If you want to write for children...

Are you interested in writing for children? Here are some tips!

1. Write. I worked on my writing for 9 years before I had this book in hand. I have 3 manuscripts filed away that are early tries. I get better with each story and each attempt. Writing’s not for the thin-skinned, faint of heart, or someone who gives up easily. You must have lots of confidence. But with some talent and much determination, you can do it. Keep writing.

2. Learn about the business. How?
   
   1. Read children’s books. In each class I’ve taken with Anastasia, we’ve had to read 100 books in the sort of writing we are interested in. The librarians always look at me funny when I’m checking them out.
   2. Learn about the publishers. Look at their web sites and get their catalogues. Look at the books you read and see who publishes what.
   3. Attend conferences. You learn about writing, you meet with kindred spirits, and you meet real live editors! Following a conference, you generally can send your mss. to the editors in attendance.
   4. Look at writing books. I love Robert McKee’s Story, even though it’s a screenwriting book. Another good one is Bird by Bird, Ann LaMott. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler is another good one. There are lots of them.
   5. Subscribe to Children’s Writer newsletter and Children’s Book Insider. Check their websites for information and how to join.
      
3. Join SCBWI. You don’t have to be published to join. For $60 a year, you get access to valuable information about publishers, editors, and insider information, plus a newsletter. It is the accepted group for children’s writers and is important enough to put on your cover letter. It gives the editors reassurance that you are a professional. hey have great info.
   
4. Join an online children’s group. Go to Yahoo. I’m on Children’s Writer (CW) and CW-biz. They get junky at times so you delete a lot, but I’ve also gotten lots of good stuff off them. You always have some e-mail!
   
5. Take some classes—online or in person.
   
6. Visit the web sites of some authors you like. Many of them offer fabulous tips and writing insights. I love Linda Sue Parks’ site.
   
7. Look at The Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market. It’s a book. Go to the bookstore and look at it. Buy it or you can check out older copies at the library. You can also pay for and receive it online.
   
8. Look at the publishing guidelines. The guidelines change frequently. At each publisher’s site, you have to dig to unearth writer’s submission guidelines. They want you to buy! They receive tens of thousands of manuscripts each year. And they report that most of the submissions are amateur and poorly written. They say only 5% are done well enough to receive a look longer than 3 seconds! Children’s Book Council site is good. http://www.cbcbooks.org/
   
9. Learn the proper format for submitting. Study cover letters, queries, first paragraphs, and the correct form. SCBWI can inform you with their information and there are books. This helps establish you as a writer rather than an amateur.
   
10. Find out what editors don’t like. Many writing sites or blogs have some sort of editor pet peeves. Conferences are another way to discover this. But they always say, if it’s a good story, they’ll buy it!
    
11. You don’t have to have an agent for children’s books. They can help, many children’s writers do, and most of the big names do. But many do not, too. If you can sell yourself and take care of the business parts, you can still succeed in children’s writing.