Children's Writers' Coaching Club » Writing for Children

How to Get Published as a Children’s Author, Earn an Income, and Have Fun Writing Even when the Economy Goes Sour

admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:44:28 +0000

Many children’s authors work on a manuscript that they love to write. Then they try to get it published and hope to earn income from it. This all adds up to years of few published credits, not enough income to help pay the bills, and piles of rejections.

At a time when the economy is growing steadily worse, we writers can’t afford to continue in this downhill spiral. It’s time to stop in our tracks, retrain our brains, and utilize a different strategy that will empower us to get published frequently, earn a decent income from writing, and still have fun honing our craft to perfection.

What’s the secret? My strategy is to always be working on three different projects for three different purposes, each with its own recipe for success.

For instance, I know it’s important as a writer to get published frequently and at a steady rate. So I do. Year after year after glorious year. I see my manuscripts in print, my name in bylines, and my published credits accumulating steadily. The upcoming year promises to be the same, in spite of the dismal economic forecast.

If you want to get published, you can do what I do. Every year, I target three to five no-pay/low-pay publishers. Since my only goal for these projects it to get published, I look for publishers who are hungry for writers to submit their manuscripts to them. These same publishers are often overlooked because they don’t pay very much. You can find them in your market guides, on the Internet, or in your local community periodicals. They offer a goldmine of opportunities for publication, so I jump on board and write the kinds of manuscripts each different one needs.

I also know it’s important as a writer to earn an income that helps pay the bills. So I do. Year after year after glorious year. I earn tens of thousands of dollars each year depending on my projected goals. The upcoming year promises to be the same, even though doomsday stories abound in the publishing world’s current economy.

If you want to earn income from your writing, you can do what I do. Every year, I line up deadlines and children’s book contracts like ducks in a row. Some are work-for-hire assignments that provide cash up front. Others are royalty contracts that guarantee income spread out over future years. How do I achieve my goals? I target children’s book publishers who accept queries. I study market guides, attend conferences, read writer’s magazines, and look for editors who are open to receiving queries. Then I study my target publisher’s website until I think of three to five brand new ideas that might fit into their unique product line. I write a little paragraph about each and ask them if they’d like to see a proposal for any of those potential ideas. Then I send off the query letter to that publisher. As soon as I send out that query, I don’t wait around. I choose a different publisher to target. Oh sure, there are lots of children’s book publishers who require an agent, demand an exclusive submission, or say they only want the entire, finished manuscript. I skip over those. There are plenty of publishing houses these days who accept queries as well. Those are the publishers I contact. I send each one a different query with unique ideas for books not yet written that fit into their one-of-a-kind product line. I keep sending out queries until I land a contract with one of them to write a book or article. Then I land more contracts until my year is filled with deadlines to write. It’s scary and it’s daring. The topics I write about might not be my passion. But it guarantees a reliable income in the upcoming year.

I also know it’s important as a writer to work on a manuscript I love. So I do. Year after year after glorious year. I write books I’m passionate about, pour out my heart on the printed page, and find personal fulfillment as a writer. The upcoming year promises to be the same, and I won’t stop even if we face the worst economic crisis in history.

If you want to write for personal fulfillment, you can do what I do. Every week, I carve out precious time from my other writing commitments to write what I want to write. I submit these to the publishers of my dreams. I just make sure I keep these projects separate from my projects I’m working on to earn income and get published.
My recipe for success works for me, and I’m confident it will work for you. Use three different approaches to meet three different goals. Make this year your best year yet—even in the midst of a tough economy!

Nancy I. Sanders is the award-winning and best-selling author of over 80 books including Anyone Can Get Published—You Can, Too! A Practical Strategy for the Christian Who Writes. She has also written the groundbreaking new book Yes! You Can Learn How to Write Children’s Books, Get Them Published, and Build a Successful Writing Career, available at www.YesYouCanLearn.wordpress.com. She currently writes the column, Writing for Children for The Writer’s online magazine. Visit her website at www.nancyisanders.com.

