Category: Writing

Writing

Embracing the Evolution: Why Nonfiction PB Word Counts Grow in Editing

Kirsten W. Larson

As writers of nonfiction picture books, we often find ourselves grappling with the question of word count. In the early stages of crafting our manuscripts, we strive to adhere to the industry-recommended range of 800 to 1,000 words, fearful of exceeding the limits. Yet once books are acquired, they most frequently grow longer. This is what I discovered in my word count survey of debut, nonfiction picture book authors. You can read the survey results here.

I dug into the data to see how frequently debut word counts increased and by how much.

Expository NonfictionPB biographies
% of manuscripts whose word counts increased during editing58% of the books50% of the books
Average word count increase99 words201 words
Range of word count increase5 to 400 words22 to 500 words
Results of the Nonfiction Picture Book Word Count Survey for Debut Authors conducted by Kirsten W. Larson (kirstenwlarson.com)

Adding Depth to Nonfiction

Why the surprising results? Last month, I mused that when we initially submit our nonfiction manuscripts, we may have unconsciously stripped away some of the vivid scenes, the emotional resonance, and the juicy details in an effort to conform to the perceived word count constraints. However, during the editing process, these crucial elements are often reintroduced, deepening our manuscripts.

Editors nudge us to add kid-friendly details, context, and emotion and stakes, allowing our stories to truly shine. This naturally expands our word counts, but in doing so, we create a more engaging experience for our readers. 

I invited authors (some debut, others experienced) to chime in on why their manuscripts grew longer during editing.

Reintroducing the Juicy Details

As author Kelly Rice Schmitt shared about her book I Fuel, “Although my forthcoming book I Fuel is infofic, the whole book is 100% true except for the fact that the narrator is oil. This was expanded after acquisitions to add more detail on some of the science behind certain parts of the processes. It went from 280 words to 380 words.”

“The same thing happened with Deep, Deep Down,” Lydia Lukidis said. “It got longer through the editing process as they wanted me to add in fact boxes and expand on certain parts. I try not to obsess over word count but also, to stay within reasonable parameters.”

Deepening the Emotional Connection

For narrative nonfiction, emotional depth is paramount, and editors often encourage us to delve deeper into the motivations, struggles, and triumphs of our protagonists. As Jilanne Hoffmann shared about her book A River of Dust, “My editor wanted me to emphasize the relationship/friendship between the two continents a little more. I sat with that comment for bit and figured out that the structure of the book hadn’t quite come full circle. It was “almost” there, so I added a couple of lines at the beginning and the end to make the circle feel satisfying. And voila! A longer word count, and a more satisfying feeling of connection – separation – connection.”

I had a similar experience with Wood, Wire, Wings, my first narrative nonfiction manuscript. My editor, Carolyn Yoder at Calkins Creek, wanted me to dig in to reveal more of Lilian Todd’s motivation to tinker (from her childhood) and the stakes, as well as to heighten her emotional arc from spark through struggle and final success. Many of these moments required crafting mini scenes, which took more words than summarizing.

Making New Craft Decisions

Author and editor craft choices like structure and voice can result in books growing longer too. Amanda Davis said, “I know for me, my (unannounced) nonfiction title grew longer after acquisition and during the editing process because we made it a dual narrative, which added a lot more biographical elements to the story. The thought was that this could be helpful to the school and library market.”

Heather Montgomery’s experience with What’s in Your Pocket illustrates how voice choices can also influence word count: “My NF PB What’s In Your Pocket lengthened significantly after acquisition because we realized the need for a refrain which increased both page number and word count.”

Tailoring to the Publisher’s Vision

Sometimes, the growth in word count stems from specific publisher preferences or stylistic choices. As Linda Rose Zajac shared about her book Robo-Motion, “My editor requested a short intro and summary at the beginning and end of the text because all books in the series were set up that way.”

Tziporah Cohen said, “My PB bio, ON THE CORNER OF CHOCOLATE AVENUE: HOW MILTON HERSHEY BROUGHT MILK CHOCOLATE TO AMERICA was 748 words on submission and 1088 on publication (40 pages), not counting side bars. I would say it grew mostly because my editor was not a fan of backmatter, and we ended up putting a lot of the backmatter info into the text, though we still kept a timeline at the end.”

