Using Test Readers

Using test readers to review your manuscript before it goes to a publisher or to press is a valuable tool. Be sure to choose an audience of test readers who your book is targeted to. My current book series, The Greenhouse Kids, is geared to kids who are aged 8 to 12. I am working with a grade 3 and grade 4 class at a nearby school who were delighted to be asked to test read the second book, Ghost Walk. The students were very excited as they just finished reading the first book, Dan Delion's Secret.

I did let them know that there would be some spelling mistakes, typos or grammatical errors, and that many of them will have already been corrected by the time they finish the test read. I advised the teacher to look past these errors, as the role of the test readers is to concentrate on the story content. Our editing procedure will take care of these typos and grammatical errors.

The role of the test readers is to critique the story. Questions will vary, depending on the nature of your book. Here are some questions that I asked my test readers to include:

Did the story flow well from the first book to the second book?
Does the story flow well throughout the second book?
Is there any part of the story that is confusing to the reader? (after the book is read)
Were there any parts in the story that were not liked?
What were the favourite parts of the book?
Were the readers surprised at any of the content?
Were there any words that were difficult to understand?
Was there a part in the book that required additional explanations?
Provide a general review of the book.

I always ask test readers to be truthful. As writers, we are used to receiving criticism and it should be welcomed. Criticism allows us to become better writers.

I am looking forward to receiving the review from the test readers. It will let me know where changes should be made. I will post the reviews I received from my test readers once I receive them back, which is expected to be later in December.

Shelley Awad
Children's Author
The Greenhouse Kids
Dan Delion's Secret
www.greenhousekids.com
shelley@greenhousekids.com

FINDING AN ILLUSTRATOR

Okay, so your book is finished, and you can't draw! This is what most Children's Authors are faced with, including myself. Once I finished my first book, The Greenhouse Kids, Dan Delion's Secret I had to jump over the next hurdle, finding an illustrator.

I called and met with an instructor at our local University of Windsor to see if they had any recommendations. They did for editing, but not for illustrations. I checked with two graphic artists that I know, and I did receive two recommendations from them. I also received a third recommendation from a local graphic arts company in Windsor, near to where I live.

I was at a point where I was ready to proceed with the illustrations even though I had yet to find a publisher. If you have a publisher, check with them before proceeding with finding an illustrator, because many of them supply their own.

At this point, I was unsure if I would be self-publishing, or if I was going to get picked up by a publisher, so I decided to proceed with hiring an illustrator myself. I sent out a description of the characters to all three illustrators and asked them to forward their artwork to me, along with their pricing. I then selected Constance Rose Zonta, a local illustrator, as I preferred her work best. We then came to an agreement on price and signed a contract between the two of us. I looked up a general contract on the web, and we altered parts of it as agreed upon.

Shortly after, I received the call from my publisher, Borealis Press, that they were interested in publishing. I explained to them that I already had the illustrations done. This was not a problem. In the end, I paid for the illustrations, but I also got the artwork that I wanted, so I was not unhappy at all.

I am meeting with the illustrator this evening regarding my second book in the series, The Greenhouse Kids, Ghost Walk. Hopefully this will go smoothly.

GETTING KIDS BOOKS PUBLISHED

Getting a children's book published is not easy. Once I finished my manuscript, I edited it several times, creating a polished story to send out to a variety of publishers.

I picked up a copy of the Writer's Market, Where & How to Sell What You Write. All publishers are listed, and a description is provided about the company. I chose 30 publishers, went to each website and followed the submission guidelines. If you do not follow the submission guidelines, your story may end up in the trash can without being read.

Six months later, after sending out 30 manuscripts, I heard from a publisher who was interested in publishing the book. This was an exciting day! My publisher told me that he receives about 500 manuscripts from authors each year and he sends out 480 rejection letters. Stay positive and keep sending your manuscript out.

My first book, The Greenhouse Kids, Dan Delion's Secret was released in June 2009. The second book in the series, The Greenhouse Kids, Ghost Walk will be released this Spring 2010. For more info, visit http://www.greenhousekids.com/