This presentation was prepared for the Awasisak conference. This presentation is in four parts: Getting started, Copyright and intellectual property, examples of indigenous published materials, and words/ pictures as inspiration to help us get started with creating indigenous children's books and dictionaries.

1. HOW TO CREATE
CHILDREN BOOKS
Words. Pictures. Publish.
Print

2. FLOW OF INFORMATION
Getting started
Copyright or Creative Commons
How to publish
Examples and Inspiration for Words and
Pictures

3. GETTING
STARTED

4. READ MANY CHILDREN’S
BOOKS
As you began thinking of ideas for your children’s book, it’s very
helpful to read other’s work.
Check out fairly tales. The entertainment industry is currently
experiencing a greatly revived interest in fairly tales and turning them
modern.
Do you want to write fiction or non-fiction? Non-fiction or
informational books require research or knowledge of the subject
matter and can be good if you’re an expert about something like
dinosaurs, meteors or machinery.

5. CONSIDER WHICH AGE
GROUP INTERESTS YOU AS A
WRITER
Picture books are suitable for younger children, they tend to be full
color, which makes them more expensive to print
Chapter books and non-fiction/information books are for older
children. Starting with easy-readers through to teen novels, there is a
great deal of scope here nut there is also likely to be a lot more
writing and researching level.
Write for the school curriculum; check the headstart-12 program of
studies
Don’t neglect the potential for a book for poems or short stories. If
you write either, you’ll find children love both too.

6. DECIDE WHETHER YOUR
BOOK IS MOSTLY WORDS,
MOSTLY PICTURES, OR A BIT
OF EACH.Include a lot of artwork that complements your writing.
Decide on the main components of your
story
Write down your ideas in a notebook. Some basics to bear in mind include:
picture books, here require a lot of illustration, usually in full color.
Text is limited but needs to be both good and original-there is quite an art to
limiting words and still putting across and excellent story.

7. CONSIDER INCORPORATING
A MESSAGE FOR FICTION
WORKS
Many children’s books include a positive message, ranging from
simple standards, like “share with other,” to more complex life
lessons on topic like life lessons, caring for environment or
respecting other cultures.
It isn’t necessary to include a straightforward message, so don’t force
it-if you do, your lesson may come off as heavy-handed, which wont
be appealing to kids.

8. BE CREATIVE
If writing fiction, this is your chance to write something silly, strange,
nerdy, dreamy, and fantastical. What inspired you as a child? Go
there, explore those ideas. This doesn't mean you should throw in
something wacky for no good reason, though.
Tap into feeling that are sincere and actions that make sense for your
character.

9. WRITE YOUR FIRST DRAFT.
BE AWARE OF THE AGE OF
YOUR READERS AS YOU WRITE.
Don’t worry about how it sounds
– you wont be showing it to
others just yet. Concentrate on
getting your story or book
outline on paper, and worry
about honing it later. Many a
books has failed to eventuate
thanks to wrong-ended
perfectionism-let the red pen
come out after the words are
down on paper.
GAUGE INTEREST IN THE DRAFT
Your vocabulary, sentence
structure and sentence length
should be appropriate for the
age group for whom you're
writing. If you're unsure, talk
with various children of the age
group you're writing for, and
share some of the words you're
keen to use, to gain an idea of
the extent of their
comprehension. While it is good
to push children's learning a
little, there is a limit to having
every second word require a
dictionary.

10. PROVIDE A RESOLUTION OR
REALISTIC OUTCOME AT THE
END OF A FICTION BOOK.
For non-fiction, always seek to provide a conclusion of some sort, to
end the work neatly. It might be an observation of where the topic is
likely to head in the future, or a summary of what main points can be
taken from the book, or perhaps a whimsical reflection about what
the reader might like to do/read/learn next. Whatever your approach,
keep it short as a young reader is not likely to want to read anything
more than about a half page long be the end of a non-fiction work.
Ending is the beginning of a new project.

11. CREATIVE
COMMONS
OR
COPYRIGHT

13. Copyright
As per copyright act “every original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic
work” is protected by copyright, including students work as well as their
thesis. Meaning that your permission is needed for an instructor to keep a
copy and to share it with future students.
Note: The information obtained from or through this website is provided as
guidelines for using works for educational purposes and is not intended to
constitute legal advice. Contact copy@sfu.ca with any questions. The Copyright
Officer is not a lawyer or legal expert in copyright law and is able to provide a
professional and not a legal opinion. A professional opinion is offered for
information purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal advice.
*the above information was retrieved from: Simon Frazer University in Burnaby
B.C.

