How to Write Nonfiction Children’s Books
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.
This article is all about how to write nonfiction children’s books, including advice on nonfiction children’s books age group, nonfiction children’s books word count, nonfiction children’s books page count, how to write a nonfiction children’s books query letter, and how to find nonfiction children’s books literary agents and publishers. But first, let’s define what “nonfiction children’s books” actually means, as this is a potential point of contention!
How to Write Nonfiction Children’s Books
Nonfiction children’s books are books written for younger readers and cover educational topics. The most suitable medium for nonfiction children’s books is the illustrated picture book. Books in this category can cover a range of topics, like biographies, animals, math, science, and history. To make sure that these books are purchased by schools and libraries, they need to have an appropriate tie to curriculum for the relevant grade level.
If you’re interested in learning how to write a nonfiction picture book, your chances of success increase if you select a captivating subject or use a unique perspective on an existing theme. Do we need another biography of Abraham Lincoln? Another description of the water cycle? It’s more likely that your work will be successful when you focus on a lesser-known figure from history, or examine water as an energy resource, for example. If you have qualifications related to the topic, like expertise in the field or relevant experience, this can give you a competitive edge in nonfiction children’s books.
Nonfiction Children’s Books: Age Group
For the most part, the nonfiction children’s book age group is older than the general picture book audience. Smart writers know that nonfiction children’s books are divided by category, age, and reading level. For most nonfiction children’s books, the readers are five years or older. Nonfiction children’s books towards children can be incorporated into teaching plans up until the upper elementary school grades, depending on the complexity of the material and additional features like the afterword, a glossary, etc.
Nonfiction Children’s Books: Word Count
The number of words in nonfiction children’s books varies depending on the quantity of information being shared. These books for younger audiences typically contain around 1,000 words. However, with additional material including an afterword, author’s note, glossary and bibliography, the total word count can be as high as 3,000. This extra content is usually included to make the book more appealing to library and school buyers.
Nonfiction Children’s Books: Page Count
The page count for nonfiction children’s books is looser than the page count of a regular picture book, which typically is 32 pages. Nonfiction children’s books can range in length; though some are only 32 pages long, other projects may consist of 40, 48, 56 or 64 pages. This difference also depends on how much content there is within the back matter, like the afterword, author note, teacher guide, glossary and bibliography (to name just a few).
Special Considerations for Nonfiction Children’s Books
Nonfiction books for kids can be a tough category if you want to include fiction storytelling. A good example of this conceit at work is the Magic School Bus series by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen. This type of book combines fictional characters and storylines with factual content. The invented characters dialogue within the lessons, but they should not overtake the chance to learn facts. These narrative nonfiction children’s books need to stay heavily rooted in fact-based material. Otherwise, there’s a risk of dropping into an area between fiction and nonfiction that could make it harder to get published.
How to Write Nonfiction Children’s Books For Publication
If you're wondering how to write nonfiction children’s books and get them published, the process is similar to that of writing fiction. While some publishers of nonfiction children’s books will consider manuscripts from writers directly, many require agented submissions. You must have a complete manuscript with any back matter for consideration, as well as a query letter detailing your project and qualifications for writing it. In today's competitive market, publishers are looking for new, unique stories rather than the same old topics. If you can come up with an original idea, you have a much better chance of getting your book published.
This post contains affiliate links.
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.
Click here to purchase Successful Query Letters, my book on query letters, including over forty examples with comprehensive notes on each one. There’s a ton of submission advice, best practices, and insider information in these pages, and you’ll really enjoy seeing what other writers are doing in the slush.