Writing Read Aloud Picture Books
by Mary Kole | Former literary agent, now a freelance editor, writing teacher, and IP/story developer for major publishers and creators.
What are “read aloud books” in the children’s space? Great question, as this can be confusing. These aren’t necessarily their one children’s publishing category—board books, picture books, and even early readers and chapter books can be read aloud, depending on the child’s ability levels to read independently. (Some parents even enjoy reading middle grade books with their kids.) The definition of read aloud books is fluid—read aloud books are books that work really well and have been written specifically to be read out loud. For this article, I’m most interested in discussing read aloud books in the picture book space.
Digging Into Read Aloud Books
If you'd like to learn more about writing read aloud books, consider how you want your book to be experienced by readers. One of our Good Story Learning members recently wrote:
I've noticed that some books have incredible read aloud capability—they make for a wonderful family moment when I read them to my kids, yet others just don't have the same effect. The language is not quite as smooth. What gives?
We all hope to create this type of memorable reading experience for children when we envision writing for them. This is what we mean by “read aloud books,” it’s those books that have compelling voice and work really well when their words are spoken.
So how do we cultivate more of the "good stuff" and less of the stilted, dry text that would not make for good read aloud books?
If you're hoping to write read aloud books for picture book readers, you need to read your written work aloud as you write and revise. This helps you to gain a better understanding of how the text sounds when spoken. This seems so obvious, but many aspiring writers of read aloud books don’t take this necessary step.
Whenever we write, we naturally express ourselves in a flow and cadence that has been ingrained in us since birth. We know our own voices and are accustomed to them. It can be hard to evaluate your own writing objectively. Consequently, when we read what we’ve written without speaking it aloud, clunky passages may go unnoticed because we speak them as we intend them to be spoken.
Having your read aloud books, well, read aloud can be enlightening and maybe embarrassing. (It also feels very vulnerable.) It can be jarring hearing someone else read your words, as they are not used to your writing style and voice, thus they may struggle with reading your work for the first time. Instead of being embarrassed to hear this, dig in! The passages where readers stumble are the ones you need to revise.
When it comes to reading our own sentences, it's easy to miss the clunky flow. But when someone else reads it out loud, it's almost like you're hearing it for the first time, noticing the areas that catch the listener up and make them stumble. That's how you know it needs revision, especially in your attempt to write read aloud books.
However, not everyone has someone at the ready to read their manuscript. And if it's a novel, you'd have to offer an enticing bribe to get someone to read 80,000 words aloud to you. A more realistic and useful application is for you to actually read it aloud to yourself. (You can also use dictation and voice-to-speech tools to help yourself with novels.) It's much more attainable and helps you pay closer attention to the text.
Crafting Read Aloud Books
If you want to dig into your writing voice, our top piece of advice is to read your work aloud. If you’re writing picture books, early readers, and chapter books, it's especially important, since these manuscripts are typically on the shorter side. So don't just revise and re-read, open your mouth and hear the words.
With pen in hand and manuscript in front of you, ready your voice to begin reading. If you stumble, have to start over, or inadvertently word something clumsily, simply mark the spot—circle it, put a check mark, or whatever. You can come back to it later and, as you attempt to make it right, speak it out loud.
Storytelling is an art form that goes back to the days before the printing press, where we used our voices and physical presence to communicate. Yet in today's digital age, so much of our writing is done via a computer screen, creating a disconnect between the words and the physical and vocal aspects of storytelling. So why not bring that element of the past into your writing process? Whether you are beginning a manuscript or revising, why not give it a go and bring storytelling back to life by reading your work aloud? Especially if you are writing read aloud books!
And then when you’re coming across a section that you marked as clunky, when you edit that, speak several options aloud, see which one flows the best.
The best way to determine if your voice is suitable for read aloud books is to read out loud. On a side note, if your goal for your manuscript is that it has good “read aloud potential,” then this a great thing to mention in your query letter to agents and publishers. Here’s to more read aloud books.
Elevate Your Storytelling
Wherever you are in your writing journey—from an initial outline to a draft to pitching your project—the experienced team at Good Story Editing can take your work to the next level.