Picture books are meant to be read out loud. They're made to be read to children.
But how many times have you pressed SEND then noticed a glaring problem
with your prose on your next read? Here's a tip to put into practice before your next
submission. STOP. Pull out your smart phone and record yourself reading your
manuscript. (Yes, there's an App for that!) Then play it back and LISTEN:
Does the structure stumble?
Are your descriptions fresh and fun?
Do your characters pop off the page, or fall down flat?
Does the plot move forward, or meander?
Does your dialogue trip the tongue, or flow naturally?
Do your words …sing?
Listening allows you to take a step back and be objective about your word choices.
A recording lets you to hear what's working and what's not. And who doesn't
love listening to someone else read?