Writing Children’s Books:

Writing children’s books:

Last year, I attended a great writing symposium. It is called Life the Universe and Everything last year. Here are some notes on writing children’s books.

– Picture books are an art form. Not for preschool.
– Not every picture book is for children. A couple is for adults.
– Beginning reader: readers more willing to see elephants and pics
– Again chapter books: Magic tree house second and third graders.
– Middle grade: 4 to 6 grade character is 10 to 13 years old.
– Middle grade 5 to a grade, more mature.
– YA: 15 to 20 age group. These have subject matter and age of the protagonist to match this group.
– Picture book: children like repetition of words. They don’t know the worst first couple of times but feel accomplishment when able to know the word. The fifth time on page 5.
– Make the book entertaining for both child and the adults meeting.
– One way to entertain adults is to put adult humor in the art.
– Picture books are a big story in fewer words needs to use fewer words, but not lose the concept of the story.
– If not well written than the gatekeepers won’t buy the book. In the book the child is assaulted own problem.
– Smart fiction is a story that pulls kids in but has enough character and plot development to entertain adults.
– What you need to do to ramp up or rent down on children’s books: eight. You don’t have to write down the kids B: need to have something happen right away. C: pump up the humor and action. D: don’t give unimportant information. For example, don’t describe the carpet.
– Short, quick text for picture books get the pages moving tone down the romance and middle grade message should be part of the fabric of the story.
– Don’t use humor, when you’re trying to build tension.
– There will always be a market for nonfiction books, especially in the Bible belt.
– Boys love how to nonfiction, such as building tanks building ships, etc. whatever you decide to write, write it well.
– Write books about space.
– Kids taste was buried as adult interests.
– Promotion can be through school assemblies, book signings, library events and social media.
– Old ladies at church by books for Jen kids.
– Majority of picture book and middle grade books are still hard copy.
– Teach kids to love reading my having books at different points of the house.