Book packagers?

karen

Hi all,

Has anyone ever worked with or approached Book Packagers, or know much about them? There's a small list in the Children's WAYB, and another 'How to' writing book I'm reading suggested Packagers as a way in to publishing. I've researched a few which seem to be open to unpublished writers, where you submit a 'sample' of writing to see if they will consider using you to write to their plots/spec. Many publish young series fiction (for example, those girly fairy stories by the generic 'Daisy Meadows'). I do understand this wouldn't mean writing my own ideas. But for the sake of experience, are they worth a punt? Or perhaps I'm too inexperienced for the Packagers anyway!

Karen

helenesme

I don't see any reason not to at least look into it. Obviously it won't be for everyone, but it could be worth considering, depending of course on factors like pay and contractual obligations.

Liz

Most of these packagers (if not all) approach agents to find them suitable writers and the suitable writers tend to be all the big names you see around and the middling names you see around who have a proven track record with their own books. I know several well-known if not on everyone's lips authors (children's authors) who write these books.

They are a welcome flow of income. You do write the book - only the plot and the characters are given to you. But it is a skill, like everything else, and you have to be able to write the book so that it fits in with the rest of the series and the rest of the series is sometimes written by several people - or will have been written by several people before. This is also a skill.

So someone who has never had a book published of their own will have no way of showing they are capable of writing an entire book, writing a book to order and on time, writing a book in a different style to their own, etc. etc. etc.

I'd say the chances of getting in this market are vanishingly small and you'd do better to write your own book and try and get it published.

karen

This is what I'm trying to gauge... I don't want to waste time messing around with writing a relevant sample when I could be doing something more constructive. I read somewhere that Packagers are off the wannabe writer's radar and therefore there is less competition? Can't find much info on them really bar their vague websites. Another catch 22 scenario I suppose, can't get published without already having had a book published... round and round we go! I swear, everything I read about publishing (for children) is doom and gloom and the message is "don't bother" and "everyone else is better"!

Currently reading Louise Jordan's How To Write For Children, though every section ends with "but this part of the market is near impossible to break into for a new writer"... aargh! Still, I will not be defeated just yet. It all begins with a good piece of writing and I am working my bum off to make sure that my work is as good as I can make it at this stage.

Liz

Where did you read that packagers are off 'wannabe writers' radar'? Didn't you see them yourself in the Children's Writers' and Illustrators' Yearbook?

Louise Jordan's book is good, I read that. I THINK it's her that also offers a service to send your book to for assessment, they do a thorough job, and if it's good enough they might send it on.

ana s

They were off my radar. It is a dilemma, where to put your energy to get that foothold. If I could have done anything differently before getting published it would have been to spend more time building a platform, then when you do publish, whether self or trade, it doesn't drop into an empty well.

karen

Ana, what sort of platform would you have built? Do you mean time blogging or social networking? Would love your thoughts

Liz, yes there is a Packager section, but I didn't look at it until this week because a) WAYB doesn't expain what a Packager is, and b) I, and countless other wannabes I suspect, dive straight in to the agents and publisher listings! It's LJ's book that mentions approaching Packagers directly. And when I googled Packagers, there isn't much info available, but I did find an article that says they are off the radar of new writers.

From what I can tell, if you've got a novelty book idea, especially non-fiction/educational, Packagers could be a great option for writers.

I am enjoying the Louise Jordan book although I think the sub-heading should be "but you've very little chance of ever being published". My priority right now is buffing my favourite picture book MS's and work my way through my list of suitable publishers, while polishing my novel to send to a Golden Egg (or similar) for a professional report/assessment.

Liz

It's amazing how much you learn just by sending things off. And by getting rejections. I have a box on top of one of my bookcases (8ft up, so don't look in it often!) of the early stuff I was doing after writing for a year or so, and can see exactly why it would not have been published. I sent two things off then one of which Walker told me they liked but it wasn't the sort of thing they publish - it was a novelty book. She sent me the name of three editors she thought might take it and actually PHONED them to say it was on the way. I didn't send it! I had no idea this was an enormous achievement and I had two young children, looking after them was my first priority and I found it took most of my little energy. I thought, I've done it once, I can do it again. Hah!

I have never sent anything off that wasn't either taken or considered, a picture book among these, at Chicken House. I wrote that in 2006. They wanted me to change the theme as their previous book had the same one - I didn't think this was possible, so didn't. I still haven't sent it out again...

Having said that, I send off say 6 poems at a time and only one or two are taken, but I don't count that as rejection.

In fact, having said that, I DID get my first rejection, or not get into a book very recently.

The best thing you can do is send it off for professional assessment imo. It will give you an idea of whether you just need polishing, or a bit more.

I also think having at least a website already in situ is a good idea, and be sure to enter the April Blog Challenge which will give you a good start on members.

ana s

I think you have to be very good and very committed with social media for it to make a difference to sales. I've been slow off the mark with face to face networks but I've found these have been the most mutually supportive. We review, promote and buy each other's work and hold joint events, and really it's much more fun and real and nourishing than social media. You don't have to stick to writer's groups of course. Go where your market is; for you that's parents of younger children, primary teachers and librarians.

Lou Treleaven

I joined a couple of book package companies a couple of years ago - you can join via their websites. You need to provide samples of writing for particular age groups, and then when they are deciding on authors for a series you may be selected. I did get selected once and had a ball writing up my chapters but I didn't get picked. It was a great insight into the process though. The plot was so tightly written already there was nothing you could change about it - all you could do was pad it out into action and dialogue. I think I was very lucky to get the chance though - when you sign up, you are given a number and it was ridiculously high - thousands of authors are on there so the chances of getting picked again via the random process are almost zero! Though I'm traditionally published now I'd still love to have another go - it was challenging but fun.

Liz

Wow - the authors I know were asked through their agents to write the series' they do.

I do think it depends on the publisher how much leeway you get - a friend in the States was able to be quite inventive.

karen

Ana, I struggle with social media so getting out and about (if and when I ever have something to promote) would be preferable.

That's interesting to hear Lou, sounds like a great experience and insight as you say, even if it doesn't get published. Might give it a whirl then, you never know I guess!

You're right Liz, LJ is part of Writers Advice Centre, you can pay for a manuscript appraisal which seems reasonably priced. I definitely want to get some kind of professional feedback on my young reader novel before I submit it to any agents or publishers.

Anyone seen the Fat Fox Ask the Expert conference in Kent for September? I'm hoping to go! Here's the link if any other children's writers are interested...

http://fatfoxbooks.com/ask-the-experts-the-first-fat-fox-books-conference/