How to Write for Children and Get Published

by Louise Jordan

Huge numbers of people want to write for children, but it is notoriously difficult to find a publisher in this increasingly comeptitive area. This inspiring and practical guide from acknowledged expert on children's publishing Louise Jordan, will show you how to make your work stand out from the crowd and appeal to commissioning editors, and, of course, your intended audience.

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 26, 1998

Reviews

[Kath · Rating 1 out of 5]

There was some useful information in here but overall I don't think there was much to help me. The book is now very outdated - This is the latest edition, updated in 2010. I also found the style patronising, addressing the 'Reader'. Its not an encouraging book, its quite depressing and almost leaves you wondering if there is much point trying to get published at all. I was particularly repulsed by the chapter talking about which subjects/content to choose and Jordon seems to be suggesting that there's nothing you can choose that's not already been done 1000 times better already! Now some people may believe this to be true, but its not an encouraging comment for an aspiring writer. This is definitely not a craft book I will be revisiting. Its opened up more questions for me which I will have to go away and clarify answers from elsewhere.

[Lucía Urquiaga · Rating 2 out of 5]

No está mal. Tampoco muy bien. Elegí esta lectura para practicar el inglés y mejorar en la escritura para niños, pero me quedo con los avances en lo primero, desde luego.

Es un libro bastante desactualizado, con un puñado de consejos atemporales útiles y mucha paja de información obsoleta sobre la industria editorial.

Incluye algún ejercicio interesante y la redacción es clara y accesible, animando al lector a la escritura. Lo veo como un manual de consulta curioso que puede llegar a aportar alguna idea chula, pero poquito más

[Mr Stephen Haunts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good info here but I find the writers style a little negative and patronising at times.

[Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative but a little out-dated.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

The opening chapters are perhaps the most useful, examining the children's markets and the importance of word count, subject matter and fitting in with a series (in many cases) to fit with publishers' specific imprints.

Most of the rest is general advice about writing, which wasn’t new to me, although it was interesting to read examples from published children’s books to illustrate points: the importance of the viewpoint character, for instance, and the kind of subject matter that can be used with children’s books, both fiction and non-fiction.

Overall, this is a well-presented book, clearly written, with plenty of solid advice. The final section, on submitting a manuscript to a publisher or agent and discussing contracts is one that I skimmed but would certainly return to if, at some point, I reach this stage.

Definitely recommended to anyone considering writing a children’s book, whether a picture book for babies or a novel for teens, or anything in between. Four and a half stars, really.

[Maria Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book some time ago, long before my first children's book was published . I read most of it again ) during the past week as I felt I needed a refresher course, to help get my mojo back for this next book. I like the way the book is laid out, so if you are only interested in one age group (i.e. picture books) you can simply read the chapters relating to it. However I recommend it to all writers as there are some really useful tips and tools regarding plotting, characters and viewpoint.

[Rebecca E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to the difficult world of writing for children. Covers all age groups, advice on language and themes, and a really good list of further resources. Only a skim across all the important stuff, but it's all covered and will definitely help as a starting point if you're thinking of having a go!

[Dreamydreamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is packed full of information. I'm swimming in it all. The title suggests '. . . How to get published' I'm not sure it's possible that you can get published after reading this. Every avenue seems blocked. We'll see if this book helps in a few years time when I'm published or not (as I am warned)!