Do’s and Don’t’s of Children’s Writing<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

The market for children’s writing is growing. Here are some points to consider:

DO:

• Learn to write a crisp, upbeat query letter that will grab the attention of a hurried editor.
• Study the market. Spend lots of time in your local bookstore and library, reading through current bestsellers. Try to discover what they have in common, and how they differ from the books of your childhood.
• Learn how to write. Take courses, read "how-to" books, join a writing group, sign up with www.giftedhandswriting.com and so on.
• Focus your attention on "hot" areas in children's publishing. Publishers continue to look for multicultural stories, nonfiction for all ages, horror stories and easy readers.
• Request publisher guidelines and catalogs before submitting your work to a publisher. Study these to make sure your work is what the publisher is currently seeking.
• Write something different that catches the minds of modern day children.
• Be persistent. Success as a writer rarely comes easily or quickly. Don't get discouraged by rejection; just keep writing.

DON'T:

• Assume that today's kids' books are just like the ones you read as a child. Juvenile literature is more sophisticated, creative and far-ranging than ever before.
• Waste your time trying to write a children's book and get it published without understanding the "rules of the publishing game."
• Send queries like throwing darts while blindfolded. It doesn’t work that way. There is an art.
• Get bogged down in cliches.
• Treat kids like babies. Don't talk down to your readers. Use rich and interesting language that evokes strong visual images, not baby talk.

Last updated on November 3rd, 2009