Children’s Book Writing: Author Notes and Backmatter


By amy wilson

editor and writing teacher.


The other day I got a question from one of our Good Story Learning members about author notes and backmatter in children’s book writing. This person also asked for an example of author notes in manuscripts. Let’s discuss, so you can make more certain strides with your children’s book writing and submissions.

How Incorporate Author Notes in Nonfiction Children’s Book Writing

Generally, author notes appear more often in nonfiction children’s book writing than fiction. After the nonfiction subject is described in the manuscript, it is typical for the author to provide some additional context about the subject or why they chose it or why it’s relevant in the market (also known as a timeliness hook). 

Ideally, this should be no more than a page of condensed text. The goal is to include some interesting extra facts that could not be incorporated into the main narrative (let's say you’re covering a certain period of history with the text, and you would like to provide a few “footnotes” about what has been learned about that period since then), or to personalize the topic.

Authors will normally clarify why they chose a particular subject or why it interests them. You should not style it as a journal entry, but as long as you can sustain the same level of intriguing content and tone, you may take a more personal approach in your children’s book writing. The tone ought to be welcoming and engaging in a children’s book manuscript, as if you are a favorite teacher inviting young readers into your favorite subject.

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Author Notes in Fiction and Creative Nonfiction Children’s Book Writing

For nonfiction/fiction hybrids and straightforward fiction manuscripts, where there is a nonfiction topic but it’s woven into a fiction narrative, the author note has a new function. (More advice on writing fiction and nonfiction blend picture books.)

If your project is, say, a fictional story about a historical figure or a tale focusing heavily on the life-cycle of monarch butterflies that a fictional character observes, you can use the author note to supply factual information. Let's pretend Bonnie is the main character and she's learning about the monarch life-cycle in her own backyard. The author note that comes after your children’s book writing can sum up her observations without cluttering up the text with facts that will give the project a more formal tone. When it comes to crafting author notes, pick a voice that blends well into the rest of your project and avoid lapsing into dry, academic voice. The prose and teaching should be engaging in your children’s book writing efforts.

How Long Should Your Picture Book Author Notes Be?

So, what kind of note length is appropriate in children’s book writing? Are you "softening" a nonfiction work or adding helpful facts to a fictional one? If it’s the former, keep the extra words to 250—an eighth of your manuscript length—at most. Nonfiction texts often run longer than in the fiction genre because they need to communicate more information to a slightly older audience. 

On the other hand, if you’re adding an author note to a fiction project, limit it to 250 words—or about half of your main text—to avoid writing another manuscript. These are merely guidelines to give you something to think about; use your author note as an effective tool, but don't go overboard in your children’s book writing and nonfiction teaching. Remember that the main text of your children’s book writing should be the real star here.

Writing a Query Letter That Mentions Author Notes for Children’s Book Writing

Mentioning the author note in your submission is a breeze. Simply include, “The main text of TITLE comprises X,000 words, with an author note of X words at the end.” Easy-peasy lemon-squeezy!

This post has focused on children’s book writing. However, in a middle grade or young adult novel, leave plenty of space for an author note as well. If your YA is primarily based on the historical figure of Lizzie Borden, you might take up to 2,000 words to explain some of the gruesome factual details of the case, and why this event gave you the idea that you ended up fictionalizing it. Even so, it's important to keep the note brief and interesting. The word count requirements are less strict for novel-length author notes.

Now that you know how to use author notes, I hope this gives you some inspiration for your own children’s book writing.

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As an agented writer and highly experienced editor, Amy Wilson can quickly identify strengths and opportunities for growth in your plot and prose, help you build a compelling submission package, and provide the encouragement you need to reach your writing goals. Take your writing to the next level with Amy’s professional eye.