Nancy I. Sanders is an instructor for the Children’s Writers’ Coaching Club. Learn more about earning a living as a children’s author by listening to any of her recorded teleclasses, available here.

Six Simple Ways to Make the Most of Any Writing Workshop Or Writing Class

admin — Tue, 04 May 2010 15:50:44 +0000

by Suzanne Lieurance

If you’ve recently signed up for a writing workshop or writing class, in the hopes of becoming a better writer, then follow these simple steps to make the most of that experience:

1) Read! Read! Read!

Before the very first class or workshop, survey ALL the class materials so you will get an idea of what to expect.

Most good writing classes (and workshops) will provide students with a wealth of helpful materials. But these materials won’t do you any good if you don’t bother to look at them. In fact, if you have time before the workshop starts, read as many of the materials as you can. You might not fully understand what you are reading. That’s okay. Learning is recursive – which means your understanding will increase each time you study or reread the information.

If you don’t have time to read the materials before the class begins, then at least look over all the materials beforehand. Also, besides the required course materials, if there are suggested additional materials, get those too. And read them!

Also, read the kinds of things you wish to write. If you want to write stories for children, READ stories for children. If you want to write culinary mysteries for adults, READ culinary mysteries for adults, etc.

SPECIAL NOTE: Also, realize this. If you don’t enjoy reading, then you probably won’t enjoy the work it takes to become a successful (by that I mean, published) writer. Published writers are like sponges – anxious to soak up any information about their craft that they can.

2) Carefully read the directions for each and every assignment and follow the directions TO THE LETTER.

I’m surprised that so many people pay for a writing course (like the one I teach for the Institute of Children’s Literature), yet a large number of these people don’t follow the directions for each assignment. In some cases, it’s painfully evident that they didn’t even bother to READ the directions. What they need to understand is this – usually each assignment or lesson in a writing course or workshop was designed with specific objectives in mind. If the student doesn’t bother to read and follow the directions for each assignment, then the instructor has little chance of helping the student meet those objectives.

3) Avoid defending your work to your instructor.

Generally, students pay an instructor because he (or she) has some expertise and experience in writing, which usually includes many publishing credits. In fact, you should ALWAYS look for an instructor who has publishing credits. But then listen to what that instructor has to say about your writing, then follow his advice without trying to defend your work if it goes against what he has suggested.

Your instructor knows what he is talking about. For example, many times I tell students that in stories for children, adults should play very minor roles, and the child or teen in the story should always solve his own problem without a parent or other well-meaning adult stepping in to save the day. Many students want to argue that adults save the day for kids all the time in real life, so it should be okay that Aunt Martha calling at the last minute to offer little Janie the money she needs for summer camp is the perfect resolution for their story.

Sure, this kind of thing happens in real life. But, in stories for kids or teens, editors want the child to solve his own problem. Don’t waste precious time (yours or the instructor’s) arguing about something like this. Your understanding of WHY you should do what your instructor is asking you to do (or not do) will increase over time and study. Do what your instructor suggests, without defending your reason for going against his directions, and you’ll move ahead at a faster pace.

4) Learn to research all sorts of topics. In other words, don’t depend on instructors, editors, publishers, or anyone else to provide you with ALL the information you need in order to become a published writer.

Your instructor will probably give you research tips and marketing information, of course. But most published writers are self-directed learners. By that I mean, when they don’t KNOW something, they figure out HOW and WHERE to get the needed information themselves (more about how to do this, next).

5) Find other writers to network with and even hang out with, and read publications for writers.

Join a local writers’ group or at least sign up for one online (at yahoogroups.com you’ll find all sorts of groups for writers). Try to find a group that includes at least a few published writers. Generally, writers like to be helpful. They will usually share marketing tips, writing resources, etc. and will help you to more fully understand what you learn in a writing workshop or writing class.

Also, talk to some of the other writers in these groups to find out how they write. Then use some of their tips to improve your own writing, writing habits, etc. Hang out with the published writers and you’ll soon learn that they probably do a LOT of rewriting before they sell any of their work.

