Writing Children's Books For Dummies book cover

Writing Children's Books For Dummies

Overview

Create the next very hungry caterpillar, big red dog, or cat in the hat with a hand from this trusted guide

In Writing Children’s Books For Dummies, you’ll learn what to write between “Once upon a time . . .” and “The End” as you dive into chapters about getting started writing, how to build great characters, and how to design a dramatic plot. On top of the technical writing advice, you’ll discover how talented illustrators work and how to find an agent. The newest edition of this popular For Dummies title even shows you how to choose a publisher—or self-publish—and how to use social media and other marketing and PR to get the word out about your new masterpiece.

In the book, you’ll learn about:

  • The fundamentals of writing for children, including common book formats and genres, and the structure of the children’s book market
  • Creating a spellbinding story with scene description, engaging dialogue, and a child-friendly tone
  • Polishing your story to a radiant shine with careful editing and rewriting
  • Making the choice between a traditional publisher, a hybrid publisher, or self-publishing
  • Using the most-effective marketing and publicity techniques to get your book noticed

Perfect for anyone who’s ever dreamed of creating the next Ferdinand the Bull or Grinch, Writing Children’s Books For Dummies is an essential, easy-to-read guide for budding children’s authors everywhere.

Create the next very hungry caterpillar, big red dog, or cat in the hat with a hand from this trusted guide

In Writing Children’s Books For Dummies, you’ll learn what to write between “Once upon a time . . .” and “The End” as you dive into chapters about getting started writing, how to build great characters, and how to design a dramatic plot. On top of the technical writing advice, you’ll discover how talented illustrators work and how to find an agent. The newest edition of this popular For Dummies title even shows you how to choose a publisher—or self-publish—and how to use social media and other marketing and PR to get the word out about your new masterpiece.

In the book, you’ll learn about:

  • The
fundamentals of writing for children, including common book formats and genres, and the structure of the children’s book market
  • Creating a spellbinding story with scene description, engaging dialogue, and a child-friendly tone
  • Polishing your story to a radiant shine with careful editing and rewriting
  • Making the choice between a traditional publisher, a hybrid publisher, or self-publishing
  • Using the most-effective marketing and publicity techniques to get your book noticed
  • Perfect for anyone who’s ever dreamed of creating the next Ferdinand the Bull or Grinch, Writing Children’s Books For Dummies is an essential, easy-to-read guide for budding children’s authors everywhere.

    Writing Children's Books For Dummies Cheat Sheet

    When you explore writing children's books, you enter a different world, one filled with book formats — from board books to young adult novels — and a whole different set of rules to follow and restrictions to heed for each. If you want to become a successful children's book author, you need to know how to edit your work and how to promote your book.

    Articles From The Book

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    Writing Articles

    Tips for Writing Books for Younger Children

    The rules for writing books for younger children (ages 2–8) are different from the rules for writing books for middle graders or young adults. Keep the following 12 commandments in mind. (As with most commandments, you may be able to dance around one or two, but you'd better have a good reason.)

    • It's okay to be different from others, but it's not easy.

    • Bad guys never win.

    • The good guy must come out on top in the end.

    • Extremes rule (the world is black or white, not both — most children ages 10 and under can be quite literal).

    • All characters should be drawn with both good points and weaknesses. No one is just one or the other — even the good and the bad guy.

    • It's fine for something to be scary, but it can never touch a little kid's body.

    • Little people can triumph over big people.

    • Poopoo, peepee, tushies, passing gas, burping, underwear — they're all hilarious.

    • Turning things upside down is funny — as long as those things make sense in the first place right side up.

    • Magic can occur as a logical reaction to an action.

    • Regular children can perform extraordinary feats.

    • Regular children can go on implausible missions sanctioned (or not) by adults in charge.

    Writing Articles

    What Not to Do when Writing Children's Books

    Just as writing children’s books has a unique set of rules to follow (you know that the good guy or gal always wins), there are some things you should never do — never! Don’t even consider doing any of the following in a book for children:

    • Write books that preach or lecture.

    • Talk down to children as if they're small, idiotic adults.

    • Write books that have no real story (nor a plot with beginning, middle, end).

    • Use art that is totally inappropriate for the story or vice versa.

    • Pack picture books with lots of text.

    • Pack nonfiction books with too much text and too few visuals.

    • Create characters who are boring or unnecessary to the development of the story.

    • Create main characters who have a problem they don't solve themselves or who don't change throughout the course of the story.

    • Tell instead of showing by using narrative as a soapbox.

    • Anthropomorphize animals or use alliterative names (Squishy Squirrel, Morty Mole — Wretched Writer).

    Writing Articles

    How to Promote Your Children's Book

    After you've written a children's book, you have to sell it — you didn't spend all that time and effort just to entertain yourself, did you? Try to accomplish one of the following tasks each week to help your labor of love blossom to life in the marketplace:

    • Add new content weekly to your website or blog to keep it fresh.

    • Explore live readings in bookstores, schools, or libraries.

    • Submit your book for an award or prize—or ask the publisher to do so.

    • Consider creating a trailer for your book and an interview with yourself to post on YouTube.

    • Use Facebook, Twitter, and other social media to keep fans updated on professional news related to your book or your writing (or illustrating).