Publisher requirements also drove the growth of Christine Van Zandt’s A Brief History of Underpants. “It was 1113 on submittal but at 32 pages. The publisher wanted it to be a 48-page book with fewer words per page. … I was to have a max of 60 words per two-page spread, so 20 x 60 = 1200 words. …it came in at 1185 words.”

Story First and Foremost

My tried and true advice? Don’t get so caught up in cutting your story to 800 or 1,000 words, especially in the early stages. Take the words you need to tell the story you need to tell. As we learned last month, nonfiction picture books weigh in at a variety of word counts. And their length is often more a function of the age of their target reader.

Are you ready to revise your nonfiction picture book, to add emotional resonance, and up the kid appeal? I’ve got a book for that. Check out Reimagining Your Nonfiction Picture Book: A step-by-step revision guide.

Books, Writing

Reblog: Evolution of an Opening: Tracing the Revisions of Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane

Kirsten W. Larson

Have you ever wondered how many tries it takes to nail the just-right opening for a book? The answer is — many!

Lea Maryanow recently asked me to contribute to her “Spot the Difference” series where she featured authors and their various attempts at their picture book beginnings. It was a wonderful opportunity to share the evolution of the opening for Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane. I encourage you to read the rest of the entries in Lea’s blog series, here. Here’s my contribution:

This is the book cover for WOOD, WIRE, WINGS.

As writers, we all know that opening lines are crucial for hooking the reader. But crafting the perfect opening often takes numerous revisions and rewrites. This was truly the case with my first picture book biography, Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane, illustrated by Tracy Subisak (Calkins Creek, 2020). I learned so much about writing these books from editor Carolyn Yoder.

I began this book in February 2014 in Susanna Hill’s Making Picture Book Magic Class. One of my earliest drafts from March 2014 opened by establishing Lilian’s innate curiosity and tinkering spirit from a young age. Starting with a character trait is a common technique in picture book biographies:

Even as a child, Emma Lilian Todd couldn’t hold a bit of wire or scrap of tin without twisting and turning them, tinkering until she had something new. While most girls in 1860s played with dolls, Lilian transformed a toy and a Christmas tree topper into a working weather vane, her first practical invention.”

I sent my draft through my critique group soon thereafter. The opening of my next draft (May 2014) keeps this childhood anecdote but tightens the writing and adds more context contrasting Lilian with other girls of her era:

While many girls in the 1860s played with dolls, Lilian Todd toyed with bits of wire and scraps of tin. She couldn’t hold them without twisting and turning them, tinkering until she had something new. In her hands, a toy and a Christmas tree topper became a working weather vane. It was her first useful invention.”

I got my agent, Lara Perkins at Andrea Brown Literary Agency, with this draft. We then rolled up our sleeves and began to work on the manuscript together. During that process, I came up with a different opening in May 2016 (shown below). It drops the idea of Lilian being different from other girls, which could apply to almost any barrier-breaking woman of the time. Instead, I really leaned into what made Lilian unique, introducing her as a prolific tinkerer surrounded by her tools and materials:

Toolbox by her side, Emma Lilian Todd whacked and snapped and snipped. In her hands, wood, wire, and tin transformed into tiny airplanes. When she ran out of metal, Lilian saved tin cans from her supper. Ta-da! Propellers. But building model airplanes wasn’t enough for Lilian. She dreamed big…”

We went out on submission with the manuscript and got interest from Carolyn Yoder at Calkins Creek. But the manuscript wasn’t quite there. Carolyn asked for a revise and resubmit, which led to the opening below in January 2017. This time I pulled back, using a broad premise to frame the story as one about problem-solving:

When Emma Lilian Todd saw problems, she sought solutions. Some problems were small, like where to find tin to make her machines (Answer: She saved tin cans from her supper.) Other problems were huge. This is the story of how Lilian solved the biggest problem of her life — how to fly.”

Calkins Creek acquired the manuscript in early 2017, but there was still work to do. In April 2017 I submitted the final opening, which was accepted. It combines pieces from the previous versions into an evocative metaphor. I also improved the voice with some flight-related language. The final opening highlights Lilian’s problem-solving nature, captures the idea of her as a maker and tinkerer, and establishes her problem/goal.:

For Emma Lilian Todd, problems were like gusts of wind: they set her mind soaring. Sometimes the problems seemed small, like where to find metal to craft her inventions (Answer: She saved tin cans from her supper.) But soon Lilian’s challenges ballooned. This is the story of how Lilian puzzled out the most exciting problem of her day — flight.”

