Children's Writer Newsletter

Every monthly issue of Children’s Writer brings you pointers from the experts and current market tips like these:

Tip:

According to our annual surveys of juvenile publishing, over 100 publications for, about, and of interest to children are withdrawn every year while 125–150 are added. Children’s Writer reports these important comings and goings in every issue.

Tip:

New publishers spring up every week. Exclamation! Publishers is looking for historical fiction, well-researched nonfiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry according to editor Denise Heap. Advocacy Press focuses on materials that teach adolescents skills for career planning, budgeting, personal relations, and more. Raven Tree Press publishes bilingual English and Spanish elementary and picture books for readers up to age 10.

*Tip:*	Board books, concept books, novelty books, and picture books for the very young look simple. They’re not. What they are is very popular. *Children’s Writer* keeps you on top of all that is happening in these exciting categories.
	Just one issue of Children’s Writer gave our subscribers a competitive edge with over 150 tips from 35 editors:
*Tip:*	The Harry Potter phenomenon—and the interest that it has prompted in the entire genre—has many publishers looking at fantasy and myths. Editors at Greenwillow Books, Harcourt, Arthur A. Levine Books at Scholastic, and Lee & Low Books reviewed this market.
*Tip:*	*Boys’ Life* is interested in any general interest article that will appeal to their spectrum of readers, 6-to18-year-old boys. Senior Editor Michael Goldman advised writers, “To get an idea of the broad range of subjects we cover, just look at the 100-plus merit badges boys earn with the Scouts.” Fiction for *Boys’ Life* should always feature one or more boys as protagonists. *Boys’ Life* accepts queries only for articles, queries or complete manuscripts for fiction.
*Tip:*	Short folktales, fairy tales, and rewritten myths will find a market in today’s children’s magazines as long as the “enchantment” factor is high. So said editors from *Highlights for Children, Cricket* and *Spider, Jack And Jill, Skipping Stones, *USKids, and others, in a recent issue of Children’s Writer**.

*Tip:*	Editors are generally not looking for writers to propose series like the Baby-Sitters Club. For fiction, most editors want one solid story, and the possibility for more books can come later. These series are shorter now and more edgy. For many publishers of nonfiction, ideas for a series—or several additions to an existing series—are welcome.
*Tip:*	Inspirational writing is a booming market, including nonfiction, anthologies and essay collections, and magazines. Poetry, personal experience pieces, nostalgia, humor, profiles, as-told-to stories, and action/adventure true stories are all in demand.

	Month after month you’ll get valuable market tips and expert pointers on writing:
	Ten pointers on how to effectively work with picture book editors.
	Experts review the basics of rhyming texts for picture books. Sample advice: read poetry aloud; listen to other people read it to train your ear; and concentrate on your verbs while eliminating adjectives.
	Experts review the basics of rhyming texts for picture books. Sample advice: read poetry aloud; listen to other people read it to train your ear; and concentrate on your verbs while eliminating adjectives.
	Work-for-hire contracts may not be writer-friendly, but they are increasingly popular with publishers. What do you do when confronted with one?
	Many local and regional book publishers have strong marketing niches that local writers can fill best, where home-grown perspective and an insider’s point of view are needed. The good news: there are several such publishers near you.
	Many trade and institutional publishers are taking biographies into younger markets, and biographies for ages 5 to 9 are hot now. Editors from Clarion Books, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, Children’s Press, Charlesbridge Publishing, Mitchell Lane Publishers, and Buddy Books reported in *Children’s Writer* how to write for this genre, the latest trends in the market, and what they’re looking for in new manuscripts—with specific tips and examples to read.

Plus…Book Markets, Magazine Markets, Pointers from the Editors, and other features and articles every month. Watch Children’s Writer for these upcoming articles and features:

• Idea generation for picture books.
• Good mysteries are always in demand. Learn what publishers want now.
• Tips on overcoming writers’ block.
• You can have a real impact in Pre-K fiction, but it requires skill and care to write for these kids.
• Story picture books for slightly older readers are booming. Learn all about them.
• Writing puzzles and rebuses can be fun . . . and profitable too.
• Horror sells, but there are many nuances in writing it for children. We review it all here.
• How to set up and conduct telephone interviews for your articles.
• How to make an effective picture book dummy.
• What to do when you have no clips (previously published work) to submit.
• Early reader books are fun to read and more fun to write. We explore all the options.
• How to create really productive writing time.
• Protecting your ideas is important . . . and easy.
• Brainstorming and other ways to generate ideas.
• Children’s Writer’s own writing contests—two a year—with cash prizes up to $500 and publication of the winning entries.

Every issue every month brings you market tips
and expert pointers on writing techniques:

	Most Christian publishers want a good story with believable characters and a strong plot *first; then the message will tell itself. Heavy-handed is out; subtle is in. As a result, lots of good fiction is appearing in these markets. Children’s Writer* tells you which publishers and magazines you should consider.
	Writers’ contests are great training grounds for writers: you have to write to a spec and on a deadline. That’s why *Children’s Writer* conducts two a year with cash prizes up to $500 per manuscript. But there are lots of other excellent contests. We spoke with editors, judges, and entrants, and evaluated the major contests for you.
	How to squeeze more writing time out of every 24 hours: The advantages of very early or very late—The remarkable notebook—Investing in exercise—Good habits and better habits—When to get help—What you should *never* talk about—and 10 more down-to-earth, practical tips to help you get more down on paper every day.

	Subscribe today and get up-to-date on current techniques and new markets for children’s writing.
*Tip:*	Lerner Publishing Group consists of Lerner Publishing, Carolrhoda Books, Runestone Press, LernerSports, First Avenue Editions, and Lerner Classroom. They are looking for nonfiction writing samples, 250-300 words, aimed at emergent and early fluent readers in grade two. Specific subjects are required.
*Tip:*	Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing is launching a new imprint, as yet unnamed, that will focus on picture books for ages 2 to 14. Editorial Director of the new imprint will be Paula Wiseman, formerly the editorial chief at Silver Whistle Books.
*Tip:*	Many a writer is intrigued by the idea of having an agent. What can one do for you? How do you approach them? How do you choose one? What’s standard compensation? *Children’s Writer* follows agents and tells you what’s what.
*Tip:*	When Eve Bunting’s *Smoky Night, set in the Los Angeles riots, won the Caldecott Medal, the controversy started. Should picture books avoid troublesome social issues? Children’s Writer* concluded that writers can and should address social issues. Then we showed how to do it without assaulting young readers’ tender sensibilities.
*Tip:*	The teenage market is booming behind the surge in their numbers, already 80 million strong and not peaking until 2005. Editors from HarperCollins, Simon Pulse at Simon & Schuster, Greenwillow, and Walker Books said that they especially want books on relationships, friendships, and romance. That holds even for boys as long as the book has lots of humor and the word “romance” is not on the cover.
	While the children’s market is strong, the competition to get published is keen. You need *Children’s Writer*—the competitive edge. Subscribe today.

Children's Writer Newsletter
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