Read publications for writers to gain current marketing news and tips, and to find out how other writers became successful.

All these things will help give you the confidence to keep writing (and to keep practicing what you learn in your writing workshop or writing course) until you manage to get something published.

6) Don’t expect writing to be easy, and don’t assume that if it isn’t it must mean you don’t have enough talent to succeed as a writer, so you might as well drop out of the workshop or writing class.

Actually, most successful writers will tell you that talent isn’t the most important quality for success. The ability to follow directions (which will eventually come from an editor or editors) and the willingness to continue writing and rewriting, until at least some of the many rejection letters you get in the mail turn into acceptance letters, are much more important qualities for success as a writer. If you realize this BEFORE you start any writing workshop or writing course, you will be more likely to stick with it, even when the work gets difficult.

These successful children’s writers offer additional tips:

Cynthia Leitich Smith, award-winning author of JINGLE DANCER (Morrow, 2000)(ages 4-up), RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME (Harper, 2001)(Listening Library, 2001)(ages 10-up), and INDIAN SHOES (Harper, 2002)(ages 7-up), and other works, says:

“Be brave. Participate. Put yourself out there. Don’t defend or explain away your work. Don’t think of the other students as competition. And don’t worry if you’re not ‘the star.’ Your focus should be on improving your craft–period.”

Pat McCarthy, an Instructor with the Institute of Children’s Literature, and author of 5 YA biographies and 5 nonfiction books for children suggests:

“Don’t write something different from what is assigned because you like to do it your way. Do use the manuscript format – double spaced, etc.”

Susan Wright, another instructor for the Institute of Children’s Literature, and author of the DEAD END ROAD MYSTERIES (for ages 10 & up) advises:

“Pay attention when others’ work is being read and critiqued–it’s not just common courtesy, but we can often learn a lot from it. Resist the temptation to go off on personal conversational tangents until after the session. Workshop or class time is limited and valuable.”

L.D. Harkrader, author of 9 nonfiction books for children, and the middle grade novel, AIRBALL: MY LIFE IN BRIEFS (published by Roaring Book Press) says:

“When your instructor makes suggestions on how to improve your stories, don’t be afraid to revise, and don’t trick yourself into thinking revision is merely cosmetic work–a word or comma changed here or there. Consider what your instructor has suggested, give your stories a hard, honest look, then dig into your revision, ruthlessly cutting or changing anything that doesn’t work. Your stories deserve to be as strong and as publishable as possible, and the only way you can achieve that is to be brave and do the work.”

Okay. So now that you know how to make the most of that writing workshop or writing class you just signed up for – go get ready for it. And have a great time!

See you in print!

Writing Samples – What Do Editors Really Want to See?

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:58:57 +0000

by Suzanne Lieurance

If you’re a freelance writer looking for work, many times you’ll see job ads that ask for a cover letter, resume, and writing samples or clips. You have no trouble writing a cover letter, and you have a resume on hand. But when it comes to writing samples or clips, you’re stumped. What does the editor really want to see?

Well, the answer to that is – the editor wants to see if you can do the type of work he needs. For example, if he’s looking for someone to write press releases, don’t send him a copy of a short story you wrote about Great Aunt Edna – even if it did win 1st place in a writing competition. That’s because a short story won’t let this editor know you can write press releases.

If an editor asks for “clips” he means he wants to see examples of your published work. Sometimes, though, an editor wants to see unedited writing samples – so he gets a feel for how heavily your work will need to be edited. If the ad asks for “unedited samples” then send samples that have not been edited by a professional and/or published.

Although there are no hard and fast rules for sending writing samples, here are a few tips:

1) For clips – send only examples of your published work. At the top of the clip, write the name and date of the publication.

2) For writing samples – these can be either published or unpublished examples of your writing.

3) Whether you’re sending clips or writing samples ALWAYS send a sample of work that is closely related to, or an exact example, of the type of work you are seeking.

