Writing for children usually starts with a parent's experience of making up stories for their own children. That's great, but kids' books are products too - and you always have to keep half an eye on what the market wants.

We've asked a leading agent & writer to contribute their thoughts on how to ride that most dangerous beast - the publishing market.

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Peter Cox

Redhammer Management - a leading children's literary agency

Children's publishing has gone from isolated backwater to profit powerhouse in just a few years, largely thanks to JKR. And inevitably, it is now over-published.

To succeed, first get to know your demographics and what they read - a 12 year-old girl's taste is very different to a 14 year-old boy's - and write to that exact age group. A lot of manuscripts fail because the authors simply don't understand their readers' age-based requirements.

Then consider the genre - publishing outside of genre is tough - not impossible, but not easy for a first-timer. Finally, reinvent the genre itself with your manuscript: give publishers (and agents!) a reason to get excited - we really do want to be the one to discover the Next Big Thing!

The author's name is a brand, so consider what yours stands for. If you dip in and out of genres and readerships, then you'll never break through or have much impact. So choose your area, and focus on it. If your theme can be extended, to two books or more, then you should mention this and briefly show how future books might develop: I've sold six-book series very successfully, because publishers like the predictability.

 

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The Writers’ Workshop Run by writers for writers