Children's Writer Guide

Dear Fellow Writer,

The crow is a very intelligent bird with keen eyesight. It nests in the tops of tall trees to see farther. No wonder that the builders of the great sailing ships named the perch of maximum vantage “the crow’s nest.” The lookouts who manned it were the sailors with the best vision.

We’re your lookouts in the crow’s nest, and this is what we see ahead for 2003:

The market for writing for children grew impressively from 1998 well into 2001, in both the book and magazine segments of the industry. New imprints, expanded lists, and genre growth all fueled the book market, although nothing had a bigger impact than the Harry Potter phenomenon. On the magazine side, new titles were launched as fast as publishers could identify apparently underserved market niches and recruit editorial staffs.

All that changed in the fall of 2001. Not only the recession, but also the aftermath of the terrorist attacks and reader responses, changed the publishing landscape. More than just a few children’s magazines were closed in 2002 and book publishers trimmed their lists. Economic pressures forced publishers away from trying new authors and untried approaches.

Now, thankfully, children’s publishing is starting another upswing. The 200+ editors, publishers, and industry experts who contributed to Children’s Writer Guide to 2003 will explain all the how’s, why’s, and why not’s. They’ll also provide their market insights and their perspectives on the latest trends in genre and writing techniques. For example . . .

The biggest news in children’s books is the burgeoning teen population, now almost 80 million strong and not peaking until 2005. They have an estimated $150 billion in spending power, influence much more, and they are reading! They are also increasingly edgy and more grown-up. Then come the “tweens,” the 8-12 year-olds we used to call middle-graders, and they are really reading, thanks in part to Harry Potter. History is hot, as are nonfiction picture books, especially biographies. Humor is always in demand. Also alive and well are young reader picture books (whose demise was prematurely forecasted last year), and adventure and mysteries for all ages. (Pages 7–28.)

Conventional wisdom is that editors do not like talking animals and rhyming texts, and fewer are being submitted. That opens opportunities if you have the skills to execute these forms well. We provide an overview of what works, with lists for eight rhyming books, eight poetry books, and 13 talking-animal books for you to study. (Pages 97–102.)

Children’s magazines were heavily impacted by the events of the fall of 2001, and at least 30 children’s titles folded in 2002. But launches are back under way, and several, such as Fun for Kidz, Ask, and Hullabaloo look like they’ll make it. Specialized classroom titles are building audiences too, including titles such as Science and Children, Connect, Crinkles, and ChemMatters. Several new girls’ magazines from the recent past are now entrenched, led by CosmoGirl!, Teen Vogue, and Elle Girl. There are new boys’ titles coming in 2003 such as Stun, Razor, Swung, King, and Smooth. Twenty editors will take you through everything that’s shaking in the children’s magazine field. (Pages 53–66.)

E-publishing is a large and rapidly expanding arena with huge readership potential. Many writers are turning to e-zines and e-book publishers to get their manuscripts into the marketplace. Should you? As four e-publishers reveal, the rules of the game are different here. (Pages 103–110.)

Your great opening will hook an editor and then, when your book or story is published, it’ll hook readers too. Four fiction editors and six writers offer advice and examples, including immediate immersion into the story, compelling voice, humor, drama, strong point of view, intrigue, a fresh concept, and others – with a book list for you to study. (Pages 141–149.)

If you can write humor, you should be able to retire early. It is probably the most sought-after genre in children’s literature, according to these eleven editors and authors. You may be able to write humor because it comes from so many places: characters, settings, plots, voice, and situations. And there are so many types of humor: situational, wordplay, silliness, exaggeration, incongruity, surprise, slapstick, parody, irony, and more. (Pages 179–187.)

We asked seven editors and authors to create 12 exercises that you should use to turn a great story idea into a great story manuscript. Included are exercises such as “interview your characters,” “take a field trip,” “send your characters some mail,” and “do some throw-out writing.” (Pages 171–177.)

In the past year there were over 115 major events in children’s publishing: new book imprint and magazine title launches, mergers, acquisitions, closings, major people moves, and important awards. Did you miss any of them? (Pages 127–137.)

