture books and books for middle grade readers? Then this information is for you.

Pelican Publishing Company primarily publishes fiction and nonfiction picture books and books for middle grade readers. They have a wide variety of categories such as; folktales, history, multicultural, stories related to the South and holiday stories.

All books should have that special “hook” that appeals to a specific audience which will set them apart from general fiction. Pelican Publishing Company is also interested in books that can grow into a series. However, they do not want any anthropomorphic stories, pet stories, fantasy, poetry, science fiction or romance. Picture books (ages 5-8) should not exceed 1100 words. Middle grade books (ages 8-12) should be at least 25,000 words.

Pelican Publishing Company does not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

All writers should send a query letter and SASE, describing the project briefly and concisely.

The book’s title must be clearly stated at the top of the query letter or in the first sentence.

The letter should then discuss the following: the book’s content, its anticipated length (in double spaced pages or in words), its intended audience, the author’s writing and professional background and any promotional ideas and contacts the author may have.

If an author has been published by another firm please indicate why a change is sought.

A formal synopsis, chapter outline, and/or one or two sample chapters may be sent with a query letter, but these are not required. If absolutely necessary, very short manuscripts (four pages or less) may be sent in their entirety.

Pelican responds to queries in one month. If Pelican requests the manuscript, it must be submitted exclusively.

Submit all queries with a SASE to Editorial Department, Pelican Publishing. Co., 1000 Burmaster St., Gretna, LA 70053.

For more information visit their web site at http://www.pelicanpub.com/

Write it down,

Carma

Editorial Calendars: A Cheat Sheet for Writers

Typically, magazine editors like to work at least six months in advance. Articles submitted the month of March describing fall, pumpkins, Halloween parties and colorful leaves will be right in line with their needs.

An Editorial Calendar gives you a slew of topics to pitch and research for. For instance, it is probable that magazine editors will be inundated with pitches for Halloween. But if you have an editorial calendar prepared you can give your creativity a boost by writing about topics that are not published as often. Below are a few ideas/links to get you started writing winning articles for the fall. You can add your own as the year progresses.

Columbus Day
Dryer vent safety month
National Bosses Day
Cooler weather
Halloween Costumes
Right-brainers rule month
Raking/celebrating leaves
National breast cancer awareness month
National domestic violence awareness month
Daylight savings time ends (Fall back)

Editorial calendars are a writer’s best tool because they double as cheat sheets. They can also give you an edge for submitting timely queries that are bound to attract the attention of a thankful editor.

Furthermore, writers who submit articles for magazines know the importance of researching all those back copies. Editorial calendars will help you to focus on a particular topic rather than having to scan all topics. Writers are busy people and need to make their research time effective.

By creating your own Editorial Calendar you are mapping out a successful plan for your writing career.

Write it down,
Carma

Eight Minutes!

Today at exactly 2:30 p.m. PST, with clammy hands and fingers, I pushed the send button and my email query sailed into cyber space. Exactly at 2:38 p.m. I had a response. Is that a world record? Nevertheless, there is a positive side to this because the editor said I should feel free to submit more queries in the future... You betcha.

What is the shortest amount of time between submitting an article and receiving a response for you?

Jenna Glatzer of AbsoluteWrite.com addresses the benefits of E-Queries in her book “Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer”. She says you don’t have to spend money on postage, ink, paper and envelopes. Response time is faster.” (I say it is!)

Of course there is always a down side to everything. You have less time to engage your reader with an e-query. “A busy editor checks her email with one hand on the mouse, ready to hit ‘delete’” Jenna says. “You have to use every word to convince her to read on.”

When sending an email query you can be a little more creative with the subject line so you can grab the attention of the editor. In these days with the bombardment of spam, it is probably better to identify yourself as a writer immediately, rather than risk looking like an ad. For instance you can write “Query: How I broke the Glass Ceiling”, in the subject line or any catchy title that may generate a response.

Let’s hope you write a fantastic lead because in an editorial meeting, editors usually only have about ten seconds to pitch their (your) ideas. Keep this question in mind: “What can you write that will be easy to summarize in just a few seconds?”

Which ever method of delivery you choose, snail or email, to send off your query just make sure it is what the editor asks for. Keep sending them because persistence pays off. So get ready to send out a killer query.

Write it down,
Carma