14. [LIMITED] RIGHTS TO COPY
Copyright License Agreement Template
This Copyright License Agreement (this
“Agreement”) is made effective as of [DATE]
between [PROPERTY OWNER], of [ADDRESS],
[CITY], [ZIP CODE] and [LICENSED PROPERTY
USER], of [ADDRESS], [CITY], [ZIP CODE].
https://www.pandadoc.com/copyright-license-agreement-template/

15. [LIMITED] RIGHTS TO COPY
This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of [STATE]. This Agreement will commence on the [EFFECTIVE
DATE] and continue until the [TERMINATION DATE] or until either party provides written notice of termination
to the other party with a 30 days notice.
In this Agreement, the party granting the right to use the licensed property, [OWNER], will be referred to as
the “Owner” and the party who is receiving the right to use the licensed property, [USER], will be referred to as
the “User.”
1. Owner owns all proprietary rights in and to the copyrightable and/or copyrighted works described in
this Agreement. The copyrighted works will collectively be referred to as “Work.”
2. Owner owns all rights in and to the Work and retains all rights to the Work, which are not transferred
herein, and retains all common law copyrights and all federal copyrights which have been, or which may be,
granted by the Library of Congress.
3. Owner desires to obtain, and Licensor has agreed to grant, a license authorizing the use of the Work
by Licensee in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
The parties agree to abide by the terms as follows:
I. GRANT OF LICENSE. Owner owns [PROPERTY TO BE LICENSED] (“Property”). In accordance with this
Agreement, Owner grants User a non-exclusive license to Use or Sell [HIGHLIGHT THE TERMS THAT APPLY] the
Property. Owner retains title and ownership of the Property. User will own all rights to materials, products or
other works (the Work) created by User in connection with this license. This grant of license applies only to
the following described geographical area:
Tip: This is where you will want to describe the geographical area where the license applies.
II. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS. User shall be the sole owner of the Work and all proprietary rights in and
to the Work; however, such ownership shall not include ownership of the copyright in and to the Property or
any other rights to the Property not specifically granted in this Agreement.

16. [LIMITED] RIGHTS TO COPY
The royalty will be paid by [DATE ROYALTY PAID].
IV. MODIFICATIONS. Unless the prior written approval of Owner is obtained, User may not modify or
change the Property in any manner. Licensee shall not use Licensed property for any purpose that is unlawful
or prohibited by these Terms of the Agreement.
V. DEFAULTS ON AGREEMENT. If User fails to abide by the obligations of this Agreement, including the
obligation to make a royalty payment when due, Owner shall have the option to cancel this Agreement by
providing 30 days written notice to User. User shall have the option of taking corrective action to cure the
default to prevent the termination of this Agreement if said corrective action is enacted prior to the end of the
time period stated in the previous sentence. There must be no other defaults during such time period or
Owner will have the option to cancel this Agreement, despite previous corrective action.
VI. WARRANTIES. Neither party makes any warranties with respect to the use, sale or other transfer of
the Property by the other party or by any third party, and User accepts the product “AS IS.” In no event will
Owner be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages, that are in any way related
to the Property.
VII. TRANSFER OF RIGHTS. Neither party shall have the right to assign its interests in this Agreement to
any other party, unless the prior written consent of the other party is obtained.
VIII. INDEMNIFICATION. Each party shall indemnify and hold the other harmless for any losses, claims,
damages, awards, penalties, or injuries incurred by any third party, including reasonable attorney’s fees,
which arise from any alleged breach of such indemnifying party’s representations and warranties made under
this Agreement, provided that the indemnifying party is promptly notified of any such claims. The
indemnifying party shall have the sole right to defend such claims at its own expense. The other party shall
provide, at the indemnifying party’s expense, such assistance in investigating and defending such claims as
the indemnifying party may reasonably request. This indemnity will survive the termination of this Agreement.
IX. AMENDMENT. This Agreement may be modified or amended, only if the amendment is made in
writing and is signed by both parties.

17. CANADIAN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE
CIPO.GC.CA
• The copyright usually belongs to the creator
• An employer-may have copyright in works created by employees unless there is an
agreement in place stating otherwise.
• When a person owns the copyright has control on how it is used to protect its
value. If others want to use it they must buy or ask the persons permission.
• The original work is generally automatically protected by copyright the moment
you create it.
• By registering your work, you receive a certificate issued by cipo.
• You don’t have to register your copyright, although it can be useful in a legal
dispute.
• Your copyright exists until the owners life plus 50 yrs. Following their death.
• In the case of more than one author, the copyright will last for 50 years after the
last author dies.
• The work is then in the public domain, and anyone may use it. This is for most
works, although there are exceptions.

18. With regards to publishing students works, this can go two ways:
1) A contract can be made between the student and school, in which case the school
would pay the student/s royalty.
2) A consent/waiver form to be signed by the student agreeing that their work to be
published and if their should be any royalties that the monies be absorbed back
into making more resources for the Indigenous language.
When writing, some author's/publisher’s have used the waiver/consent form with
the authors of the stories and that this worked very well.
CONSENT/WAIVER

19. TRANSLATING PUBLISHED WORKS
 All materials published is protected under copyright law
 Written permission is needed from the publisher if a
person wishes to reproduce and/or translate.
 The following is a website where more information can be
found.
https://permissions.randomhouse.com

20. HOW TO
PUBLISH

21. SELF-PUBLISH
Some self-publishing companies provide higher quality services than
others. Before choosing a company, look into the type of paper they
use, and try to obtain samples of other books they have published.
When you self-publish a book, you still have a shot at getting it
published by a traditional publishing house down the road. In fact,
you'll have a simply of your finished book to send them with your
pitch. If it looks beautiful, this can give you an edge over other
submissions.

