Magazine Markets for Children’s Writers™ 2012

—MORE ACCESSIBLE THAN EVER BEFORE. Children’s writers who write to sell will find everything they need to conquer the children’s magazine market in this latest edition of Magazine Markets for Children’s Writers. Newly organized into categories for children and teens, education, classroom, parenting, and religious, more than 600 of 2012’s most promising magazine markets are at your fingertips.

• 673 publication listings, including 64 new markets
• An all-new section on the important aspects of being a successful writer that includes idea generation, Internet generation, Internet research, school curricula, submissions materials and techniques, and rights and payment.
• 50 writing contests

408 pages. Size: 7 x 9. $26.95 (C$26.95 in Canada).

Book Markets for Children’s Writers™ 2012
—NEWLY REDESIGNED AND REVISED  In its most thorough and expansive revision ever, Book Markets for Children’s Writers 2012 features a new and improved organization for quicker access to listings, tips on selling to specific types of markets, and useful cross-references to relationships between and among publishers. It also includes an all-new introduction on writing for the 2012 market that tells how to build your writing “platform” in the digital age, as well as:

• 612 completely updated publisher listings
• 73 new markets
• 30 literary agents, including contact names and preferences
• 58 writing contests and grant opportunities
• Easy-access listings divided according to trade, classroom, educators, religious, and material of interest to children and teens

616 pages. Size: 6 x 9. $26.95 (C$26.95 in Canada).

Writer’s Guide to 2012
A smart writing strategy will always pay off…the key to getting published lies in knowing the market.
     With the timely and insightful information found in the all-new Writer’s Guide, you’ll be well on your way to publishing more in 2012. Its 432 pages divulge more inside information from some of today’s top editors, agents, and authors about current market needs and trends than any other source for writers. As inspirational as it is helpful, you’ll also find a wealth of ideas to spark your imagination and increase productivity. Written specifically with the goal of publication in mind, Writer Guide to 2012 arms you with everything you need to approach the market with confidence—and get results

     Topics include:

• E-tailers, Ebooks, and E-readers: Electronic publishing is exploding…find out how it is transforming the publishing world and how you can get in on it.
• Discover the newly emerging genres, including flash fiction, skinny fiction, sudden fiction, postcard fiction and 18 more.
• An inside look at how to create a website, maximize its traffic, and use social media to widen your publishing opportunities.
• Why Charles Darwin would have loved Facebook and writers should too.
• The key to writing a book that makes an impact, and much more!

432 pages. Size: 6 x 9. $23.95 (C$23.95 in Canada).

The Best of the Magazine Markets® for Writers 2012

Here’s your next writing job!

If you only make one change in your freelance writing strategy this year, make it this one: Even excellent writing rarely sells itself. Turn your best writing into published writing with the all-new Best of the Magazine Markets for Writers 2012.

      This powerful marketing tool contains the 1,857 markets—including 143 completely new markets—that are most relevant to writers, with listings that highlight each magazine’s receptivity to unpublished writers or to previously published authors who are new to that magazine.

      Editors’ comments, magazine profiles, and sample article analyses provide you with the information you need to make a targeted pitch.

      You’ll also find:

• 90+ writing contests
• Cover and query letter samples
• Feature articles on markets for short fiction, humor, and career writing.

744 pages. Size: 7" x 9". $27.95 (C$27.95 in Canada).

More Writer's First Aid: Getting the Writing Done

You won’t actually find bandages or medicine in her latest self-help book, More Writer's First Aid. But in 48 chapters, you will find cures for dealing with disappointment and jealousy, writing despite physical and emotional pain, banishing procrastination once and for all, and combining writing with babies, bylines, and school-age children.

     While your personal challenges and obstacles may not be the same as Kristi Holl’s, her experience in mentoring hundreds of writers over 25 years has given her clear insight into the problems that beset writers of every stripe. You’ll find that the 48 situations she describes are very familiar, and you’ll find her solutions ingenious, simple, practical, and most of all effective.

     Kristi Holl has 42 books published in 30 years of writing, has taught writing for the Institute of Children's Literature for more than 25 years, and has guided, mentored, and taught hundreds of aspiring writers.

192 pages. Size: 6 x 9. $23.95 (C$23.95 in Canada).

Anatomy of Nonfiction
Did you know . . . that there are 8 nonfiction publishing opportunities for every 1 fiction publishing opportunity?

     Join the ranks of respected writers who are successfully publishing in today’s booming nonfiction market with the help of Anatomy of Nonfiction. New from award-winning children’s book writers Margery Facklam and Peggy Thomas, Anatomy of Nonfiction provides an instructive, inspiring, and engaging roadmap for producing publishable works of nonfiction.  

