Reference for children's writers includes graded word lists (K-6), a thesaurus of the words with synonyms and annotated with reading levels, advice and tips on those practices particular to word usage in children's writing, and samples of writing for each reading level. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

In this revised and expanded 2nd edition, Children's Writer's Word Book helps you immediately determine if you're using the right vocabulary and language for your audience. With its intuitive organization, you'll easily find appropriate words for children of various ages, and discover substitute words that might work even better. This comprehensive resource keeps you in touch with reading levels for today's kids, and saves you valuable research time by putting all the information you need in one volume. You'll find: • Lists of specific words that are introduced at seven key reading levels (kindergarten through sixth grade) • A thesaurus of those words with synonyms, annotated with reading levels • Detailed guidelines for sentence length, word usage, and themes at each reading level • A thorough explanation of guidelines for national standards on reading This new edition also addresses important timely topics of the day, such as disability issues and sensitivity to race, religion, and culture. Other new additions relate to divorce, the concept of death, space exploration, the internet, fantasy and science fiction, ethnic and cultural pride, and much more. With Children's Writer's Word Book, 2nd edition, you can rest assured you'll be able to address your young audience with a vocabulary and style they'll understand and enjoy—and improve your chances with children's publishers.

This master class in writing children’s and young adult novels will teach you everything you need to know to write and publish a great book. The best children’s and young adult novels take readers on wonderful outward adventures and stirring inward journeys. In The Magic Words, editor Cheryl B. Klein guides writers on an enjoyable and practical-minded voyage of their own, from developing a saleable premise for a novel to finding a dream agent. She delves deep into the major elements of fiction—intention, character, plot, and voice—while addressing important topics like diversity, world-building, and the differences between middle-grade and YA novels. In addition, the book’s exercises, questions, and straightforward rules of thumb help writers apply these insights to their own creative works. With its generous tone and useful tools for story analysis and revision, The Magic Words is an essential handbook for writers of children’s and young adult fiction.

It is a place where ogres and wizards live in enchanted forests. It is also the home of editors, publishers, art directors, and marketers. It is the world of children's book publishing. For writers who hope to have their stories published, though, it has always been one of the most confusing places to navigate -- until now. Based on a career of two decades, award-winning writer Liza N. Burby has put together a complete guide to making the right children's book publisher say yes. "How to Publish Your Children's Book" starts off by helping you define your book's category, audience, and marketplace so that you know exactly where your book "fits in." Following this, you are guided in choosing the best publishing companies for your book, and writing a winning submission package. Then the Square One System tells you exactly how to submit your package so that you optimize success, while minimizing your time, cost, and effort. Also included is a special section on contracts that will turn legalese into plain English, allowing you to be a savvy player in the contract game. Most important, this book will help you avoid the common errors that so often prevent writers from reaching their goal. Throughout each chapter, you will find practical tips and advice from experienced editors and publishers, as well as insights from popular children's authors such as Jane Yolen and Johanna Hurwitz. Whether you're just thinking about writing a children's book or you are a published author, you're sure to find "How to Publish Your Children's Book" a solid reference you can turn to time and time again.

Create the next very hungry caterpillar, big red dog, or cat in the hat with a hand from this trusted guide In Writing Children’s Books For Dummies, you’ll learn what to write between “Once upon a time . . .” and “The End” as you dive into chapters about getting started writing, how to build great characters, and how to design a dramatic plot. On top of the technical writing advice, you’ll discover how talented illustrators work and how to find an agent. The newest edition of this popular For Dummies title even shows you how to choose a publisher—or self-publish—and how to use social media and other marketing and PR to get the word out about your new masterpiece. In the book, you’ll learn about: The fundamentals of writing for children, including common book formats and genres, and the structure of the children’s book market Creating a spellbinding story with scene description, engaging dialogue, and a child-friendly tone Polishing your story to a radiant shine with careful editing and rewriting Making the choice between a traditional publisher, a hybrid publisher, or self-publishing Using the most-effective marketing and publicity techniques to get your book noticed Perfect for anyone who’s ever dreamed of creating the next Ferdinand the Bull or Grinch, Writing Children’s Books For Dummies is an essential, easy-to-read guide for budding children’s authors everywhere.

"Summary: Techniques about writing, selling, publishing, self-publishing, and promoting stories written for children; list of resources; indexed."--Title page verso

"Honest and precise... everything about writing for children there is to know." --Jane Yolen, author Here is the comprehensive guide to writing, publishing, and selling for the ever-expanding and always exciting children's market--now in a new and updated third edition. * Includes new chapters on self-publishing and on "how to choose a how-to", plus revision and updates throughout * Offers practical advice on getting started--and on dealing with out-of-print books * Covers picture books, chapter books, nonfiction, middle-grade and young novels, and common formats and genres * Reveals what happens inside a children's publishing company, and provides guidance in working with an editor * Sample cover and query letters, manuscript format, glossary, and recommended resources in an extensive appendix * Plus information on agents, contracts, copyright, marketing, and more