As you can see, it can take many years, lots of input, and many revisions to hit on that “just

right” opening. It’s a process. But if you stay flexible and open, you’ll hit on that

beginning that makes your story sparkle.

Writing

Results: Nonfiction Picture Book Word Count Survey for Debut Authors

Kirsten W. Larson

One of the most frequently asked questions I get from newer nonfiction picture book writers is: “How many words should my book be?”

Nonfiction picture book writers often have heard their book must be 1,000 words or fewer, sometimes even 800 words or fewer. But is this really true? To get the straight scoop, I undertook a word count survey for debut nonfiction authors in early 2024 to see what word counts editors are actually acquiring and publishing.

Methodology

The authors in the survey had not previously been published in any category. The reasoning was that previously published authors, no matter the genre or category, may have more freedom and flexibility when it came to word count.

This was an opt-in survey that used a Google form to collect data (The form is still open so I can continue to collect data). Aside from publicizing the survey on social media, I reached out to debut authors I found by searching Publishers Marketplace deals from 2021 onward (when PM started breaking out nonfiction picture books from fiction picture books) and by contacting authors through debut picture book marketing groups.

The data set includes books acquired between 2017 and 2023 for publication between 2020 and 2027. I included not-yet published books in the survey, as long as editing and the basic layout were complete so the final word count and page count were known.

My survey was open from February 7, 2024-March 7, 2024, and received 40 responses, 14 of which were picture book biographies; 26 other nonfiction.

Publishers represented include: Calkins Creek, Minedition, Barefoot Books, Millbrook, Beaming Books, HarperCollins, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Chronicle, Web of Life Books, Knopf, Running Press Kids, Capstone, Albert Whitman, Peachtree, Scholastic, Sleeping Bear, Becker & Mayer Kids, Yeehoo Press, Worthy Kids, Page Street Kids, Holiday House, Viking, Simon & Schuster, Sky Pony Press, Kar-Ben Publishing, and Tilbury House.

The results

PB biosOther Nonfiction PBs
Average word count at acquisitions1,116 words497 words
Word count range at acquisitions737 to 2,000 words93 to 1,113 words
Average word count at publication1,086 words547 words
Word count range at publication730 to 1,400 words74 to 1,185 words
Most common page count40 pages32 pages
Target age range (lower limit)5.36 years4.31 years
Target age range (upper limit)9.07 years8.23 years
Word count survey for nonfiction picture book authors conducted February 2024-March 2024 by author Kirsten W. Larson

Analysis – Picture Book Biography Word Counts

So, do nonfiction picture books have to be under 1,000 words to be acquired? The answer is no, especially when it comes to picture book biographies. Picture book biographies (PB bios) tend to be longer than other nonfiction picture books, both at acquisitions and at publication. The range at publication was 730 to 1,400 words.

And here’s another really interesting tidbit: 50% percent of the time, a PB bio’s word count INCREASED during the editing process. The sweet spot seems to be in the range of 850 to 1,300 words, when you remove the shortest and longest books.

It might be helpful here to have a chart that shows both word counts at acquisitions and publication for each PB bio in the study.

Why do PB bios run 1,000 words or more?

Well, first of all they are geared towards older readers (5.26-9.07 years), compared to both fiction picture books and other nonfiction picture books. They then spread those words over more pages. The most common book length in the study was 40 pages, compared to 32 pages for fiction picture books or other nonfiction picture books.

Another factor that could contribute to higher word counts is PB bios’ narrative structure, which makes use of scenes. Crafting vivid scenes — snippets of minute-by-minute action with thoughts/emotion and potentially dialog– requires more words than summarizing information after the fact.

Analysis – Word Counts for Other Nonfiction

Other picture book nonfiction had a much wider word count range, from 93 words to 1,113. There was an extreme outlier — a book of 6,000 words and 48 pages, which was 6,400 words at acquisitions — which I had to exclude from the summary data because it was throwing the picture off.

Why are other nonfiction books shorter than PB bios?