     With input from more than 70 authors, editors, publishers, and librarians, Facklam and Thomas show you:

• what makes a marketable idea and how to find one
• research methods that editors love
• designing a compelling plot around your true story
• crafting query letters that work, and much more

     Adopt their strategies as your own and watch your writing career flourish. 240 pages. Size: 7 x 9. $23.95 (C$23.95 in Canada).

Voices in Today's Magazines
Here’s a piece of advice that never gets old: Writers must be readers. Voices inspires by example. It features 81 contemporary, published works of fiction and nonfiction, including science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, travel, food, sports, health, self-help, and many others. An added bonus: Each piece includes commentary from the author. You’ll gain an insider’s view of the challenges they faced in writing and revising, and the steps they took to find receptive markets for their work. Created specifically to nurture aspiring writers, this unique collection provides the inspiration you need to refine your own writing voice, and enhances your understanding of the publishing process. 339 pages. Size: 7 x 9. $19.95 (C$19.95 in Canada).
     And, as part of your free-examination of Voices, you will get as an added bonus “The Writer's Eye,” a 10-page study guide available online that helps you zoom in on the specific technique you’re working on.

Word Magic for Writers
The power of prose can turn a dull description into a masterful characterization—if you know what to do. Using hundreds of examples from literature, speeches, and other published works, wordsmith Cindy Rogers reveals proven language devices and secrets that will help you lure readers and win over audiences like a pro. 272 pages. Size: 6 x 9. $19.95 (C$22.95 in Canada).

From Inspiration to Publication
How did one letter by a 12-year-old girl send Jim Murphy down an unexpected path? How does Marion Dane Bauer let her characters determine point of view? Join Murphy, Bauer, and 13 other award-winning authors as they share their methods for developing ideas into successful stories. 248 pages. Size: 6 x 9. $19.95 (C$19.95 in Canada).

Best of the Children’s Market
Would-be magazine writers will find a wealth of inspiration in this entertaining anthology. A showcase of 84 stories and articles from 49 magazines, Best of the Children’s Market provides ready examples of what children's magazine editors are buying—and what kids are reading. 188 pages. Size: 8 3/8 x 11. $19.95 (C$19.95 in Canada).

Pipeline to Publication Course
You may be a talented writer, but do you have what it takes to be a successful one? Now you can learn how to make it big in the children’s magazine market with the help of eight “at-home” workshops conducted by today’s leading editors and writers. Sharpen your ability to write and slant articles that are specifically targeted to a publication’s needs. Learn how to beat the 10 most common reasons for rejection. In short—become a writer that editors love.
     AND, as part of the Pipeline to Publication course, you’ll get the bonus of one-on-one interaction with a publishing professional. Before you submit anything to a magazine, send it to us FIRST, and a professional writing coach will critique your submission. It’s all part of making the most of your talent—so you can make the most of your writing career.
     EXTRA BONUS—just for looking! You will receive a free copy of the stunning novel Out of the Dust, the Newbery Medal winner by Karen Hesse, a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature. The book is yours to keep, whether or not you choose to continue with Pipeline to Publication.

Self-Editing Your Way to Publication—"Revise to Publish" Course
Children’s writers who have reached the top of their profession know that their success has come from writing AND rewriting—strengthening, polishing, perfecting, until they have a competitively publishable manuscript. Most of these revision skills have been trial-and-error, with no proven road map to follow. We have designed this new program to provide you just such a road map.
     No matter where you are in your writing—still learning the story or article form, getting ready to take the plunge of submission, or coping with the rejection slips that are the lot of every writer, the 10 innovative workshops in Self-Editing Your Way to Publication will show you how to recognize and fix weaknesses, reinforce strengths, and increase your chances of getting published. In the process, it will instill a habit of constructive self-criticism that will make you your own best editor.
     AND, as part of the Self-Editing Your Way to Publication course, you’ll get the bonus of one-on-one interaction with a publishing professional. Before you submit anything to an editor, send it to us first, and a professional writing coach will carefully evaluate its publication potential in the market you have chosen. Your coach’s comments and suggestions will appear in the margins of the returned manuscript and on the personal letter that accompanies it.
     EXTRA BONUS—just for looking! You will receive a free copy of Witness, by Newbery Medal-winning author Karen Hesse, a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature. The book is yours to keep, whether or not you choose to continue with Self-Editing Your Way to Publication.

Children’s Writer® eNews

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Writer’s First Aid, Kristi Holl’s Blog

Inspiration…motivation…determination…you’ll find it all at Institute graduate and instructor Kristi Holl’s blog, Writer’s First Aid. Sprung from Kristi’s book of the same name, blog entries aim to “alleviate the inevitable pains of the writing life, increase your writing energy, and help you make your writing dreams come true,” with new ideas and insights posted three times each week. An award-winning writer herself, Kristi has helped thousands of writers handle challenges such as writing anxiety, work habits, time management, goal-setting, and more.