Once you’ve been freelancing for a while you’ll develop a “clips file” that contains samples of various types of writing. You’ll usually be able to pull something appropriate from this file to submit with your cover letter and resume. But, if you don’t have anything that is a good example of what a particular editor is looking for, then sit down and write something that IS representative of what this editor needs. You’ll have better luck getting the assignment or freelance work because you’ll be giving the editor just what he wants to see.

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The Right Amount: When and How Much to Write

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:55:52 +0000

by Nancy I. Sanders

The important goal for a writer is to actually sit down to write new material at a regular pace. If you don’t take your commitment to write seriously, you won’t get serious results. If you don’t treat your writing as a career, you are, in essence, supporting a hobby.

A writing career is a job. Treat it as such. If you want a part-time job, schedule part-time hours for writing on your weekly calendar. A part-time job means you probably won’t be writing every day. If you want a full-time job, however, actually mark down forty hours each week on your calendar dedicated to writing. This means you’ll probably be writing eight hours a day, five days a week. Post your upcoming schedule each week, just as employers do in the workplace. Rearrange your other commitments around your writing schedule, just as people do who drive to work. Show up at your writing workspace on time each day according to schedule. Sit down at your computer. And write.

The life of a writer today is vastly different than the life of a writer in yesteryears. Stories abound of writers from long ago who retired each day to a solitary spot, curled up in a blanket with a pot of coffee nearby, and wrote uninterrupted from sunup to sundown.

Today’s writers have editors’ e-mails to answer, blogs to maintain or read, and writers’ chatrooms to visit. Even though these tasks are part of our writer’s day, they must not take the place of writing new material at a regular pace.

If you find yourself spending time each day in front of your computer but not actually typing new pages of publishable material, it’s time to reassess your priorities. Prioritize the hours you type new content each day before you tend to the other tasks.

It’s also important to write with purpose. A writer’s goal is to get published regularly and earn a steady income. Develop a cycle of studying target publishers and writing queries for potential contracts until you land that next manuscript assignment. Don’t spend all your time just submitting old manuscripts, however. In the extremely competitive world of children’s publishing today, randomly submitting even a well-written manuscript is like trying to win the lottery. Career writers know most manuscripts that reach publication are written AFTER the contract is landed or the assignment is given. Whether writing fiction or nonfiction, make it your goal to type out a brand new query each week or so for a new potential project not yet written. If an editor responds and is interested in your query, you can then prepare a formal proposal to submit.

Perhaps you already have a contract with a scheduled deadline. Is it important that you write and work on that manuscript every single day? Explore your project until you discover the schedule you need to work at to best complete your task. Print out a weekly or monthly calendar to follow until you reach your deadline. Type out a sample page or chapter to determine a realistic measure of the amount of time it will take you to physically sit down and type your manuscript.

Perhaps you can devote the first four weeks to research, creating outlines, and organizing material, then spend the last two weeks typing. Or, you may feel more confident breaking up those tasks into smaller bites so you see actual progress each day with a steady progression of completed manuscript pages. While working on a recent nonfiction book project for kids, I developed a cycle of daily research, note-taking, and writing that gave me confidence to work toward my deadline.

For each deadline, take time to discover a schedule that works best for you. Whether it’s actually sitting down to type new material each day, or blocking out chunks of time to type after your preliminary writing activities are finished, stick to a schedule that will help you accomplish your goals.

Bio: Nancy I. Sanders is an instructor for the Children’s Writers’ Coaching Club and the author of over 75 books including Anyone Can Get Published—You Can, Too! A Practical Strategy for the Christian Who Writes. Visit her website www.nancyisanders.com to find out more.

The Market for Rhyming Picture Books

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:39:48 +0000

by Nancy I. Sanders

If you’ve attended a writing conference, you’ve probably heard the mantra of many children’s book editors: “No submissions in rhyme!” Yet if you visit the book table, you might be surprised to find their newest release—a rhyming picture book. What’s going on?

Editors say, “Never submit rhyming text” because they receive so many manuscripts filled with poorly written verse. Critique groups abound with wannabe writers who pour out stories in rhyme, yet are offended and confused when the member who teaches English points out their poem lacks rhythm, contains forced rhyme, and isn’t properly formatted. If you don’t know the rules for writing in verse, resist the temptation to write a manuscript in rhyme.

