Tag: #Kids Lit

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Kids Lit

Writing is a Group Activity!

Kids Lit

I recently went to an in-person retreat – one of the few I have gone to since COVID-19. I was hesitant about the person-to-person training, but more conferences are dropping the virtual or hybrid model. Sometimes there are perks for those who show up.

And I remembered how much energy can be generated by like-minded people who have made an effort to drive to rural Iowa to learn and share. Plus my list of “writing friends” just got longer!

Q:    What brings a group together?

A:     Common interests

  • sharing groups who write for specific markets exchange ideas and encourage each other
  • critique group to discuss and analyze manuscripts
  • authors releasing books in the same year who swap launch ideas swapping
  • launch groups focus energy on new releases
  • authors represented by the same publisher or agency
  • subgroups of larger organizations like SCBWI
  • librarians of a particular genre
  • Teachers of a specific grade

Q:     How do you engage?

A:     You bring YOU!

  • support and contribute first, comment on posts
  • build relationships not customers, answer questions, volunteer to help
  • be credible, encouraging, supportive
  • pick 5 individuals or groups of like-minded people and follow them on every platform
  • pick one day a week and comment on every post on one platform

Something new…

I heard about a new group strategy for writers that can assist in publicity and sales but are not with other writers. Since my next book is on trees (specifically the Quaking Aspen), I thought I’d see where the tree lovers are.

INSERT NOV PIX 3

Google: Shot in the Dark

I googled: “groups interested in trees”. I had my choice of several umbrella groups, but I chose one that included national forests. I found not only a blog but also a list of grants and partnerships I might explore. I signed up for the newsletter.

I googled “Quaking Aspen” and one of the first hits was our local Morton Arboretum, 20 minutes away! Which has a gift shop. And library story time!

Selecting one platform: Facebook

I am pretty active on Facebook so I tried the same search “groups interested in trees.” This time I found there were more local to the Chicago area and had volunteer opportunities. And a blog.

Word to the wise: I was excited and did a FB search for Quaking Aspen. I scored a rock music group and a family farm. Not every search was a hit!

Hoped for results: By the time my tree book is published in 2026!) I hope my name is familiar to other writers and maybe even local and not-so-local tree lovers. Stick around to see how this plays out!

Multi award winning author Robin Currie led public library children’s departments as a preschool literacy specialist. With more than 1.7 M copies sold of 40 picture books, she writes stories to read and read again! She is pretty bummed the publication date of her next book was pushed back a year but will use the time to build relationships!

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Kids Lit

Even A Chewable Board book Must Be Accurate

Kids Lit

Research for 181 words?

Research and back matter have never been more important. Reviewers and consumers have access to information to check out the accuracy of everything they read to children. Picture books, board books, and read-aloud stories, if they include facts, need to be researched before sending to editors. Editors often hire subject specialists to confirm accuracy.

Research for a Board Book.

ABC books are easy – if you can think of words for Q and X that kids recognize! Same with counting books if the point is just the number of objects. But if, for example, you choose a subject like trains or fruits…or dinosaurs? Research!

How to Dress a Dinosaur: Ah, this is where I found out that what I thought I knew about dinosaurs was not too wrong but outdated. Dinos have newer fancier names, and many have been reclassified. Some have even been discontinued! From stegosaurus and ankylosaurus, I tracked ten different dinos to make sure they had the body parts I referred to, lived in the zones I indicated, and would do the things I planned.

Research for a fiction picture book. 

Kids will listen to “talking bear” stories, recognizing that the animals are behaving like people. But if one of the bears suddenly starts saying “moo” credibility is strained. The closer animals are to real animals, the more the setting, behavior, and interactions with others must be bear-like.

Tuktuk: Tundra Tale features talking animals but in all other ways they behave as arctic animals would as they get ready for winter. Spoiler alert: There are no penguins at the North Pole! And there are many Inuit words for snow. Even though it was a fiction story, factual backmatter on arctic animals, landforms, and sky signs was required and vetted.

Research for a nonfiction picture book.

This is becoming an increasingly popular area, particularly for sales to public libraries and schools. Every word, every detail, and every art suggestion must be completely accurate. And a list of resources cannot include Wikipedia!

My next book is coming in 2025, but I am still waiting for a publisher to find the illustrator before they announce it! My research started on site, in the location where the story takes place, and based on the stories and facts the rangers and guides conveyed. Still, every detail, every fact, must be confirmed – not that rangers are EVER wrong, but I might have misheard!

Research other titles.

