Tips for Writing Children’s Books
Many children’s books are much shorter than novels for adults, so one may think it’s easier to write books for children. Writing and publishing a book for children takes as much effort as writing books for adults.
Children’s books have pictures to help a child visualise the story. For that, the author needs an illustrator. It may seem easy, but picture books are one of the most difficult types of books to write.
Here are some important tips to write a successful children’s book:
Know the age range: Children grow fast and learn faster, so you need to decide what age to target. This will help your style of writing. The number of pictures and words used depends on the age of your target audience. For instance, a child of ten years is able to read more words than a child of six years.
Work on your idea: Just like in books for adults, many ideas are repeated in children’s books too. So how do you attract your target audience? You have to add a twist in your story. For instance, if your story is about a superhero, give them some physical flaw. The superhero doesn’t need to be perfect.
Make it fun: Children are naturally playful, so they want the story to be full of fun and activity. Even though you may want to pass on a message to the children, it has to be done after the fun part. An example of this is a group of friends going on an adventure together and how they bond on their journey despite the obstacles they face.
Divide the story equally using words and pictures: Children’s books are short—between 50 and 1,000 words. Therefore, the story has to be brief and not contain unnecessary information. Generally children have a short attention span which means that the story should have a balance in the number of words and pictures. It should also be interesting enough to hook the child from the start.
Hire a good illustrator: This is a very important aspect to consider. Having the right pictures also takes time. You have to pick the right person and decide what type of pictures you want while considering the size of the pictures and where they should be placed.
Get a good publisher: In today’s world, many authors are self-publishing. However, if you want to go through the traditional route, you need to first research publishers who specialise in children’s books. You can search for different publishers online or by looking at the copyright page in published children’s books. Once you have made a list of these publishers, you’ll need to write a query letter. Each publishing house can have its own requirements, so make sure to take that into consideration before sending out your letters.
Although writing children’s books can be as exhausting as writing a full-length novel, it’s also rewarding because you’re helping shape young minds with your words. Children’s books are available in libraries and can even be used in school curriculum. Parents also read stories to their children, and your book could be one of them. Your time and effort are not wasted in educating young minds.
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Garima has written articles on a wide variety of subjects, such as lifestyle and culture, and she’s also written many book reviews. Recently, she’s decided to devote her energy to writing full time. Garima is open to learning new skills and gaining more opportunities. Currently she’s writing fantasy and contemporary romance novels and has her own writers’ group on Facebook called Beta Readers and Critique Partners; it was awarded one of the top seven finalists under the category Book Communities: Shaping the Future for the Global Book Community Awards 2020.
To read more content by Garima Nabh, please visit her blog.