Research for a book I hope to write

The children's book market is one of the toughest to break into. That being said: definitely talk to children in the age group you're targeting, and read all the kids books you can find for that group as well. Make a list of all the children's book publisher, large and small that you are considering-- just search on line--children's book publishers UK for instance. Once you have a list, go to their websites. They will most likely have a list of the recent offerings they have published, as well as their stats and writer's guidelines, and whether they accept submissions directly. The stats are very important. These will tell you how many submission they get annually, and their acceptance rate. Read their offerings, because genre publishers usually expect a certain tone and style to fit their line-- you need to find the publisher who's tone and style fit your work. Be advised that if they do accept direct submissions rather than requiring an agent, they are probably buried in them. Some publishers list how many acceptances came from agents, and how many were direct-- and normally, 90% or better of the accepted work reached them through an agent, and for good reason-- agents don't accept books they can't sell, because they get paid when your work sells! Once the book is written, I would contact an art school to find an illustrator, and have them sign a non-disclosure agreement. Check the copyright laws where you are, and officially copyright the book before you let anyone see it, that way you're protected. You can re-copyright the finished product before submitting too, to be safe. I would strongly consider self publishing as well, because if you can generate good sales on your own, then you can possibly interest a publisher in a second printing. It takes some planning to market your own book, but you'll get more experience, and more money the first time if you choose this route. You might also see if a small press or University press will publish it. Think outside the box. remember that the children's book market doesn't pay all that well unless you get really lucky from the beginning. Of course, if you're like me, you don't really care about the money-- but it helps! If you go with an agent, or you get an offer from a publisher, spend the money to have the contract vetted by a lawyer who specializes in contract law. This is something almost nobody does, and many authors can tell you they wish they had! Don't limit yourself to UK publishers and agents, either-- the US market is a lot larger, and over on this side of the pond, English authors are considered rather interesting and romantic :-). A good children's book has engaging characters that act like real kids! Today's kids are not interested in made up people that don't act like them, unless the book is entirely fantasy. Keep the moral points very subtle as well, because kids lose interest if you sound like their parents :-). Have your characters do things every kid wishes they could do and get away with-- not bad things, or illegal, just cool. Ask the kids you talk to what they would do if they could. Don't be afraid to give your characters some complexity. Real kids are not always good or always bad-- and your characters shouldn't be either. Same with the adult characters in your book. If you really want to catch a publisher's eye, for your NEXT book consider writing it in collaboration with a group of kids---you'd have parents and publishers tripping over themselves to join you that way :-)There was actually a school for retarded children here in the US that published a book written by the kids and illustrated by them, with the help of an author, every year for years before they closed-- the author made good money, and so did the school. The kids in this case each got paid a flat fee, that went to the parents, of course. hope this helps-- if I come up with any information more specific, I'll send it your way :-)