These books often are targeted at younger readers, closer to the traditional 4-8 picture book age range. They include books with spare, poetic text. And these books commonly make use of sidebars and other text features on the page, which are supplementary. Sidebars and other text features add information, but are not counted in the main text.

How did word counts change during the editing process for other nonfiction picture books?

As with the picture book biographies, the word counts of these books most frequently increased during the editing process, which leads to the question: why?

Future Questions: Why do word counts typically increase with editing?

What accounts for word counts increasing during the editing process? I’m not sure, and I would love for some nonfiction editors (and debut nonfiction authors) to weigh in!

I wonder if our self-imposed limits of 800 to 1,000 words result in flatter writing, forcing us to strip out some of the scenes, emotion, and juicy details. Once acquired these bits get added back in during the editing process. I have no data to support this, but I’m eager to know what editors and authors are experiencing. If you are an editor or an author who debuted with picture book nonfiction, please share your experience below.

Writing

Authors Who Offer Nonfiction Critiques

Kirsten W. Larson

Recently, two different writers in two different Facebook groups posted in search of nonfiction critique services for picture books. I thought it would be a good idea to compile a list and make it available to everyone.

One caveat: This is a crowdsourced list. I don’t personally have experience with these authors and services (except my own, of course), so this is in no way an endorsement.

If you are an author offering nonfiction critiques or a nonfiction author who has used a critique service not on this list, please leave a comment below. I’m happy to add others to this list.

Writing

Now Available: Reimagining Your Nonfiction Picture Book

Kirsten W. Larson
Cover of Reaimagining Your Nonfiction Picture Book

My latest book is here! “Reimagining Your Nonfiction Picture Book” is slowly rolling out to retailers, but it’s already available on Amazon, where it’s been a #1 new release in three categories! The book captures everything I know and teach about publishing nonfiction picture books all in one place. If you are a writer or interested in exploring the craft of writing, I hope you’ll find it helpful. You can get your copy here. 


Reimagining Book Clubs

To celebrate the book’s release, I’m launching a series of book clubs where we study each of the book’s sections together over six weeks, meeting over Zoom. The first session, which starts in January is full, but you can follow my page to be alerted about new sessions. Or, sign up for Reimagine Insiders below to be the first to learn about new classes and offerings and to receive discounts. I will be adding a number of new classes.

Join Reimagine Insiders

The Reimagine Insiders community will be my new hub for writing-related video content and most of my writing blog posts. And it will be a key place I interact with writers including in quarterly, “ask me anything” Zooms. I am starting to migrate some of my blog and Youtube content over and will release new content in the New Year. Learn more here.

I wish you a happy and healthy holiday season!

Writing

Using Scrivener for Picture Books

Kirsten W. Larson

I use Scrivener for all of my writing projects from picture books to graphic novel scripts and novel-length projects.

Scrivener makes it easy to keep all of your drafts in one place and to reference research as needed. I’ve uploaded a tutorial video covering the basics of using Scrivener for picture books (particularly nonfiction).

Contents:

  • Launching a new project
  • Importing research
  • Splitting your screen to better refer to research or previous drafts
  • Using the snapshot function to capture previous drafts (or just creating additional documents in the binder)
  • Footnoting and leaving comments
  • Using composition mode to prevent distractions
  • Using the compile function to export your work to MS Word.

Happy drafting!

research, Writing

Using the OneNote Phone App for Research

Kirsten W. Larson

Today I’m continuing my video series on Microsoft OneNote. Today’s topic? The OneNote phone app.

To recap: All of my nonfiction writing projects begin with their own notebook in Microsoft OneNote (the desktop version). This notebook is the digital equivalent of a file box where I store all my hardcopy research.

I use the OneNote app on my phone to add pages from books and magazines to my notebook. This video will show you the basics of the OneNote phone app, including:

  • How to use your phone’s camera to capture book pages in OneNote
  • Why you should choose “document” instead of “photo” when taking photos of book pages (hint: You can’t search text in a photo, only a document.)
  • Some basic markup techniques in the app and on your desktop
  • How to add and use audio notes via your phone app
Using the OneNote Phone App for Nonfiction Research

Do you have any questions about Microsoft OneNote? I’d love to hear them.

research, Writing

Regarding Research: Selecting Secondary Sources

Kirsten W. Larson

Welcome to part two of our series on research. Last month, we discussed primary sources. Today we dive into secondary sources.

