Category: children’s literature
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Manuscript Format Examples: How to Submit Fiction, Picture Books, Poetry, and Nonfiction
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Manuscript format is the standardized way authors are expected to present the text of their book for submission. Some agents and publishers will give very specific instructions about how they’d like your text to be formatted. If they don’t, you can follow these general guidelines.
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Write a Strong Book Hook (With Examples)
The “hook” in your book pitch is the line or two of text that captures attention, declares what’s unique about your book, and tells an agent or editor if your manuscript is something their audience is hungry for.
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How to Write Early Chapter Books: Word Counts, Structure, and Series Tips
Early chapter books are 4,000- to 15,000-word short illustrated novels written for newly independent readers aged about 6–9. They’re most often published as series. In complexity, the category sits between illustration-heavy early readers and text-heavy middle grade novels. It’s tricky but rewarding for an author to break into early chapter books.
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How to Write a Funny Picture Book: 3 Proven Strategies That Work
When you look at the top-selling humorous picture books, you’ll find distinct patterns that emerge time after time. This post digs into three strategies that successful authors are using in the funniest picture books on the shelves.
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The Authors’ Database of AI Spam Emails
In September 2025, many established authors started receiving a deluge of sincere-sounding emails. The writers appeared to have read and loved the authors’ books and were keen to connect about them. Some claimed to represent book clubs; others said they were book marketers who saw an opportunity to hang their hat on a rising star;…
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Writing for Young Adult vs. New Adult
Young Adult and New Adult are similarly fast-paced and accessible, with a distinct narrative voice characterized by the personality of a book’s protagonist. But the two categories have important differences in the protagonist’s life stage, their preoccupations, and the emotional journey they experience during the story.
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Finding and Using Theme as an Author—With Examples
If your story isn’t quite pulling together—if it’s unfocused or isn’t connecting emotionally with the reader—it might be suffering from the absence of a clear theme. Theme is the heart of a narrative. It’s the thing you want a reader to take away from the experience of reading your book.
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Finding the Right Comp Titles for Your Manuscript
You’ve heard that you need to include comp titles in your query or book proposal, and you have questions. After a decade of polishing my comp-title skills as a publishing professional, I have answers.
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Uncommon Tips for Self-Editing Your Book
In this post I’m sharing specialized skills for polishing your manuscript that most people won’t learn unless they train to be a copyeditor. Even when you are going to be working with a professional editor, self-editing is an important step so that your work is as clean as you can make it, leaving the editor…
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What it’s Like to Work with a Professional Book Editor
So you’re considering having your manuscript edited, but it’s a daunting decision to make. I know I can’t fully erase the anxiety that goes with handing your book over to someone else, but I hope that I can ease it by giving you a detailed look at the process.