Many attempts to censor literature, and children's literature in particular, have been based on some ridiculous reasoning, with the resulting stories being hilarious and bewildering.
As busy editors are bombarded with hundreds or even thousands of submissions a year, its more important than ever that authors apply their own editing skills to their manuscripts before putting them in the mail.
You have a very, very brief window of time with which to impress a children’s book editor with your manuscript. Make the most of it by starting your story with a bang, not a whimper.
As an author, if you’re inspired to delve into the slightly dangerous, dark or subversive corners of childhood with your books, feel free to do so. Don’t limit yourself to all that’s bright, safe and up to code.
The world of children’s book publishing is extremely competitive, to say the least. It takes hard work, dedication, perseverance and commitment to become a published author.
In a perfect world, you’d be able to pitch your manuscript to an editor over a leisurely cup of coffee. But we’re forced to inhabit the real world, where you’ve got about 10 seconds to hook an editor before she decides to continue reading or reach for her form rejection slip. And more and more, this "hook" must come in the form of a query letter.