7 Secret Keys to What Publishers Really Want

It’s the mystery that keeps authors up at night: What do publishers really want in a middle grade or YA?

Well, seven things.

AUDIENCE
They want a manuscript that takes into account the DUAL NATURE of the audience. When it comes to children’s novels, you’re writing for kids AND adults.CHARACTER
Publishers want COMPELLING characters that readers like and empathize with.POINT OF VIEW
They want a LIMITED number of points of view.TONE & VOICE
Publishers want a kid ACCURATE voice that matches the STYLE of the tone.PLOTTING
They want a well-plotted book that keeps the reader TURNING the page.PACING
Publishers want DYNAMIC pacing that keeps the reader’s attention.PROMOTION
They want authors with a following and a SOCIAL MEDIA presence and NEWSLETTER that can engage with readers and leave them hungry to read more.

The list is simple, but what do each of these actually mean, right?

If you would like us to do our (usually live at an event) training on the 7 Secret Keys Publishers Really Want for our writing family, just sign up here and we’ll set up a web training for the fam!