Rock Canyon University Free School of Writing for Children
Help For Writers
If you want to be a writer, the two most important things you can do are read a lot and write a lot.
The third most important thing is to learn from the experience of others.
There are many resources available to you as a writer, resources to help you write better, revise better, market better, and better survive the writer's life, which can be difficult at times.
Here are some of them. Use these resources and your writing experience will be easier, more enjoyable, and more successful.
General Information
Writing and Revising
- Writing Picture Books, by Rick Walton
- Coming Up with Story Ideas, by Rick Walton
- Writing Your Story: Tips for Children's Writers, by Aaron Shepard
- The Art of Retelling, by Aaron Shepard
- Open Minds: Nonfiction for the Very Young, by Patricia Curtis Pfitsch
- Writing and Illustrating Multicultural Children's Books, by Harold Underdown
- Targeting the Emergent Reader, by Joan Broerman
- Getting Out of the Slush Pile, by Harold Underdown
- Writing Tips, from the Institute of Children's Literature
- Words that Make Pictures, by Aaron Shepard
- Rhythm and the Read-Aloud, by Aaron Shepard
- How to Critique, by Rick Walton
Marketing
- Marketing Your Manuscript, by Rick Walton
- Submission Samples, by Rick Walton
- The Bull...frog Saga, by Rick Walton
- Writing Children's Books--an overview of the publishing world from the Children's Book Council
- Getting Started: Really Basic Information for Children's Writers and Illustrators, by Harold Underdown
- Harold Underdown's Frequently Asked Questions File
- Multiple Submissions: Why, Why Not, and How, by Donna Freedman
- The How-Do-I-Get-It-Published Quiz, by Lisa Rowe Fraustino and Susan Campbell Bartoletti
- Dealing with a Downsized Market: Top Ten List of Things to Do, by Harold Underdown
- Rites of Submission: Cover Letters and Queries, by Jacqueline K. Ogburn
- Let the Mail Prevail! A Guide to Etiquette, Status Calls, and More, by Wendy McClure
- The 7 Deadly Sins of Submissions, by Laura Belgrave
- Two free manuscript trackers:
Publishers
Writers Guidelines
Sites With Many Helpful Articles For Writers
Sites With Lots of Information For Writers
Organizations For Writers
Books You Should Know About
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Writing and Selling Children's Books
- Aiken, Joan, The Way to Write for Children, 1982.
- Alderman, Belle and Stephanie Owen Reeder, eds., The Inside Story: Creating Children's Books, 1987.
- Amoss, Berthe and Eric Suben, Ten Steps to Publishing Children's Books: How to Develop, Revise & Sell All Kinds of Books for Children, Writer's Digest Books, 1997.
- Amoss, Berthe and Eric Suben, Writing and Illustrating Children's Books for Publication: Two Perspectives, Writer's Digest Books, 1995.
- Bicknell, Treld Pelkey, and Felicity Trotman, How to Write and Illustrate Children's Books and Get Them Published, North Light Books, 1988.
- Cooper, Susan. Dreams and Wishes: Essays on Writing for Children, Margaret McElderry, 1996.
- Dils, Tracey E., You Can Write Children's Books, Writers Digest Books, 1998.
- Fitz-Randolph, Jane. How to Write for Children and Young Adults: A Handbook, 1980.
- Fritz, Jean and William Knowlton Zinsser (eds.) Worlds of Childhood: The Art and Craft of Writing for Children, Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- Gates, Frieda. How to Write, Illustrate and Design Children's Books, Library Research Associates, 1986.
- Irwin, Hadley and Jeanette Eyerly, Writing Young Adult Novels, Writer's Digest Books.
- Karl, Jean E., How to Write and Sell Children's Picture Books, Writer's Digest Books, 1994.
- Krull, Kathleen, 12 Keys to Writing Books That Sell, Writer's Digest Books, 1989.
- Lewis, Claudia Louise, Writing for Young Children, 1981.
- Paterson, Katherine, A Sense of Wonder: On Reading and Writing Books for Children, Plume Books, 1995.
- Roberts, Ellen, The Children's Picture Book, Writer's Digest Books, 1981.
- Roberts, Ellen, Nonfiction For Children, Writer's Digest Books, 1986.
- Seuling, Barbara, How to Write a Children's Book and Get it Published, MacMillan, 1984.
- Shepard, Aaron, The Business of Writing for Children
- Stanley, George Edward, Writing Short Stories for Young People, Writer's Digest Books.
- Underdown, Harold D. and Lynne Rominger, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books, Alpha Books, 2001.
- Wyndham, Lee, Writing for Children & Teenagers, Writer's Digest Books, 1980.
- Yolen, Jane, Writing Books for Children.
Miscellaneous Writing Books
- Card, Orson Scott, Characters & Viewpoint, Writer's Digest Books, 1988.
- Cheney, Theodore A. Rees, Getting the Words Right: How to Revise, Edit & Rewrite, Writer's Digest Books, 1983.
- Edelstein, Scott, The Writer's Book of Checklists, Writer's Digest Books, 1991.
- Goldberg, Natalie, Writing Down the Bones, Shambhala, 1986.
- Roth, Martin, The Fiction Writer's Silent Partner, Writer's Digest Books, 1991.
- Strunk, William Jr. and E. B. White, The Elements of Style, MacMillan, 1972.
Market Guides
- Children's Books in Print, R.R. Bowker (annual).
- Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market, Writer's Digest Books (annual).
- Literary Market Place, R.R. Bowker (annual).
- Writer's Market, Writer's Digest Books (annual).
Contracts and Publishing Law
- Curtis, Richard, How To Be Your Own Literary Agent, Houghton Mifflin, 1996.
- Kirsch, Jonathan, Kirsch's Guide to the Book Contract, Acrobat Books, 1999.
- Kirsch, Jonathan, Kirsch's Handbook of Pubilshing Law, Acrobat Books, 1995.
- Levin, Martin P., Be Your Own Literary Agent: The Ultimate Insider's Guide to Getting Published, Ten Speed Press, 1996.