The three R’s of successful children’s books, however, are rhyme, rhythm, and repetition. If you’re still smitten by the “rhyming bug,” take the time to learn how to write in rhyme—and how to write well. Editors welcome submissions of well-written rhyming picture books if it fits into their specific product line—but your manuscript must feature poetry that sings.

Sign up for a class in writing poetry. Read books to learn the rules. Dissect current successful children’s books written in verse until you know which rules the authors followed and which ones they broke—and understand why. Don’t just read about writing rhyming picture book text. Write a children’s book in rhyme. Then another. And another. Examine your manuscripts with a fine-toothed comb. Don’t take your manuscript to your local critique group, however, if none of the members have had success publishing in rhyme, especially if they mostly write for older audiences. They’ll only succeed in butchering your manuscript if they don’t know the rules themselves. Try to find another author who has published at least one children’s manuscript in rhyme. Offer to trade manuscripts.

There is something truly magical about a children’s book that is written in rhyme. Yet how do you know if your story would do better written in non-rhyming text or in verse? Here are several key points to consider.
Will your book be part of a series? If so, you should follow the format already established. When I wrote one of my newest picture books, D is for Drinking Gourd: An African American Alphabet, the publisher already produced a series of books with rhyming verse in large type at the center of the page and nonfiction expository text along the sides. I wrote my sample text to follow their format, submitted it as a proposal, and got a contract—even though that publisher’s website said it was not taking any submissions at that time.

If your manuscript will be a stand-alone project, try writing a section of your story in plain text. Now try writing the same section in rhyming verse. Which vehicle transports your message to your target audience the best?
Study the product line of the publisher you plan to target. Are they currently publishing rhyming text? If so, determine in which genre or format—beginning reader? Board book? Alphabet or counting book? Write your manuscript—whether in rhyme or non-rhyming text—so it fits in with the publisher’s unique style and product line.

Bio: Nancy I. Sanders is an instructor for the Children’s Writers’ Coaching Club and the author of over 75 books and has been published by such houses as Scholastic, Reader’s Digest, Tyndale, and Sleeping Bear Press. Visit her website at www.nancyisanders.com to find out more.

Field Trips – They’re Not Just For Kids If You’re a Children’s Writer!

admin — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 18:02:58 +0000

by Suzanne Lieurance

It always amazes me when I meet people who want to write for children, yet they haven’t read a single children’s book since they were children or since their own kids (now ages 35 and 42) were little.

Don’t they get it?

Publishers change, publications change, and even children change with the times! If you want to write for children, you need to start taking “field trips” to keep up with these changes. You’ll not only be better informed about today’s markets, you’ll also become a better writer in the process. Besides…these trips are fun!

Take regular field trips to the children’s section of your local bookstores and the public library. If your interest is in writing picture books, start by looking at as many pictures books as you can each time you visit. If you’d like to write beginning readers, or early chapter books, take time to look at some of these. Also, look for children’s magazines. If you go to your public library, they will often have back issues of magazines, so you can read up to a year’s worth of a particular publication. This is great because you need to know what has been published by each particular magazine in the last 6 months to a year so you won’t be suggesting ideas they have recently covered.

Your public library might not have some of the newest books available at bookstores. But you will be able to check out the books and take them home where you can read them and study them. So make a point to visit both the library and a local bookstore on a regular basis.

Once you start making these little field trips, you’ll look forward to them and realize how valuable they are to your writing.

Top Ten Writing Mistakes Made by New Children’s Writers

admin — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 18:01:38 +0000

by Suzanne Lieurance

Okay. So I’m not David Letterman. But I doubt if he’d know much about the top 10 mistakes made by new children’s writers anyway. I, on the other hand, read from 10 to 20 manuscripts for children every week (I’m not bragging – I’m just an instructor with the Institute of Children’s Literature). While many of the stories I read are destined for publication, I find that 10 common mistakes crop up again and again in the other manuscripts I edit each week.

