Top Three Tips for New Children's Writers

So you want to write a children's book but don't know where to start? The first thing you must do is spend time researching the market. The Writers' & Artists' Yearbook is a good starting point and is an absolute 'must' for the new writer. It is, basically, a directory of publishers and their requirements but it also has a very good section in it specifically on writing for children. Aside from this guide there are a number of specialist children's book magazines on the market, general writing magazines and books on how to write for children. It is also worth spending time in your local bookshop looking at the most recently published books and, also, studying publishers' catalogues (available direct from individual publishers).

Once you have thoroughly researched the market (and I do mean thoroughly) you will be aware that different publishers publish different types of books. For example, there is no point in sending a picture book to a publisher that only publishes teenage fiction and vice versa. Targeting your work is my second big tip. Don't make the mistake of writing something and then sending it out to all and sundry in the hope that someone will take it. Study individual publishers' requirements carefully and then adapt any ideas you may have to fit in with those requirements. This doesn't mean that you can only approach one publisher with one idea. Very often an idea will suit several different publishers but - and this is important - it isn't going to suit every publisher, so be selective.

Which brings me onto my third tip - approach. It may sound like common sense but do make sure that any manuscript you send to a publisher is presentable. By that I mean that it has to look professional. It should be typed on one side of A4 sheets of paper. It has to be clean. Pages should be numbered but not joined together in any way. To keep a manuscript together some sort of folder should be used. Your manuscript should be accompanied by a brief covering letter and you should enclose return postage if you want your manuscript returned to you. If your manuscript is longer than about 15,000 words it is perfectly sufficient to send the first few chapters accompanied by a one or two page synopsis. If your manuscript is a picture book for much younger children it is not necessary to send illustrations unless you are a professional illustrator yourself. All children's publishers have their own banks of illustrators and will match an illustrator of their choice with your text.

Finally - although this isn't really a tip - do be prepared for rejection. Children's publishing is an incredibly competitive field and, except for the lucky few, not well paid. Rejection of your work is not a personal slight and I truly believe that if you believe in your story you will, eventually, find success.

This text was prepared by Louise Jordan. Louise formerly ran The Writers Advice Centre for Children's Books, which provides a full support service for new writers. The Writers Advice Centre, now run by Cherith Baldry, can be found at The Courtyard Studio, 43a Lesbourne Road, Reigate, Surrey RH2 7JS. Tel 01737 242999. E-mail WritersAdvice@aol.com