Tips for Aspiring Children’s Book Authors
Tips from children’s book authors, editors and agents for anyone interested in writing children’s books:
- Read children’s books—contemporary and classic.
- Join a children’s writers’ organization like the Juvenile Writers of Kansas City;
- Join a critique group;
- Study the market. Find out what kinds of stories publishers are buying. Find out what types of stories
editors want.
- Send your work to the right editor. You don’t want to send a picture book to an editor who only
handles chapter books.
- Attend children’s writers’ conferences. This gives you a chance to meet editors and agents
face-to-face.
- Take your writing seriously. Treat it as a profession.
- Treat all editors and agents professionally. Don’t bombard them with constant calls and e-mails
about your manuscript.
- Read all contracts carefully. Make sure you know what you’re signing.
- Write every day;
- Write for you—no one else;
- Don’t worry about rejection. Everyone gets rejected.
- Don’t give up.
Recommended Websites for Children’s Writers:
- Write4 Kids website - www.write4kids.com
- Highlights Foundation website - www.highlightsfoundation.org
- The Juvenile Writers of Kansas City website - http://www.jwkc.org/
- The Missouri Writers Guild website – http://www.missouriwritersguild.org
- The Purple Crayon website - www.underdown.org
- The Institute of Children’s Literature website – www.institutechildrenslit.com
- Horn Books website – www.hbooks.com
- The Author’s Guild website - www.authorsguild.org
- The Children’s Book Council website - www.cbcbooks.org
