What do picture book publishers really want? This entertaining and practical book has all the answers, including: - What to write about - and how to write it - How to present your work professionally - How to persuade your chosen publisher to accept your book for publication. It covers virtually everything you need to know about the international picture book market and selling your work to agents and publishers. Andrea Shavick's book also answers the vexing questions of which publishers to approach, whether you need an agent, what to do about the illustrations, how to protect your copyright, and even how much money you can make. It additionally features: - Original picture book text - to help you format your own manuscripts professionally - An easy-to-use picture book layout plan - Title sheets and covering letters to use when submitting manuscripts - which are of proven success Andrea's unique Plot Planner for designing, lengthening, shortening or just tweaking your stories. Contents: Introduction; 1. What is a picture book?; 2. Thinking about your audience; 3. What to write about; 4. Creating characters; 5. Subjects to avoid; 6. Word count; 7. Plot planning and the rule of three; 8. Language and language structure; 9. Textural devices and page turners; 10. Editing; 11. Titles; 12. Preparing your manuscript; 13. Title sheets; 14. The covering letter; 15. Illustrations; 16. Choosing a publisher; 17. Submitting work; 18. Copyright - how to protect your ideas; 19. Agents; 20. Your work is accepted - now that?; 21. Dealing with rejections; 22. Other routes to publication; Recommended books, websites & writing organisations; Index.