I’ll start with number 10 (just like Letterman) and work my way up to the number one writing mistake made by new children’s writers (and, just so you know – I’ve been guilty of making some of these mistakes myself, so don’t beat yourself up if you realize you’re guilty of some of these, too):

10) No Clear POV Character – Children tend to relate to the POV character in a story. This is the person they will root for. Make it clear right from the start whose story is being told. Even if you have two main characters (twins, for example), you need to pick just one of these kids to be your POV character. And, it should go without saying, when writing for children, make sure your POV character IS a kid – even if Grandma has a big part in your story.

9) Multiple Points of View – Unlike stories for adults, stories for children are generally told from only one POV. It isn’t difficult to maintain a single point of view once you get the hang of it. Just remember – if you are “showing” everything from your main character’s point of view, then he or she has to be present for everything that happens. I see stories all the time where the POV character suddenly leaves the room. Yikes! If your POV character wasn’t there to see or hear what went on, then we can’t see or hear it either.

Telling instead of Showing – Read a good story and chances are there is a lot of action and dialogue (showing) with minimal stretches of straight narrative (telling). Too much narrative and the story sounds like a summary. Readers don’t want a summary. They want scenes with action and dialogue that make them feel they are actually experiencing what is going on. So “show” as much as possible of your story through action and dialogue.

7) Overuse of Adjectives, Adverbs, and Other Unnecessary Words -Do you really need to say someone “whispered quietly” Or “shouted loudly” Or, my favorite – she “nodded her head”? What else could she nod? Or, she “shrugged her shoulders” – she certainly wouldn’t shrug her foot!

6) Dialogue That is Not Punctuated Properly – Get a grammar book to learn how to punctuate dialogue properly. But, most importantly, remember to change paragraphs each time the speaker changes. I read manuscripts all the time where three or four characters are speaking, yet the paragraph never changes. Just imagine how confusing that is to the reader!

5) Long Timeframes – I know Harry Potter takes place over several years. But, the story also takes place through several books. Most children’s writers start out writing stories for children’s magazines or they want to write picture books for very young children. Either way, the timeframe in these stories should be rather short – a couple of hours or a day or two. If your story takes place over a couple of weeks or (gulp!) a couple of years, then you need to shorten the timeframe.

4) No Narrative “Hook” for the Reader – I know what you’re asking -”What is a narrative hook?” Well, that’s simple. It’s just an opening sentence or two that “hooks” the reader and makes him or her want to continue reading to find out what happens.

3) Dialogue That Doesn’t Sound Real – Listen to any child or teenager and you’ll find out that much of what kids and teens say (at least to each other) tends to sound like a series of grunts. So don’t have the child or teen in your story use words like “shall,” or never use contractions. If you do, the dialogue will sound too formal and your work will not have a child’s or teen’s voice.

2) Adults Who Step In to Save the Day for the Child – I know what you’re thinking. Parents and other well-meaning adults DO step in all the time to save the day for kids. So why can’t they do it in stories for children? The answer to that is – because children don’t want to read stories like that. Stories for children have strong children (or children who eventually become strong throughout the course of the story) as characters. This empowers the children who read these stories. They figure, if the POV character can solve his own problems then maybe they can too.

Now. Drum roll here.

The number one mistake new writers make in their stories for children is

1) No real conflict – There’s no story problem. Your POV character needs to face some big problem right at the start of the story. Then, he or she needs to struggle and struggle with this problem as he/she tries to solve it. That is, things need to keep getting worse and worse until finally the POV character is able to solve the problem (or at least resolve it) and change or grow somehow in the process. Without a story problem you have what editors like to call “an incident,” and editors don’t publish incidents. They publish stories.

So that’s my list of top 10 mistakes new children’s writers make. Use this article as a checklist when you’re writing for children. Avoid these mistakes and you’ll be well on your way to publication.

See you in print!

