What are the (publishing) Odds? Children's Authors Take Note

When you finish reading this, you'll see why it pays to subscribe to E-newsletters! Be selective, and you'll always find something of interest. I regularly receive Sharing with Writers by Carolyn Howard-Johnson (The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher won't). Today's edition arrived with this blurb:

Only One in 4,000 Children’s Picture Book Manuscripts Ever Get Published

One in 4,000! Those are the odds that a children’s book manuscript will ever get into book form. The ABC’s Children’s Picture Book Competition, now in its third year, cuts those odds drastically. Rita Mills, one of the sponsors says, "Any of the ten finalists will be a worthy publishing project, but …the winner to be selected by the parents and children who actually read the books not an editor sitting behind a desk."

Entry deadline is midnight February 28, 2007. The competition is open to any published or unpublished writer, over the age of 21 who lives in the US. Learn more at www.abcBookCompetition.org Contact: Sandy Lawrence at sandylawrence@perceptivemarketing.com or Rita at rmills@ghg.net.

I took the opportunity to reach out for Sandy and Rita, and this is what I learned:
Although this is the third year ofthe competition, the first winner's book was published this past year. It launched in September 2006, and has sold roughly 1,500 books in 3 months. It has also been nominated for two awards: one from the Texas Library Association and one from the Texas State Reading Association.

What are the (publishing) Odds? Children's Authors Take Note

http://thereadingtub.blogspot.com/2006/12/what-are-publishing-odds-childrens.html