To recap: to conduct thorough research, you need a mix of both primary and secondary sources. Editors consider the depth of your research when deciding whether to acquire your book. In fact, one of my editors, Carolyn Yoder at Calkins Creek, says she skims an author’s bibliography BEFORE she even invests time reading the manuscript.

Defining secondary sources

What’s a secondary source? You’ll find lots of definitions on the internet, but here is one I like: The University of Massachusetts Healey Library says secondary sources are “one step removed from primary sources, though they often quote or otherwise use primary sources. They can cover the same topic, but add a layer of interpretation and analysis.” Secondary sources include biographies and histories, scholarly or magazine articles written after the fact by people who are not eyewitnesses, and documentaries.

This is the book cover for THE FIRE OF STARS

Why use secondary sources

To write a great nonfiction book requires context, and context comes from secondary sources. Cecilia Payne’s groundbreaking discovery of what made the stars is more impressive when you realize how few women working in astronomy during her day. That’s information I get from secondary sources. Cecilia’s contributions and legacy are clear when I can understand what people knew about the stars at the time. Again, I need secondary sources for that information. (In fact, Dava Sobel’s Glass Universe was a wonderful source for all of this.)

Secondary sources also are critical for fact-checking primary sources. People, even eye-witnesses to history, can make mistakes in their accounts since memory can be fallible. Authors of secondary sources have sifted through and analyzed mountains of evidence from a variety of sources. The names, dates, and other facts they include are often more accurate than those found in primary sources. (Note: Ensure you are using credible secondary sources. Always check the author’s credentials. I also look at professional reviews for books I use in journals.)

Finally, secondary sources with great bibliographies can lead you to primary sources. They’re a shortcut for learning where a person’s papers are housed, for example, especially when archives are scattered across the country. That doesn’t mean you’ll rely on the bibliography exclusively, but they’ll give you a start.

An example

THE FIRE OF STARS ends with a series of questions:

If this is what stars are made of, how do they form? How do they create such enormous energy? Whose will the next discovery be?”

–THE FIRE OF STARS

To make those statements, I had to understand how Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin’s research paved the way for future discoveries. And that required pulling secondary sources like astronomy websites and college textbooks in astronomy.

To see what kind of secondary sources authors use, look at the bibliographies of their books. I often begin research on a project with a book written for adults — a secondary source. While my sources change with every project, here are some I use frequently.

Before you pay to access any archive or database, check with your local library or local academic institution to see what they provide. Many offer free access for students or patrons.

Do you have a favorite secondary research resource? Let me know.

research, Writing

Regarding Research: Picking Primary Sources

Kirsten W. Larson

To conduct thorough research, you need a mix of primary and secondary sources. Editors consider the depth of your research when deciding whether to acquire your book. In fact, one of my editors, Carolyn Yoder at Calkins Creek, says she skims an author’s bibliography BEFORE she even invests time reading the manuscript.

Over the next couple of months, we’ll dive into primary and secondary sources.

Defining primary sources

What’s a primary source? You’ll find lots of definitions on the internet, but here is one I like: The University of Massachusetts Healey Library defines primary sources as “immediate, first-hand accounts of a topic, from people who had a direct connection with it.” These include things like letters, diaries, newspaper articles, videos (raw footage), photos, interviews with experts, and articles from scientific journals that are based on original research. 

Why use primary sources

Captivating nonfiction relies on writing in scenes. To write strong scenes, you need first- hand information, especially sensory details like how things looked, sounded, smelled, felt, and tasted. No matter whether you are writing a biography, a nature book, or something else, primary sources give the reader a sense of “being there.”

If you are writing a biography, scene-writing requires insight into your main character’s thoughts and emotions, as well as snippets of authentic dialog. These can only come from primary sources.

This is the book cover for THE FIRE OF STARS

An example

I wrote THE FIRE OF STARS in close third-person perspective, putting the reader inside the mind of Cecilia Payne. Here is a formative scene from Cecilia’s childhood in the book.

Cecilia realizes all by herself why an orchid has a petal like a bee’s belly.

To trick the bees, of course!

