“At first, I thought I’d probably return the book. Then I flipped through it.  Then, when I began to underline I knew I was keeping it!  What a wealth of information.”
—Claire Bryant, children’s writer

Dear Fellow Writer,

      Both new and established children’s writers keep sending in unsolicited praise saying that our annual Children’s Writer Guide provides them with invaluable aids to publication that they don’t find anywhere else.

       To power your writing to increased sales in today’s marketplace, Children’s Writer Guide to 2009 packs hundreds and hundreds of shrewd insider tips, market-tested strategies, and pointed insights from more than 250 leading editors, publishers, and authors in the children’s field. 

       It all adds up to 424 pages of writers’ gold—that essential information you need to profit from the new players, new priorities, and important shifts in children’s magazine and book publishing.  For example—

New imprints have been launched

      Exciting new book imprints emerged in the past year: Beach Lane Books and Little Green Books (Simon & Schuster); Bowen Press and Balzer & Bray (HarperCollins); Christy Ottaviano Books (Henry Holt); Flash Point and David Macaulay Studio (Roaring Brook); Marimba Books (Kensington Books); and more. 

       Then there were the international arrivals, new to our American shores: Egmont USA and Mathew Price. And we had big mergers, like that of Harcourt and Houghton Mifflin, that meant a cascade of revised editor rosters that every writer should know about.  Sadly, there were some surprising ends too, such as Stephen Roxburgh suddenly leaving Front Street Books, and the closing of Joanna Cotler Books.

Young adult market expanding,
especially graphic novels

      Young adult fiction and nonfiction for all ages remain bedrock. Lee & Low is newly entering the teen market. Graphic novels are a more and more pervasive presence.  In Children’s Writer Guide to 2009 you'll hear from editors at Graphix (Scholastic); Amulet Books (Abrams); Charlesbridge; Bowen Press; Little, Brown; Atheneum; Tor Books; and Holiday House about how the face of children’s publishing is changing with the eruption of graphic books.

       Veteran David Fickling, with his own Random House imprint, contributes to the wide-ranging conversation on how nonfiction is more innovative than ever.  Macmillan is actively building its children’s business, especially through nonfiction at Roaring Brook.  You’ll learn about the growth and needs at Lee & Low, Feiwel and Friends, Sylvan Dell, Black Dog & Leventhal (Workman), and Holiday House.

That’s a lot of good news for that
book manuscript you’re working on!

      Magazines are holding their own, according to the experts, and a good number of new magazines have also debuted. They tend to be small, tightly targeted, and passionate: Faithful Sister, Labyrinth’s Door, brass, KidSpirit, Conservationist for Kids, WWE Kids, and more.  While CosmoGirl is now gone, Girls’ Life is thriving.

Middle-grade up-and-coming

      The brightest light in book publishing today might be middle-grade.  Editors at Lee & Low Books, Margaret K. McElderry, and Egmont USA want more fiction submissions specifically for middle-graders.  Editors characterize middle-grade readers as exuberant, savvy, innocent, connected, busy, smart, skeptical, curious, open, without judgment, often obsessed with series, and hard to fool.

        You’ll also hear from editors at HarperCollins, Charlesbridge, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Blooming Tree Press, and Bowen Press.  Among magazines, Cobblestone, Dig, Faces, Highlights, Nature Friend, Hopscotch, Boys’ Quest, Fun For Kidz, the Children’s Better Health Institute (CBHI) group of magazines, and the new Labyrinth’s Door all address the middle-grades, one of the fastest growing segments of the population to come along since the baby boomers.

      Exploding new environmental magazines 

      The eco magazine segment is blossoming with Boho, Positively Green, Green Guide (purchased by the National Geographic Society), Good Life Living Green, and Mindful Mama.  Further, well-respected magazines like Highlights for Children and Pockets are actively seeking environmental submissions.

       Guide 2009 also helps writers identify healthy markets and direct their work to them.  What categories are flourishing?  Which publishers have had changes in staff?  Which publications or imprints have been re-designed or redirected?  You’ll find insights such as . . .

• The five magazines of CBHI have been closed to submissions for a number of years.  Editor Daniel Lee reveals that the past year has brought new direction and more openness, and soon he plans to buy specifically for the Web.
   

