Selling Your Children’s Book: How to Write and Pitch Novels & Picture Books for Kids

Posted on by Carly Watters
Children’s books—young adult, middle grade, and picture books—have taken over the publishing industry (in a good way). Readers of all ages are devouring the books that used to only take up space in libraries, children’s bookshelves, or school classrooms. Now, children’s books are celebrated for their enchanting prose, their relatable characters, their beautiful illustrations, and their fantastic stories that transcend age category. The growth of the children’s book sector has been unprecedented this past decade—so how can you make your manuscript stand out in these crowded categories and genres?

In this new Writer’s Digest Boot Camp starting June 29th, 2015, the agents of P.S. Literary Agency will show you how to make your submission stand out. How do you write a children’s book with commercial appeal? How do you decide what category and genre your book belongs in? How do you find agents and publishers to submit your manuscript to? How can you attract both child and adult readers (and buyers)?

The agent instructors will answer these questions—and more! They will also critique your work and answer any questions you have about writing and selling books for children. As a registrant, you can choose to hear a tutorial on how to craft an amazing picture book, and then have your picture book critiqued—or you can choose to hear a different tutorial on writing middle grade and young adult fiction, and then have the first five pages of your YA/MG manuscript critiqued.

Sign up today!

This program will show writers of Young Adult and Middle Grade the following:

  • What the difference is between Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction
  • How to create engaging characters that agents, editors, and readers will love
  • Where (and where not) in the your story to start the manuscript
  • How to avoid the most common mistakes found in Young Adult and Middle Grade manuscripts, such as talking down to your audience
  • How to use common Middle Grade and Young Adult tropes
  • What the biggest genres are in Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction right now—and how to decide where your manuscript fits in
  • What to highlight in your pitch to sell your book to agents and publishers
  • What you can learn from your favorite Young Adult and Middle Grade novels

This program will show writers of Picture Books the following:

  • What the state of the market looks like for picture books
  • How to learn from previous bestsellers
  • How to come up with a great story that’s character- and plot-driven
  • How to create a page-turning arc that will keep kids coming back
  • Why rhythm, not rhyming, is the key to success
  • How to think visually and how to work with illustrators
  • How to avoid the “don’ts” in writing for children
  • How to inspire kids without writing heavy morals

Don’t miss out! There is limited space.

Everyone gets a free copy of my e-book GETTING PUBLISHED IN THE 21st CENTURY.

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Here’s Why I Don’t Represent Middle Grade

Posted on by Carly Watters

I get a lot of queries for middle grade because I sell and represent YA and picture books. I have skipped over representing middle grade and I’ll tell you why.

It’s not because there isn’t a terrific market, or great editors, agents, and authors–because there are some great people working in MG and there are some fantastic MG books.

But I suggest you find those agents who do because I’ve never connected with the MG voice, and I don’t think I would recognize a good MG manuscript if I was queried with one.

I don’t request any material from queries that are addressed to me that are in the MG category. So save yourself an email.

To read about the genres and categories I do represent click here.