Dear Editor…

Are agents accepting children’s poetry books by authors with a passion for phonemic awareness and whole-brain education?

Sincerely,

Jennifer

Dear Jennifer…

Ah, a poet who knows it and wants to work it. There is a place for poetry books in the children’s book market, but it’s a tough one to squeeze into. The picture book market is still scrabbling its way out of the recession, and straight poetry collections are hard sells. To better your chances, your collection should center on one child-friendly theme, which you’ll use as your hook. Douglas Florian built a career by coupling this strategy with clever, child-friendly poems that wow grown-ups, too. Mammalabilia, Insectlopedia, Dinothesaurus: Prehistoric Poems and Paintings… Florian works his poetry like nobody’s business. Where there’s a passion for poetry, there is a way.

Happy writing!
The Editor