If you are a budding writer and dream of getting a book published one day then first off, you should listen to every Words and Nerds podcast ever made. Dani is host of the literary podcast, where she chats to authors of all genres about the social and political impact of the writing and the writing process.

The podcast now includes a spin off called, Publisher Insiders, and it contains so many deliciously good tips and tricks for pitching and submitting manuscripts (oh that sort of rhymes). I’ve tried to distill some of what I’ve learned from listening to the podcast here – with a focus on Picture Books (because that is what I’m currently working on) – although many of these points apply to ANY book type…

• A publisher insider once said, “No child wants to curl up with a good lecture.” What does this mean? Well, don’t be all preachy in your picture book story. Have a heart-warming or “soul-sticking” message, sure. But don’t force your message down the throat of the child or their parents.

• The goal of your story/submission should be, to be READ, not to be PUBLISHED. Getting published doesn’t mean people are going to buy the book, so being conscious of the market and how this might appeal to retailers is key.

• Find realistic comparable titles which help describe your story’s theme and hook.

• Start with the hook – Distill the book idea into a tiny fragment that can be explained in 1-2 sentences max. This is much more important than who you are and what you’ve written or published to date.

• Know who you are pitching too. Research the agent/publisher first and ensure your story is inline with what they publish

So there you have it. I’ll be referring to this when writing or preparing for any future pitches. I just wish I’d known this years ago! 🙂