OTMA Bio for children

[Lara]

I have written a biography for children ~8-12yrs old about the daughters of Nicholas II. Although I have had positive feedback from many editors, the general consensus is that the subject matter is too specific for the publisher's list. If anyone knows of a person or organization who would be interested in reviewing my manuscript for publication, please reply to this posting. Thank you.

[Pravoslavnaya]

That's a wonderful idea - good luck.   I only wish someone would write more about their brother.  

[Janet Whitcomb]

I would be very interested in reviewing your manuscript! I am a writer/editor myself. Let me know how we'll manage the transaction.

[Lara]

Dear Ms. Whitcomb,
Thank you for your interest in my manuscript. As I am sure you can understand, I am very protective of my un-published work. Please e-mail me additional information about your publishing house.

[Robert_Hall]

What on earth more could possibly be wriiten about those children?  Olga was 23,  I think, Alexei 14, hardly old enough to merit a biography.
On that note, a slim volume on Anastasia has been published.
I can understand a children's book, perhaps, but otherwise evrything about them has already been written.
Much like the silly bios that have come out since  the Windsors princes were born it seems to me.

[Louise]

I personally feel that historians and individuals interested in the Romanov's have just begun the journey in ascertaining all the facts about their short lives. As the Russian government opens more of their archives, we will be able to discover volumes of information regarding not only the children, but the rest of the family.

Lara, good luck with your book.

Louise

[Robert_Hall]

I agree wholeheartedly about new information becoming available. Indeed, I look foward to just such things.
However, I do maintain that there is not much to be found regarding such tragically short lives.
I also said I could understand a children's book, I think it is a wonderful idea.  I wish the author well in that endeavor, and am a bit puzzled as to why it has not been picked up by a publisher as yet.

[Lara]

It is true that the daughter's of Nicholas II had short lives; however, their spirit and courage influenced a great number of people whiled they lived. In fact their reflections and actions are even more admirable considering their youth. There is actually a good amount of information from various primary sources that has never been compiled in this manner for a young audience.  I hope to go beyond the animated princess and offer curious children a historically accurate and inspiring account about what life was like for the daughters of Nicholas II.  Robert Hall and Louise, thank you for your opinions and support.

[jenthered@msn.com]

Hello, I am an expert on French dolls of the nineteenth century, and also on Patti Playpal, a great American doll of the early sixties. My publisher is Reverie Press, primarily known in the doll world, but they wish to expand to children's books, so perhaps they would be suitable for your work. In my professional life, I am a portrait painter, and recently sold an oil portrait of OTMA. I am getting ready to do several drawings of the family, and wondered if any one can help me with hair and eye color. Having read everything that I could on the family, I have learned to sift through all the contradictory research, so anything would help. Thank you for any words of wisdom.

[Lara]

Little information exists for inquisitive children about the fascinating true life of Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Marie and Anastasia Romanov. My interest in writing a book for young people about this topic surfaced during college, where I began researching primary sources and collecting information on the widely unknown true story of the daughters of Tsar Nicholas II. I have culminated my efforts with a 12,140-word youth biography, offering readers a real glimpse into what life was like for the young daughters of Russia’s last tsar.

I posted my case on this site earlier, but in the past few months I have come up against many walls. I have received some personal responses from editors who liked the idea but felt it was a bit too "esoteric" or "academic" for their list. I believe this is an excellent channel for me to connect with people who are interested in this subject and I am asking that anyone reading this please contact me if you know of a publisher or agent who may be interested in my manuscript. Hopefully, with your help, I will find a home for this work. Thank you to everyone who previously contacted me. Be assured that I followed up on your tips and appreciated your efforts.

[RealAnastasia]

When some people said that we couldn't write a bio for OTMAA, I laugh. Some heros of the history world have 20 , 21, 22, 23 years old when they died, and they did plenty of things. The Argentinian hero Marco Avellaneda was a good politician at 19 and died put to death at 27. Eva Peron died at 33 and was already very important. George Sand write her memories, and many interesting things that happened to her, were when she was 17 to 22 years old.

  Poor OTMAA were too much protected by Alexandra, and then we know very little about them. But i'm sure they had already am interesting life, that we must discover.   I hope I must be able to do it.

RealAnastasia.

[Robert_Hall]

So what did they [OTMA] accomplish in their short lives [besides die] that makes them worthy of a biography ?

[RealAnastasia]

We don't know! We must just discover it! The History is great especially for that. We must make researchs, study, read a lot of documents, newspapers, reviews and books. History would be very boring if we know already all of all subjects.  

RealAnastasia.

[Lanie]

So what did they [OTMA] accomplish in their short lives [besides die] that makes them worthy of a biography ?

Well, the older girls did some interesting charity work besides nursing; they founded committees to work with orphaned children during the war and refugees, etc and got very involved and hands-on.  I find that interesting.  The younger girls, though, I can understand.  They didn't do anything.

[JaneEyre5381]

Lara, your biography sounds absolutely wonderful.  I think children's books on the Romanovs would be a good idea, because it would help children get interested more in the topic, and in history in general.  One of the reasons I got into history at an early age is because in Russia I had a lot of access to children's books on people such as Piotr I (The Great), and Yekaterina II (The Great).  Books like that helped me understand history on a child's level, and introduced me to the past of my country at the same time.  If I wasn't exposed to them, I doubt that my passion for history would have been able to flourish.  

Lara, I wish you all the best on the publication of your book.  I hope it all goes through and that way more children can be inroduced to the fascinating world of history and of course the Romanovs.