A Simple Guide to
Children’s Book Writing
By Mary Kole
Mary Kole is a former literary agent, freelance editor, writing teacher, author of Writing Irresistible Kidlit, and IP developer for major publishers, with over a decade in the publishing industry.
Children’s book writing is an amazing goal—creating books for the next generation of readers can be incredibly fun and rewarding. There are endless possibilities for interesting stories, characters, and book ideas, and you will never have more dedicated readers. But the process of children’s book writing and publishing is not always straightforward. If you want to learn about this very specific market, you’ll want to consider the best practices and guidelines in this article as you bring your idea to life.
Children’s Book Writing Step One: Learning the Market
You won’t get very far in children’s book writing if you don’t consider that there are actually at least six types of children’s books, from board books for babies to books for young adults. And each category (not “genre”!) has its own requirements and guidelines. Children’s book writing is so specific because you are creating stories for readers who might not be reading yet. The three biggest categories are picture books, middle grade, and young adult, but other opportunities abound. Make sure you research children’s book age ranges and children’s book word count guidelines (e.g. picture books typically target readers between three and five years old and come in at about 600 words). Only once you know which type of children’s book writing you actually want to do should you start honing in on your book idea.
Children’s Book Writing Step Two: Creating Your Idea
Now that you know the guidelines of children’s book writing, you will want to create the most robust idea possible. Think about what topics or universal themes that interest today’s young readers. Though a word of warning here—you do not want to moralize or lecture with your children’s book writing. I’d strongly discourage you from trying to enter this market if you are expecting it to give you a soapbox.
If you’re having trouble thinking of an idea, read as much contemporary childrens’ book writing as you can. Don’t just rely on your memories of books you read during your own childhood. The market has really changed in the last few decades, and your work should reflect modern sensibilities.
Children’s Book Writing Step Three: Drafting Your Story
Once you have settled on an idea, it’s time to start a story outline. Think of a relatable character who is a similar age to your target audience, and who has a strong objective and a conflict to overcome. They should be proactive and empowered (within reason, especially for younger characters). Focus on your storytelling at this point, but pay attention to your tone and writing voice and language, too. It doesn’t hurt to read your children’s book writing aloud as you craft your manuscript, just to train your ear. Remember, certain categories, like picture books, rely on their readaloud potential, so it makes sense to write them that way from the start.
As with any type of writing, it's important to take your time crafting each sentence carefully since this will be the foundation of your final story. When you only have 600 words in a project, you have to make each one count. If your type of children’s book has illustrations, make sure to consider what your pictures will “say” to readers as you’re writing. Don’t forget to use dialogue, scene setting, and imagery, where appropriate, or let any potential pictures do this work for you.
Children’s Book Writing Step Four: Revision
Once you have finished drafting your story, it’s time for self-editing! This process involves looking critically at the bigger picture of your story structure and your protagonist’s character arc over the course of the manuscript. After you have the big details finalized, examine your children’s book writing on the sentence and paragraph level. This is a good time to make sure that age-appropriate language is used throughout—this could mean adjusting word choice or breaking up sentence syntax so that newly independent readers can make their way through your writing. At this point, you will want to solicit writing notes from a critique partner, or even a freelance editor, and then consider your publishing strategy.
At every step in your children’s book writing process, you will want to make intentional and informed decisions—from researching the market to revising your draft ahead of publication. The key is to remember that each children’s book category has its own set of rules, and from there, you can showcase your unique storytelling.
Click here to purchase Writing Irresistible Kidlit, my book on fiction craft for MG and YA novels, out from Writer's Digest Books. This will show you my writing craft philosophy and give you lots of valuable advice, including tips for the novel revision process and self-editing. There are over 35 example novels cited and discussed throughout. It’s a valuable resource for any writer’s toolkit.