Writing for Children

Our literary programme is focused on writing for adults, but we hear from many people interested in writing and publishing children’s books. Below are some resources to help you get started.

Tips & Guides

A major comprehensive resource is the annual Writers & Artists Children’s Writing Yearbook. There’s also the global community of The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Some other useful articles and guides can be found via:

• City Lit
• Curtis Brown Creative
• Faber Academy
• The Guardian
• Jericho Writers
• The Novelry
• Penguin
• The Write Practice
• Writers & Artists – How To Think Like An 8 Year Old
• Writers & Artists – Do’s & Don’ts

Courses

• BBC Maestro
• Faber Academy
• Curtis Brown Creative

Getting An Agent

Once you’ve finished your book, you’ll need to get a literary agent to get it published. Agents navigate the complex publishing marketplace and help get your book into the hands of the right publisher, and the right readers.

In brief, this entails:

• Writing and preparing a pitch—see advice from the Searchlight Awards for Children’s Writing
• Finding agents to approach—see advice from Writers & Artists and Publishing Push

Be sure to:

• Research agents thoroughly before submitting your work—look for those with a specialty and track record in children’s writing, and who represent writers you admire.
• Tailor your submission to match each agent–your understanding of their work and writers they represent whose books are similar to yours.
• Follow their submission guidelines exactly. Common requirements include:
  • Completed manuscript—your book must be finished and polished before you start querying agents.
  • Cover letter that introduces the book and yourself, including your book’s genre, target age group and word count.
  • Synopsis & sample of the book

Where To Find Children’s Writing Agents

Jericho Writers maintains a full, searchable list of UK literary agents.

A few leading UK agents with a strong specialty and interest in children’s writing include:

• Anne Clark Literary Agency
• Children’s Books North Agency
• Darley Anderson Childrens
• Lindsay Literary Agency
• Madeleine Milburn Agency
• Soho Agency

We hope this gives you a starting point in your journey to becoming a children’s book author.