The other day I came across a tattered, unlabeled sheet of paper I'd picked up somewhere. It is a list of questions a children's books buyer asks of picture books during sales calls.While some of these questions should not be on the mind of writers when they are approaching agents (specifically, those questions about packaging and the publisher), other questions having to do with target audience are so savvy that they are worth asking of your own manuscript—whether you are writing a novel or a picture book. These are the sorts of challenges put to your book after it has found an agent, after it has found a publisher, when it is facing that final hurdle to get real estate on a bookstore's shelf.Without further ado: Questions from a children's book buyer
But maybe I'm wrong, and writers shouldn't have any of this in mind. Certainly not while they work, but after they have a draft in hand? No? When do you think of the market? Before, during, after, never?[And apologies to anyone if this is your intellectual property that I picked up at a conference or wherever. There really are no identifying marks on the sheet. I'm happy to give credit or pull it entirely if you send word. Thanks —MS.]