In “The Perfect Partnership: Authors, Agents, & Editors,” 21 of them combine to offer you insights on when to get an agent, how to best work with agents and editors, agents’ impact on contract negotiations, and more. They include a roster of 25 leading agents. (Pages 201–208.)

We interview 13 leading editors on what they like in book proposals, what distinguishes the good ones and the great ones, and what are the mistakes writers make most often. (Pages 189–197.)

Authors’ appearances and writing workshops at schools are two activities that pull writers into the kids’ arena – a good thing, and they can pay well – a better thing. You need a good presentation and a little bravery to get started, then you’re off. (Pages 229–233.)

Thirteen editors in the field explain why religious publishing is flourishing. Parents, grandparents, and teachers want stories and books to comfort and sustain children in these troubled times, provide understanding, create hope, and instill values. Each publisher has their own niche and style, so you must study them carefully, and these 13 editors will get you started. (Pages 111–117.)

Six leading editors show you how to use time passage to create good pacing, sequencing, plotting, character development, and setting. Learn how all the senses are used to show time passage, how to manage page and chapter breaks, and more. (Pages 165–170.)

Seven writers take you on a self-discovery ride in “Why, When, & How to Quit Your Day Job,” an issue that we all hope to face some day as our fortunes as writers improve. The bottom line is that later is usually better for this wonderfully liberating move. But how will you know when the time is right? (Pages 235–240.)

Have you been admonished to “tap into the child” you once were? Maybe it wasn’t so easy. To help, we’ve developed 30 prompts for you to use to delve into your childhood, plus hundreds of memory triggers. To round it out, we’ve identified over 130 websites that cover all the nostalgia and history you’ll ever need to reconstruct your early days. (Pages 253–261.)

Maps can be very strong additions to many stories and articles. We provide a primer on the 14 types of maps available, and a source guide for finding them on the Internet. (Pages 287–292.)

The résumé that a publisher requests with your manuscript submission is a vital element in your presentation. Six editors and several writers review what you should put into your résumé, with six real life examples. (Pages 217–227.)

In profiles from the children’s book industry, editors from Dial Books for Young Readers and Grosset & Dunlap, plus book packager Bernette Ford, talk about their houses, while Newbery winner Linda Sue Park (A Single Shard) and Sibert Award winner Susan Campbell Bartoletti (Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine) talk about their books and careers. (Pages 29–52.)

In profiles from the children’s magazine industry, editors from Highlights, Pockets, Hullabaloo, Wee Ones, and Teenpreneur discuss their titles, their development and growth, and their editorial wants and needs. (Pages 67–89.)

Our updated listings of 121 writers’ contests and awards for you to enter, and our roster of 61 children’s writers’ conferences for you to attend will help keep you growing during 2003. We provide all the information you need to obtain entry forms and applications. (Pages 319–397.)

In “104 Fire Starters” the Guide provides two idea generators for every week in the year – more than you’ll need to make 2003 your best year yet. (Pages 275–284.)

Children’s Writer Guide to 2003 addresses all these issues and resources and more . . . because it’s designed to be your key source of information and ideas for months ahead. It’s a virtual tool kit for active freelancers . . . and it’s the only such guide available for the juvenile market. The last seven years’ editions completely sold out . . . and we are sure that this year’s book is the best yet.

Any one of the 416 pages in the Guide – even one key piece of information – could spell the difference between an acceptance and a rejection . . . because the Guide is market-oriented and market-driven – just like its 200+ contributing editors, writers, publishers, and industry experts.

Our goal is to help you write for the year 2003 market – and to help you get more of your writing published.

To order your copy, just click Order. If for any reason you are not totally pleased by Children’s Writer Guide to 2003, you may return it anytime up to 30 days after you receive it, and you’ll get a full refund of every cent you paid, no ifs-ands-or-buts, no hassles, guaranteed!

The market is booming. Be a part of it!

Order your Guide today! Thank you.

Copyright © The Institute, Inc., 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
No part of the electronic transmission to which this notice is appended may be reproduced or redistributed in any form or manner without the express written permission of The Institute, Inc.