22. FIND A LITERARY AGENT.
Send agents a query letter and book synopsis. If agents are
interested, they’ll reply with a request to see the manuscript. It may
take weeks or months to receive a reply.
If your book is not picked up by an agent, you may send your query
letter and synopsis directly to publishers that accept unsolicited
manuscripts. Research companies that publish books like yours
before contacting publishers.
If your book is picked up by an agent, he or she may ask you to make
revisions to the manuscripts to make it more appealing to potential
publishers. When its ready, the agent will send pitches to publishers
that seem like the right fit. Again, the process can take months, and
there's no guarantee our book will be published.

23. PUBLISH FOR LOCAL
CONSUMPTION ONLY.
Writing a children’s book is by itself a huge accomplishment. There’s
no need to seek wide publication if you don’t want to. Sometimes its
more personal to just share it with the people who matter. Consider
printing the manuscript at the copy store and binding it to give to a
few friends, or to children in your family. Many copy stores have
services that allow you to print and bind full-color booklets that look
very professional.

24. INDIGENOUS BOOKS

25. PUBLISHERS ALL SORTS OF
BOOKS
Commercial
University
Educational curriculum content
Student Projects
Churches/Missions
Linguistics / dictionaries
Historical Societies

26. MEDICINE PAINT: THE ART OF
AUGER DALE
Pic cover Author Name: Auger Dale
Year of publication/release: 2009
Publisher: Vancouver: Heritage
House, [2009]
ND 249 A945 A4 2009

27. MWÂKWA TALKS TO THE LOON
Auger Dale
Surrey, B.C : Heritage House
Pub., 2006.
J 398.27 AUG

28. AUGER DALE
Studied at Grant MacEwan College, Mount Royal College, Alberta
College of Art and Design, and the University of Calgary.
Very well educated; awarded Alumni of the year, has a Bachelor in
education, Master in education and a PhD. in education.
Books he has published; Mwakwa Talks to the Loon: A Cree book for
Children, Medicine paint: The Art Of Dale Auger.
Died September 23, 2008.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/calgaryherald/obituary.aspx?pid=117978
919

29. NOKUM IS MY TEACHER
Bouchard, Dave
Calgary: Northern Lights Books for
Children, 2006.

30. DAVE BOUCHARD
Honorary Doctor In Laws Degree
Author, Educator, and Presenter
Over 50 books written and has numerous awards
In 2009, David Bouchard was named as a member of the ‘Order of
Canada’ for his achievement and advocacy in literature for Canadian
children

31. UNIVERSITY AS A PUBLISHER

32. UNIVERSITY AS A PUBLISHER

33. EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

34. STUDENT PROJECTS

35. UNIVERSITY AS A PUBLISHER
Ratt, Solomon
Title: Nihithaw Acimowina
Woods Cree stories
Publisher: Regina, Saskatchewan,
Canada: First Nations University
of Canadam, University of Regina
Press, [2014]

36. SOLOMON RATT
Solomon has been teaching Y-dialect of Cree at First Nations
University of Canada since 1986.
Attended the University of Regina, graduating with two BAs and a
Masters of Arts
Solomon has written around 10 books

37. UNIVERSITY AS A PUBLISHER
Voices from Hudson Bay
Cree stories from York Factory
Publisher: Montreal, Quebec: McGill-
Queen's University Press, 1996.

38. CHURCHES/MISSIONS
MacLean, John, 1851-1928
Title: James Evans, inventor of
the syllabic system of the Cree
language
Publisher: Toronto: Methodist
Mission Rooms, 1890.

39. SCHOOL OF LINGUISTICS AND
LANGUAGE STUDIES
(PUBLISH YOUR OWN
DICTIONNARIES)
Ellis, C. D. (Clarence Douglas),
1923-
Title: Spoken Cree
Level III: West coast of James Bay
= Ê-ililîmonâniwahk
Publisher: Ottawa, Ontario:
School of Linguistics and
Language Studies, Carleton
University, [2016]

40. OUR RAW
MATERIALS:
WORDS AND
PICTURES

42. KINSHIP

69. Indigenous Published Author,
Puppets

70. HOW TO PUBLISH INDIGENOUS
BOOKS GATHERING
This presentation was created for the Awasisak Conference, July 20, 2017
and was also distributed as a handout for the how to publish indigenous
children's books gathering on October 27, 2017.
For more information read the following document.
https://www.slideshare.net/ManishaKhetarpal/how-to-publish-indigenous-
childrens-books-2017-v1
Contact Manisha Khetarpal, 780 585 3925, mkhetarpal@mccedu.ca