• Regionals and parenting magazines are continuing to prosper.  The venerable Parenting is splitting into two publications, for families with children ages 0-5 and 5-10.  New to the category are Dane County Parent, Mindful Mama, KidsLA, and Kidz Rule USA.
   

• Learn which magazines don’t want to live on “a steady diet of fantasy and folklore” anymore.  These editors want to see more science fiction, historical fiction, adventure, and modern-day stories set in other countries or within specific cultures in the United States.

 In addition, you’ll read about:

• Blending the hip and traditional for girls. Learn about the accessibility, appeal, and art of good chick lit from publishers such as Flux, Speak, Simon Pulse, and Delacorte.
   

• The realities of faith writing for teens-how writers impart the reality of hope and the comfort of faith.  Writers and editors for River Oak/Cook Communications, Sharing the Victory, Clear Horizon, and Connected talk about teens’ true life stories.
   

• Reference books don’t have to be dictionaries or atlases or encyclopedias-they can also be seriously silly and anything but dry.  Publishers like Scholastic, Holiday House, Henry Holt, G. P. Putnam’s, Simon & Schuster, Candlewick, and others offer appealing, lighthearted, vibrant, yet spot-on reference books and nonfiction. 

Essential for survival, critical to growth

      In today’s competitive and uncertain market, it’s imperative that writers optimize every submission.  Readers of Guide 2009 will learn:  

• How so much fiction goes back to Shakespeare, mythology, fairy tales, or the Bible.
• When breaking the rules of structure can get an editor's attention.
• How to lift your good work into the “excellent” category with extras.
• The process of revising picture books, nonfiction, and novels.
• The best proportions for hook/pitch/body/credentials in queries.
• The importance of follow-up with shrinking editorial staffs.

Even more, you’ll get:

• The inside scoop on the acquisitions process at Philomel, G. P. Putnam’s, Alfred A. Knopf, Bloomsbury/Walker Books, and Albert Whitman.
• Red flags to watch out for in contract negotiations; and where to get professional help other than from an agent.
• Ways to schmooze for fun and profit.

      There’s so much more, in 424 pages packed with writers’ protein, all of it conveniently organized so that you can quickly find the specific guidance you need to make 2009 your best year ever.

      Editors tell it to us like it really is because of the strong bonds of trust and mutual respect we at Children’s Writer newsletter and the Institute of Children’s Literature have forged with them over the years.

Successful children’s authors swear by it!

“Thank you for the opportunity to read and use this wonderful book. It contains a wealth of information and inspiration. I highly recommend Children’s Writer Guide.”
—Jennifer Watts, Clayton, GA

“Children’s Writer Guide is full of great ideas, pointers, and information. You really know how to keep writing fun! Thank you.”
—Traci Conrad, McKee, KY

“Timely, encouraging, and full of surprises! Thanks for
encouraging writers in their craft and for offering
such thought-provoking articles and suggestions.”

—Glynis Belec, Drayton, ON, Canada

“What a book! It serves a full menu of guidelines and information that no children’s writer should be without. I feel like writing again!”

—Aubin Marie, Muenster, SK, Canada

“I enjoy reading the book in my spare time. It has so many helpful hints and gets me inspired to write! It reminds me of one big Children’s Writer newsletter. I wish there was even more in it!”

—Becca Johnson, Oak Run, CA

“I’d be lost without this book as a reference. It would be like paddling a canoe without the oars. It’s well done and informative—a must have.”

—Sr. Mary Laerence Hiti, Columbia, PA

“Fabulous book—it keeps me informed and up-to-date.
It gets my writing juices flowing.”

—Candy Teske, Douglas, GA

 Don’t take the word of our enthusiastic readers. Don’t take our word. Find out yourself—at no obligation—what Children’s Writer Guide to 2009 can do for your writing career in the coming year.

FREE EXAMINATION
GUARANTEE

      Use the Guide for 30 days. If you don’t find the Guide as valuable as we think you will during your free examination period, simply return the book to us and we’ll refund the full purchase price you paid.

      No questions asked. No hassles. Guaranteed.

      If you’d like to receive Children’s Writer Guide to 2008 for a 30-day, no-risk examination, simply complete the order form today.

      Just click on Order Now.

Susan M. Tierney
Editor in Chief