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Writing Irresistible Kidlit: The Ultimate Guide to Crafting Fiction for Young Adult and Middle Grade Readers Paperback – December 4, 2012
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Writing for young adult (YA) and middle grade (MG) audiences isn't just "kid's stuff" anymore--it's kidlit! The YA and MG book markets are healthier and more robust than ever, and that means the competition is fiercer, too. In Writing Irresistible Kidlit, literary agent Mary Kole shares her expertise on writing novels for young adult and middle grade readers and teaches you how to:
• Recognize the differences between middle grade and young adult audiences and how it impacts your writing.
• Tailor your manuscript's tone, length, and content to your readership.
• Avoid common mistakes and cliches that are prevalent in YA and MG fiction, in respect to characters, story ideas, plot structure and more.
• Develop themes and ideas in your novel that will strike emotional chords.
Mary Kole's candid commentary and insightful observations, as well as a collection of book excerpts and personal insights from bestselling authors and editors who specialize in the children's book market, are invaluable tools for your kidlit career.
If you want the skills, techniques, and know-how you need to craft memorable stories for teens and tweens, Writing Irresistible Kidlit can give them to you.
- Print length304 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherWriter's Digest Books
- Publication dateDecember 4, 2012
- Dimensions5.5 x 0.8 x 8.35 inches
- ISBN-101599635763
- ISBN-13978-1599635767
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About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Writer's Digest Books
- Publication date : December 4, 2012
- Language : English
- Print length : 304 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1599635763
- ISBN-13 : 978-1599635767
- Item Weight : 9.4 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.35 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #225,000 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #112 in Creative Writing Composition
- #244 in Authorship Reference
- #383 in Fiction Writing Reference (Books)
About the author

Former literary agent Mary Kole founded Mary Kole Editorial in 2013 and provides consulting and developmental editing services to writers of all categories and genres, working on children’s book projects from picture book to young adult, and all kinds of trade market literature, including fantasy, sci-fi, romance and memoir. She founded Good Story Company in 2019 with the aim of providing valuable content—like the Good Story Podcast and Crit Collective writing forum—to writers of all categories and ability levels.
She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has worked at Chronicle Books, the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, and Movable Type Management. She has been blogging at Kidlit.com since 2009. Her book, Writing Irresistible Kidlit, a writing reference guide for middle grade and young adult writers, is available from Writer's Digest Books.






