by Susan Tierney, Editor

Dear Writer,

I’m the editor of Children’s Writer, a monthly newsletter that’s dedicated to keeping you up to date on children’s writing, putting you on top of the market for children’s books, stories, and articles--and keeping you there.

Children’s Writer is the most widely read publication in the field--by editors in virtually every children’s book and magazine publishing house in North America and by thousands of writers like you who depend on us to keep them on top of all the breaking news and latest trends.

 You’ll be on top of all the markets

With Children’s Writer at your side, you’ll be on top of all the markets. Why? Because we gather and analyze more children’s market information than anybody. Using five editors and researchers, we maintain a continuous dialogue with editors and publishers, sift and sort the findings day-by-day, and extract the “nuggets” for you.

We also draw heavily on the vast writing and publishing experience of our staff at the Institute of Children’s Literature . . . and other top-ranked writers and editors.

 These contributors provide us with features, market tips and trends, “how-to” articles, interviews, and insights gleaned from years of success in the dynamic children’s market.

 The result is Children’s Writer--a lively monthly newsletter developed expressly for people like you--people vitally interested in writing and publishing children’s literature.  It supports your writing in two important ways:

These are the operative facts: This complex, fast-changing market, embracing all of the categories from pre-school to young adult (YA), is profitable, paying well--and growing!

Yet, the competition is hot and it’s getting hotter.  You’ve got to have all the facts the pros have (and maybe a few more) if you want to see yourself in print--and now you can!

Whether you’re writing for yourself or creating a best-seller, Children’s Writer covers the entire spectrum. It gives you up-to-the-minute information you can’t beg, borrow, or buy anywhere else--and brings it to you 12 times a year.

 Every freelance market . . . and only freelance markets

More than that, Children’s Writer deals with the current questions and problems you’re most likely to encounter--and it covers every major market that actually buys freelance writing.  It doesn’t waste time on those that don’t.

How do we know what’s selling?--and who’s buying?

How do we know what editors and publishers are looking for?

Easy. We tap the daily stream of information we generate to keep ourselves on top of every freelance market--and pass along helpful tips and expert pointers from editors, publishers, and other writers. For example:

 •    Lerner Publishing Group is asking for nonfiction writing samples for emergent and early fluent readers, says Senior Editor Shannon Zemlicka.  The latest request was for samples of 250-300 words for grade two on “How Does a Flower Grow” or “At the Grocery Store.”

 •    The Cricket Magazine Group’s Spider wants 300-1,000-word stories for ages 6-to-9: folk and fairy tales, science fiction, and easy-to-read.  They also seek articles of 300-800 words on science, animals, technology, and history.

 Writing techniques, too

But that’s not even the half of it! Children’s Writer also tips you off about new trends that impact your writing--gives you  pointers on style, choosing titles, and dialogue--and offers insights on characterization, descriptive techniques, and even writers’ block. For example . . .

•    How do you handle kidspeak?--do you go with the flow?--or do you translate slang into universal expressions? We offer guidelines you can trust.

•    American Girl Managing Editor Barbara Stretchberry suggests that the best way to start with them is to submit to the “Girls Express” section, which carries 150-word profiles of girls doing interesting, cool things.

•    What’s the bottom line on writers’ groups?  Should you join one if your writing is going well, or wait until you hit a snag? Children’s Writer answers these and other questions and even tells you how to start a group.

There’s more . . . regular how-to articles written by our outstanding editors and educators that give you--month after month--good tips, expert pointers, current market data, and insider information, such as:

•    Eight surefire ways to generate article ideas.

•    Acquisitions Editor Frances Gilbert at Sterling Publishing in New York City wants new authors for their nonfiction children’s books in science, animals, and nature, activities art, jokes, magic, math, and more for ages to 6 to 14.

•    How to write saleable pieces out of your personal experiences.

•    Boys’ Life is interested in general interest articles that will appeal to 6-to-18-year-old boys.  “To get an idea of the broad range of subjects we cover, just look at the 100+ merit badges boys earn with the Scouts,” says Senior Editor Michael Goldman.  Fiction for Boys’ Life should always feature one or more boys as protagonists.

Children’s Writer brings you regular features to keep you on top of the market every month:

•    Marketplace--The best roundup of the freshest news about what editors are looking for right now! PLUS . . . tips, updates, new faces, new specs, start-ups, shutdowns, mergers, and acquisitions.

•    Contest Announcements--Including Children’s Writer’s own contests with cash prizes of up to $500 for the grand-prize winner plus publication in Children’s Writer.

•    Commentary--By 2001 Edgar Award-winning author Elaine Marie Alphin, this monthly feature delves into important and controversial developments in the children’s field.

•    Profession and Craft--Two regular columns where guest writers discuss key aspects of the business side and the writing side of being a professional writer.

35 to 60 solid market “tips” per issue

Each issue of Children’s Writer has 35 to 60, or more, solid tips on what to write to appeal to the specific wants and needs of specific editors at specific book and magazine publishers . . . and we give you their tips in the editors’ own words.

Then to top off every issue of Children’s Writer, you get instructional, informational, and inspirational articles to help you polish your writing skills. Included are topics such as:

•    How to work more writing into your busy schedule;
•    Lead paragraphs that really lead today’s reader;
•    Self-motivation techniques to keep the words flowing;
•    How to overcome writers’ block;
•    What to do when you have no clips (previously published work) to submit;
•    How to make a good picture book dummy . . . and a lot more.

Your first issue is FREE!

Children’s Writer is your newsletter.

It is written and edited--for you.

If you’re not yet a subscriber, we’d like to send you a sample--free, with no obligation.

If you like it, you may become a subscriber at a special introductory rate of $15 for a full subscription of 12 more issues (a total of 13) worth $26. You save $11.

Of course, if you’re ever disappointed, you can--and you should--cancel and receive a full refund on all un-mailed issues.

Just click on Subscribe and we'll have a copy of our most recent issue in the mail to you in a couple of days. We think you'll like it.