Here are some helpful links if you want to write for children:
1. Every children’s book writer or illustrator, whether published or aspiring, should belong to the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. For a mere $85 a year (and then $70/year for renewal), you get their invaluable bimonthly publication, with information on changing children’s book and magazine markets, writing tips, conferences, and more. Every state/region has its own chapter of SCBWI and most have regional conferences with prominent editors and literary agents. Often you can arrange a critique with an editor or agent for a fee at these events. On the website is an annually updated list of children’s book publishers and literary agents with submission requirements. http://www.scbwi.org
2. The website The Purple Crayon, maintained by children’s books freelance editor/consultant Harold Underdown, has excellent tips on the basics of submitting a children’s book manuscript, along with a page called “Who’s Moving Where” that keeps up on staff in the revolving door that is children’s trade publishing. http://www.underdown.org
3. The writing course I teach, “Writing for Children and Teenagers,” is through the Institute of Children’s Literature. Over 10 assignments, done via mail or email, students work with a published author to learn how to write and submit stories and nonfiction pieces for both the magazine and book markets. The focus of the course is on writing shorter pieces, with skills that transfer to longer pieces and an option to work on a book proposal and sample chapters for Assignment 10. You can opt to take it for six college credits which are submitted via transcript through Charter Oak State College, CT. http://www.institutechildrenslit.com
4.
Magazine Markets for Children and Book Markets for Children’s Writers are
guides to, respectively, the markets for publishing in children’s magazines and
with publishers of children’s books. They include complete submission
information for hundreds of magazines or publishers each. Just note that no
print source is as authoritative as a publisher’s website, and a publisher’s
needs can change from month to month; so you want to check each listing against
the magazine or book publisher’s website.These are available from Writer’s Institute Publications.
http://www.WritersBookstore.com
5. Sharyn November, Senior Editor of Viking Children’s Books and Editorial Director of Firebird Books, has a website with excellent links for people writing for teenagers. Click around the site—some of the links might just inspire a novel: Sharyn’s “links festival”: http://www.sharyn.org/children.html