They buzz over to say hello to their pretend friend,

then fly off with pollen-stuffed pockets—the start of new seeds.

Cecilia buzzes, too—her body humming with that lightning bolt of discovery.

She wants to feel that way forever.

–THE FIRE OF STARS

This eureka moment comes directly from Cecilia’s autobiography where she explained what it felt like to make a discovery for the first time. I had insight into her thoughts and emotions, but only because I had her own words in her book, as well as an oral history.

Meanwhile, for other parts of the book, I relied on Cecilia’s doctoral dissertation and other research papers (available online) to help me understand her research into star composition. Those are primary sources. To craft the star narrative, I interviewed an astronomer with first-hand knowledge of how stars form. (And better yet, she agreed to check my facts!)

To see what kind of primary sources authors use, look at the bibliographies of their books. My primary sources change with every project. For example, WOOD, WIRE, WINGS led me to the U.S. Patent Office to sift through patent applications, while and A TRUE WONDER had me delving into comic book archives. Still, a few of my favorite places to research no matter the topic are:

All of the above are free resources, but there are many amazing paid resources, from Ancestry.com to Newspapers.com and EBSCOHost. Before you pay to access any archive or database, check with your local library or local academic institution to see what they provide. Many offer free access for students or patrons.

Do you have a favorite primary research resource? Let me know.

#MentorTextMoment, Writing

Talking About Takeaways

Kirsten W. Larson

Last month, I encouraged writers of all ages to ask themselves, “What’s your point?” This question comes from Lisa Cron in STORY GENIUS. Asking yourself this question is a great way to arrive at the takeaway for your story (which others may call the message or moral of a story). You can read more about finding your takeaway here.

This month I want to focus on how different takeaways influence choices we make as writers in terms of structure, voice, point of view (POV), and more. For an example, let’s look a three different bee books.

This image group shows three different book covers of bee books -- GIVE BEES A CHANCE, HONEYBEE, and IF BEES DISAPPEARED

A Tale of Three Bee Books

Cover to GIVE BEES A CHANCE by Bethany Barton

In GIVE BEES A CHANCE by Bethany Barton, Barton’s point (or takeaway) is that we should all give bees a chance. Bees are helpful, and mostly not harmful to humans. Because Barton is upending our usual notions of bees as pests, she takes a humorous approach and adopts a humorous voice. Her text is persuasive versus simply informative. The book is set up as a conversation between a child who hates bees and a narrator working to convince the child that bees aren’t all bad. Each spread gives a reason why the child should give bees a chance and value them. By the end, the child is mostly convinced, meaning there’s a bit of a narrative arc, but I wouldn’t classify this as a narrative book per se.

This is the cover to HONEYBEE by Candace Fleming illustrated by Eric Rohmann.

HONEYBEE by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann makes the point that brief lives can have great value. Fleming focuses on the busy life of one particular bee from birth to death. You could think of this book as a cradle to grave biography of a bee following the narrative structure most biographies adopt. In the beginning, the bee is waiting for the day it can fly, but as the book moves on, the bee realizes the role it has to play in the hive and its life’s work. This powerful message is supported by Fleming’s choice to use a lyrical voice and close third-person POV from the perspective of the bee.

This is the cover of IF BEES DISAPPEARED by Lily Williams.

In IF BEES DISAPPEARED, Lily Williams makes the point that small changes (like the disappearance of bees) can have huge and catastrophic consequences in our environment. To support this takeaway, she adopts a cause and effect text structure. She spends a few spreads giving readers a sense of bees and their importance in our world. Then she shows us what would happen if bees disappeared in a smooth cause/effect chain. For example, if bees disappeared, then flowers would disappear, then foods requiring flowers disappear, then animals that eat those foods would disappear. The catastrophic results grow. Williams’s structure is a perfect match for her takeaway.

Stories as unique as fingerprints

The way a writer tells their story is as unique as their fingerprints. Every author comes to their story with their own life experiences and values. That means each author will likely make a different point, even when writing about the same exact topic. In turn, those unique takeaways influence other craft choices like structure, voice, point of view, and so much more. The result? Three books on the same topic can be completely different.

Your turn

Fellow writers, what’s your takeaway? How might it influence your structure, voice, point of view, and other craft elements of your story?