Writing Children's Books for Dummies (Paperback)

~ (Author), (Author) "For many, dreams of writing a children's book remain just that - dreams - because they soon find out that writing a really good children's..." (more)
Key Phrases: spellbinding story, writing dialogue, researching your audience, Immersing Yourself, Penguin Young Readers Group, Creating Compelling Characters (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The fun and easy way to write a childrens book that will impress any publishing house

The childrens book market can be difficult to crack for first-time authors. This friendly guide shows would-be J. K. Rowlings how to maximize their chances of success, offering practical, proven tips on developing book ideas, attending publishing conferences, writing a winning proposal, finding an agent, submitting to the right publisher, working with an editor, and more. It describes the differences between various types of childrens books and explains exactly what it takes to make the grade with each, including savvy advice on honing voice, descriptions, characters, plot, and pacing.

From the Back Cover

Create captivating characters, spellbinding stories, and snappy dialogue

Get the inside scoop on writing and selling your children's book!

Want to write a great children's book and make it stand out from the crowd? This easy-to-follow guide provides step-by-step instruction in everything you need to know, from crafting a unique manuscript to finding an agent. You get savvy advice and tips on navigating the entire publishing process and turning your dream into a well-written, saleable book!

Discover how to

• Brainstorm great ideas
• Rhyme & use humor
• Write a great story
• Polish & edit your words
• Find a great agent
• Sell to publishers
• Promote & publicize your book

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (April 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764537288
• ISBN-13: 978-0764537288
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #10,927 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

109 of 111 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended reading for children's writers, August 5, 2005

By	Peggy Tibbetts (Silt, CO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For almost 5 years, I've doled out advice in my monthly column for children's writers, Advice from a Caterpillar at Writing-World.com. I must confess I cringe a little as I hit the send button whenever I am advising a reader to read a book with "dummies" in the title. But then, that's the whole point. "Writing Children's Books for Dummies" has only been out a few months and I'm already recommending it to my readers! Of course it is never my intention to insult anyone, but the truth is, over the years, I've been asked some pretty dumb questions. The great thing is this book has the answers.

Much more than a how-to manual, "Writing Children's Books for Dummies" is comprehensive; covering everything from what motivates you to write for children to genres to the children's book market. Yet readers will find plenty of advice such as, how to craft your story, write nonfiction, find a publisher, and market your book. With the help of the thorough table of contents and index, information on a specific topic is easy to find.

As a columnist for children's writers I am particularly impressed with Chapter 2: Children's Book Formats and Genres, and Chapter 3: Understanding the Children's Book Market. The biggest mistake prospective children's writers make is that they simply do not know enough about the age group or market they're writing for. Until now, I lacked a single resource to refer my readers to -- but this is definitely it. Lisa Buccieri is a publishing executive with over 15 years' experience in the business, so readers can take her word for it.

But wait -- there's more! Experienced authors will find plenty to sink their teeth into. Authors Buccieri and Economy dish up the real meat of children's writing by including chapters on plot, dialogue, point of view, and the awesome task of editing your own work. Authors will love the chapters on agents, contracts, and Ten Best Ways to Promote Your Story.

A reader once wrote to me: "I'd like to write for children but I can't think of any story ideas. Where can I find story ideas?" Well, guess what -- Chapter 20 offers More than Ten Great Sources for Storylines, which is more like 12 full pages of story ideas. Rich Tennant's "The 5th Wave" cartoons, plus interviews with authors, editors, and agents generously sprinkled throughout contribute to the excellence of this book and catapults it to the top of my list of recommended reading for children's writers.

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly helpful, but a little bit dense for a "for dummies" book, April 11, 2006

By	H. Grove "owling6683" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This book is so full of utterly indispensible advice that it's a wonder it doesn't explode in a shower of confetti and punctuation. On every single page you'll find information that could help you plan, write, publish, or publicize your children's book. The book covers every single aspect of the process that I can imagine, from brainstorming to editing, finding an agent to signing contracts, self-publishing to promoting your book.

The advice found here is positive yet realistic, honest about what you need to do to succeed without being harsh. It gives you the tools you need to improve your work, develop your skills, and polish your professionalism. One of the most useful features is the scattered collection of interviews with professional publishers, editors, and writers, all of whom give you straight-up helpful information about what to do (and what to avoid) when trying to get published.

If you're totally unfamiliar with the professional publishing world you'll find plenty here to introduce you, but even if you're an experienced writer just looking for childrens'-book-specific advice this book is worth your time. My one concern is that the legal information isn't as consistently basic as the rest of the information, and if they're aiming this book at beginners then I'd think that'd be one of the scarier and more alien sections, in need of extra hand-holding help. Legal information in particular tends to make starry-eyed beginners curl up in the fetal position, and I think this material could have used a bit more work to make it accessible.

As fantastically useful as the information is, I did find it harder to stay focused on this book than I do with some others. It gets rather dense with material, and although there are definitely some bright spots of humor, they're a little scarce for a book of this type. Humor is such an invaluable tool for getting frightened beginners to loosen up and absorb information. Other than that, however, the writing is clear and thorough. So if you don't need that kind of help to get through the information you need then this book will be a fantastic aid to you.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Primer on Writing for Children from Newborn to Teens, October 17, 2005

By	An aspiring children's writer (San Diego) - See all my reviews

This is a great primer on writing for children from newborn to teens. I've had a children's book roughed out for the past decade, but never quite knew what age to gear it for, or what language to use. Now I know and am ready to shape up my manuscript with confidence.

The tear-out cheat sheet by itself (in front of Writing Children's Books for Dummies) justifies buying this book. It lays out the bare-bones of writing for children - things I could never have figured out by myself, such as Children's Book No-No's, and the Twelve Commandments of writing for Children - these will save me lots of time and effortin the rewrite stage.

Highly recommended - Not just as a writing primer, but as a way to understand young children's minds in general.