Six Tips to Help You Break into the Children’s Magazine Markets with Your Nonfiction

admin — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:59:58 +0000

by Suzanne Lieurance

It’s no secret that one of the best ways to break into the children’s magazine markets is with nonfiction. So follow these 6 tips to have the best chance of acceptance with your short articles for children:

1. Study the markets – Each children’s magazine is different, with a different style, voice, and variety of subject matter. Take time to study the markets you wish to submit to and you’ll know which ones are the most appropriate for the articles that you wish to write.

2. Study Past Issues – Besides studying current issues of each publication you wish to write for, look at several past issues of each publication. Make a list of the various nonfiction article titles in each issue to get a “feel” for the way various authors narrowed their focus for each topic they wrote about. One of the big mistakes most beginning children’s writers make with their nonfiction articles is that they don’t narrow the focus of the article enough. If you want to write about camels, for example, don’t propose an article that tells anything and everything about camels. Instead, focus on just ONE aspect about camels and develop your article around that.

3. Include subtopic headings when writing your article – These will break up your article into “chunks” which are easier for young readers to read. These subtopic headings will also “lead” the reader through your article. They will also make your article “look” more like nonfiction instead of fiction.

4. Give your topic an unusual slant that will appeal to kids and editors alike – When you do this, your article won’t sound so much like a textbook. And articles that sound too much like textbook material are NOT in big demand with magazine editors.

5. Consider topics that will relate to themed publications – Many children’s magazines have themes for each issue. And, even for publications that do not have themed issues, editors still look for topics that can be used for holiday issues as well as other seasonal issues. For example, most publications feature some sort of back-to-school articles in their August or September issues. In the summer months, these same publications tend to feature articles that give vacation tips or crafts ideas and games to keep kids occupied during the summer. So, be sure to include some of these types of article ideas in your queries.

6. Look for lesser known publications – Competition is fierce for Highlights, Spider, Cricket, and most of the very popular publications for children. You’ll automatically increase your chances for acceptance if you query publications that don’t receive so many queries.

Try these 6 tips and it shouldn’t take you long to start receiving acceptances from the children’s magazines that you query.

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Stay-at-Home Moms – Why Writing for Children Can Be the Perfect Job for You

admin — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:22:25 +0000

If you’re a stay-at-home mom with small children, writing for kids can be the perfect part-time job for you. Here’s why:

1) You’re in contact with kids 24/7, so you know what kids think about and how they talk. This can be very helpful when trying to develop story lines that kids would enjoy reading. It will also help you write dialogue that sounds like things kids would actually say these days.

As a mom, you probably also read many picture books to your own child or children. And, as every writer knows, one of the best ways to learn to write picture books and other stories for children, is to READ these types of materials. So just think – each time you read to your child, you’ll also be doing something to develop your own career as a writer.

2) Since your full time job is taking care of your family, you’ll probably only have short snatches of time during the day and evening to write. But this is perfect for writing short works for kids – things like picture books, easy readers, and even magazine articles and short-stories.

And, if you carry a pocket-size notebook with you during the day, while you’re watching the kids play at the park, or supervising them as they go about their daily chores, you can take notes for story or articles ideas. And, please note, it IS important to jot down a few notes about your ideas. Otherwise, by the end of the day you will have forgotten them.

3) In addition to writing stories and articles FOR kids, you will also develop a wealth of topics for writing ABOUT kids – articles for parenting magazines, for example, or even tips for classroom teachers.

And, there are usually at least a couple of small regional parenting publications in every large city, so you can gain publishing credits by starting out writing for these publications. If you’re good at it, you might even eventually gain your own regular column in one of these publications.

4) You can develop professional connections and associations with other moms who write, so you’ll have other adults to communicate with on a regular basis every day. Many moms can feel isolated when their only contact during the day is with their children. But as a children’s writer and mom, you can become part of a professional network of other stay-at-home moms who write for children.

5) You’ll build up your writing skills and publishing credits through the years, so by the time your children have grown and left the nest, you will probably be able to make the transition from part time children’s writer to full time children’s writer fairly easily if you so desire.

As you can see, for moms who like to write, writing for children offers the perfect part-time career.