One piece of advice that writers frequently receive is to read one hundred books in their genre before they begin writing their own. This is great advice, but if that feels a little overwhelming or if you’d like a way to organize your reading and ensure that you benefit from it, then read on.
While I have no doubt that I’ve read hundreds (if not thousands) of picture books, I recently started tracking my picture book reading in a notebook. I’ve found that it helps me focus on the things that matter to writers, and it also means I have a record to return to for information or inspiration. So now, whenever I read a picture book, instead of simply flipping it closed at the end and sighing contentedly, I also spend a minute jotting down an entry in my notebook.
You can create a notebook of your own and focus on whatever genre you’re interested in. You can record the same details I have or choose details of your own. Here is what I personally include and why it may be beneficial to you.
- Title – I begin each entry with the title of the book.
- Star Rating – I rate each book. Including a rating for each book will help you later when you have a notebook chock full of entries and you want to return to the books that really blew you away for ideas or warm fuzzies. (Here is one way to use a five-star rating system: 5 stars = amazing, 4 stars = I really liked it, 3 stars = I liked it, 2 stars = it was OK, 1 star = I didn’t like it.)
- Author (and Illustrator) – I write down the author and illustrator. Keeping track of the authors (and illustrators) you’re reading (and loving) is a great way to keep up with your section of the publishing industry.
- Publisher, Year Published – I write down the publisher and the year of publication. Just as with authors, you’ll want to learn about publishers. Keeping track of who publishes the books that you’re reading is a great way to learn about the industry. Different publishers (and imprints) publish different sorts of books. As you read and jot down some publisher names repeatedly, you might notice that Publisher X does a lot of quirky stories with nonhuman main characters or that Publisher Y focuses on stories that explore social issues. Finding the right publisher for your manuscript will be easier if you are already familiar with some industry names. Publication date is important because publishing is a constantly changing industry. While you can benefit from the craft in older books, newer books will give you insight into what’s actually selling now.
- Notes – Here is where it gets fun. You can write anything you’d like in this section—anything that writer-you wants to remember about this particular book. For example, if it was a five-star read for you, was there something in particular that made it stand out? Perhaps there was a pleasantly eccentric character, a neat spin on the traditional elements of your genre, or some beautiful language? If the book didn’t work as well for you, what got in the way? Was it that you felt like the plot wasn’t going anywhere, the characters fell flat, or the language was boring? If there are any quotes you’d like to save or ideas you have for your own writing, jot them down here.
Of course, if you are reading anything besides picture books, the notes section of your entries may be significantly longer. To keep this project beneficial, try not to write an entire review in your notebook (save that for Goodreads or your blog or social media!) Focus on the parts of the book that were meaningful for you as a writer.
Remember that reading and writing go hand in hand. As Stephen King said, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or tools) to write.”
I hope this post has been helpful! Let me know if you’re reading one hundred books in your genre and if (or how) you keep track of them!
Happy reading and writing!
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