There aren’t really right or wrong ways to search for publishers who publish alphabet books. It’s more a matter of preference. Some of us would rather hold books in our hands, smell the ink, and flip the pages to locate the name of the publisher inside. Others would rather click, type, and google. Enjoy doing what comes naturally and what best suits your lifestyle. Most of all, just have fun. That’s what writing kids’ books is all about. Here are some tips to help you as you search.

If you prefer the search and find features on your computer, go to amazon.com. Click on their Advanced Search option. (This is usually under the Books section.) Search for the key words “alphabet books.” Also try variants of this by typing in “ABC books” or “concept books.” Sort results by publication date and print out the results to give you a handy list of what alphabet books publishers are currently producing. Search by bestselling and print out the results to give you a list that shows what consumers are purchasing.

In the world of children’s book publishing, “concept books” are books that deal with concepts young children learn at the early elementary age. Concept books include alphabet books, counting books, and books that teach concepts such as shapes, colors, and telling time. Sometimes alphabet books are grouped under this subject listing, so searching for concept books may open doors you might not have thought to look through.

You can also look for alphabet books using your favorite search engines and searching for the same key words.

If you prefer a trip to your favorite bookstore, ask a store worker to point you to the section for alphabet books. Find as many books as you can, pick each one up, and locate its publisher. Get out your notepad and write down the names of all the various publishers you can find who are now publishing alphabet books. If a publisher’s name sounds unfamiliar to you, be sure to jot down the address, too. You may not realize it, but there are actually lots and lots of publishers who aren’t listed in the top writer’s market guides. Why? They don’t want to hassle with all those unsolicited manuscripts from wannabe writers who don’t even bother to look up what kind of books they publish. Since you’re holding one of their books in your hands, however, and now know that they are currently publishing alphabet books, they’d probably like to hear from you about a new alphabet book idea. You just have to work harder to find out their address, website, and contact information. Write down any contact info you can find about the publisher from inside the alphabet book, and plan on searching for them on the web when you get home.

If you’re planning on attending a bookseller’s convention such as BEA, CBA, IRA, or ALA, and prefer doing your treasure hunt right in a publisher’s booth, have fun! You can see and hold and read which alphabet books are hitting the markets NOW—even before they line a bookstore’s shelves. Be sure to take lots of notes about which publishers are publishing what.

If you prefer browsing through your current children’s writer’s market guide, read through the listings from A-Z to see which book publishers are on the lookout for these types of manuscripts. Again, key words such as concept books mean alphabet books in literary lingo. Also check out the topical listing in the back. And don’t forget to check into educational publishers listed in your guide as well. Chances are that even if they don’t list alphabet books in the guide, if you go to their website you’ll discover many publish alphabet books, too. Educational publishers target schools and teachers love to use alphabet books on their favorite topics to teach kids the alphabet.

If you love your local library, start your treasure hunt there. Ask your local librarian for help. Tell her you’re a writer and on an adventure to write a brand new alphabet book—and you’ll connect with an instant and valuable friend even if you’ve never talked with her before. Exploring your local library for alphabet books won’t give you a current reading on brand new books coming out, but you will familiarize yourself with past publishers of alphabet books and be able to borrow their books and take them home to read. After all, reading lots and lots of books in a specific genre is what writing a new book is all about.

Or, if you’re really adventurous, you can explore all of these different avenues and just have fun, fun, fun!

Gather your lists of publishers who publish alphabet books and tuck these lists in your file folder labeled “Publishers.”

Why keep all these papers in a folder? Because chances are that after you write your first alphabet book, you’ll be hooked. When you start the process all over again to write your second alphabet book, you’ll already have these lists of publishers in one handy place.