I've written a few stories (for small toddlers).. but..

[fastasleep]

I don't have time to illustrate them! I think they're ok... they're sort of the length of the Gruffalo and all rhyming with simple-ish themes about 3 sprites who live in the jungle and cause lots of silly fuss for the animals...

I'm quite artistic but I'm exclusively expressing (Etc etc etc!!)... do publishers look at books aimed at toddlers without any pictures? (I mean would they find someone to illustrate them for me!) they're probably not good enough, but I wanted to see if anyone knew whether the publishing people would even look at them twice without pictures!

I have ideas for three more books too, with a brother and sister getting into silly situations mainly for my own children to read... but sending them off to publishers wouldn't hurt... would it... oh I don't know!!

(If anyone reads this shambling rambling babbly thing, thankyou! Lol)

not an expert at any of this, but would an agent be the right person to send them too, my thinking, therefore if they represent you, they will advise if need illustrating or not?
Other ideas include contacting someone like Barefoot books for a spot of advice?

I haven't got a clue! Any advice is glady recieved, not sure I can afford an agent...

Agree that probably agents would be first stepyou probably wouldn't usually deal directly with the publisherand don't worry about the illustrations. . .the publisher takes care of that later. . .matches your book with an illustrator.

I don't have specific advice about how to find an agent. . .not really my area. . .but I have friends in the US who write children's books, and other friends who illustrate them. . .and they're completely separate endeavors, apparently.

Oh, and you don't pay agents. . .you just send them the manuscript and they take you on or don't take you on. They make their money from the publisher, eventually. So they don't take on something they don't think will sell. So actually it's quite hard to get an agent. . .

If you're artistic, would you have time to roughly sketch the illustrations to give the idea? Just for the first couple of pages of one book maybe.

Thanks.. DH deffo would not count finding an agent for my silly children's books as 'a neccessary expense' I don't think.. nevermind, my kids'll like them I guess... I'm sure when I stop expressing I'll have time to illustrate them for my kids too...

(I should point out I'm well-known to my friends/family as 'that woman with a million crazy schemes and hobbies' )

have a look at the publishers of the kids books you have got and start by contacting them

you dont pay any agent. They work for you

Message withdrawn

i knew ggg would be here to help

Really, they pay you! Wow, fantastic, they pay you! Lol!

I am a fool sometimes..

I've found the web version of the Writers and Artists Yearbook 2006 so I guess that'll do gulp

Now, must write the rest of my ideas down and take the plunge!

Still umming and arring about whether to try illustrating them (even if it is a totally seperate job!)

DBil's books are illustrated by other people