On 'Picture Books'

[Phyrebrat]

On a recent Writing Excuses Podcast, the team were briefly talking about picture books. They were saying that a picture book has around 300 words.

Something about it really piqued my interest which surprised me as I wouldn't consider myself interested in this kind of production, but I'm not entirely sure what they mean by 'picture book'; they used it as if it were genre terminology.

Graphic Novels have their own name, and I'm pretty sure they're more than 300 words long...

Anyway, I have three of my three hundred word entries that I've often seen in terms of having accompanying pictures - not cartoon-style images, but watercolours or something similar.

More for myself, than for publication, I'd quite like to see this through one day and wonder what the process would be. Obviously finding a sympathetic artist would be crucial, but would that be all?

I don't plan to go to Deviantart just yet, but I suppose that would be my first stop.

What would you suggest?

Thanks

pH

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Traditionally you'd approach an agent who'd approach a publisher who'd match you to an illustrator.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

"Picture book" has a connotation outside the world of children's literature? I thought they were the thing that comes after board books and before chapter books.

 

[Phyrebrat]

"Picture book" has a connotation outside the world of children's literature? I thought they were the thing that comes after board books and before chapter books.

Exactly. That's just what I thought. I assumed at first they were talking about kid's stuff but the context of the conversation sounded otherwise; as it's an American podcast, I would expect your comment to be correct but I just got a different impression.

pH

 

[Juliana]

but the context of the conversation sounded otherwise

Weird. I'm in the US, and pretty involved in the whole kid lit world, and I've only ever heard the terminology refer to books for very young 'uns - as TDZ says, the stage between board books and chap books. And around 300 words sounds right for that - it seems to be the 'golden rule' in terms of word count. (I don't write PB myself, but know several people who do.)

I have no idea if the term has been adapted to apply to something else, but would be surprised, as it's a pretty established term...

 

[ratsy]

Phyre, my sis-in-law and the cover artist for Lake Manor has one out there! It's pretty cool.

In the Red Canoe:Amazon:Books

 

[Dan Jones]

One of my friends, Amanda, is a children's illustrator; this is her biggest seller:
Not This Turkey!:Amazon.co.uk:Books

I could put you in touch if you like.

BTW I'd also consider picture books to be the same as the previous definitions given. Ava has a shelf full of them (Ella Bella Ballerina is her favourite, and I'm in touch with the author/illustrator James Mathew on Twitter) and around 300 words seems to be the norm.

 

[night_wrtr]

I feel like Dr Seuss were longer than most picture books. There are a few that I read to my kids that have long paragraphs and take much longer than the average.

Wondering - is there a kids graphic novel section? I have a few stories that I wrote that fit between 1k-2k words.

 

[Phyrebrat]

I posted in the writer's forum on DeviantArt and is hilarious the barely contained irritation or contempt it generated with a few people.

It's as if people enjoy being outraged at any off-the-map suggestions.

Made me realise how privileged we are here at Chrons.

Also, it has made me even more determined to do it with a private artist.

pH

 

[Dan Jones]

Hee hee! Link?

 

[Phyrebrat]

I use the app. But I got a couple of angry PMs one of which accused me of trying to get into something I had no knowledge and therefore business with, and that a 300 word story had to be written with pictures in mind. This after I had reiterated (twice) it was a case of doing an illustrated keepsake for myself and not publication, and not a 'picture book'.

But then these days I have bigger things to worry about like keeping my kids alive

pH

 

[apocalypsegal]

I think if it's something you want to do for yourself, then go for it. We should do stuff for ourselves, right? Otherwise, you're getting into the children's book area, which as others have noted has it's own rules and expectations.