One last round of research – the ever-shifting comp titles. These are the other books that face the potential buyer – in the bookstore or the catalog. What will be your competition (in 2025 or 2026!) on the same subject, theme, school unit, or story time?

Back to the dinosaur books, there are tons of them. Occasionally the market is glutted! But I also had to research books on teaching your child to get dressed, typical preschool clothing, the language skills of a child at the age he learns to get dressed, and the patience of parents. One resource for book lists is “Imagination Soup” by Melissa Taylor.

Research: why the librarian is your best source of credible information!

No surprise: Multi-award-winning author Robin Currie holds a Master of Library Science from the University of Iowa and learned story sharing by sitting on the floor during more than 1000 story times! She sold 1.7 M copies of her 40 storybooks and writes stories to read and read again! 

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Kids Lit

Every Single Word

Kids Lit

Have you met adults who somehow believe that writing a picture book is EASY because there are so FEW WORDS?

Arrrrgh!

As children’s writers, we know that the fewer words, the more perfect each word has to be. No room for dangling participles or near rhymes or even a well-placed semicolon. Just every single word is chosen to be the very best possible one for that thought, that sentence, that page.

Wander through the library or bookstore “Picture Books” and you realize that “books with pictures” are not all alike in format, reading level, or subject matter. How many of those perfect words make a book?

Board books for birth to age 3 – Under 200 words

These fat little books are 8-12 spreads (16-24 pages) and a new manuscript should be under 200 words. The best ones tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end, even if they are introducing a concept. NOTE: Board books with more than 200 words were often originally published as picture books, shrunk in format, and better for an older audience.

Early Picture books for ages 2-5 – 200-500 words

Early picture books are those most likely to be read at library story time. They have a simple-to-follow storyline, often with rhyming words, interactive text, and large clear pictures.

Picture books for ages 3-7 – 500-800 words

These are for kids who are not quite reading on their own yet but want more of a story perhaps with wordplay, multiple characters, and subjects that are more complex. There may be smaller detailed pictures and more pages full of text.

Older Picture books for ages 4-8 – 6000 to 1000 words

Many nonfiction picture books and children’s biographies fit in this group with the pictures supporting the text. Fiction books can include longer folk and fairy tales, several different characters, and social and moral issues.

Beginning readers for ages 6-8 – 1500-2000 words

These are complete stories on fiction and nonfiction subjects of interest to early-grade school students. Vocabulary may be limited to a limited list of sight words and ones that are easy to phonetically decode. Pictures give clues to unknown words or supplement the story.

Hi/Lo books for dyslexic and reluctant middle school readers – 400-1200 words

Age-appropriate fiction and nonfiction subject matter is the important factor in these books as students are apt to be older and no longer a fan of beginning readers. Pictures need to be as exciting as the writing to encourage the student to decode the words to find out more.

Graphic Novels -Next Month!

The other huge and growing picture/word book section is comic books/graphic novels. This genre has boggled the Library of Congress and the Dewey Decimal classifiers since they are both a unique format, fiction, and nonfiction topics, for multiple ages. That dilemma we’ll leave for next month!

Multi-award-winning author Robin Currie learned story sharing by sitting on the floor, in library story times. She has sold 1.7 M copies of her 40 storybooks and writes stories to read and read again. Robin is pleased to report that How to Dress a Dinosaur has only 181 words and is a perfect fit for the board book area. 

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Kids Lit

Let Me Introduce…First Lines in Children’s Biographies

Kids Lit

Not as well known as “Call me Ishmael,” but equally important are these first lines from adult biographies:

  • “On 2 November, 1810, His Majesty King George the Third, raving and sometimes violent, was fastened into a straightjacket.” J.B. Priestly, The Prince of Pleasure and His Regency.
  •   “In August 45 B.C., seven months before the Ides of March, a procession entered the city of Mediolanum, modern Milan, in the hot and steamy northern Italian plain.” Barry Strauss, The Death of Caesar: The Story of History’s Most Famous Assassination. 
  • “On the day he was born, he would say, his white-haired grandfather leaped onto his big black stallion and thundered across the Texas Hill Country, reining in at every farm to shout: ‘A United States Senator was born this morning.'” Robert A Caro, The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Path to Power.

When we know a person we admire, we want others to meet him or her. So it is with writing a biography – we put time and energy and sometimes deep personal interest into the book to introduce the subject to the next generation of readers. Equal attention should be paid to the first lines of children’s biographies. After all, would we want our life stories to begin with: “She was born in Peoria, Illinois in 1948”? SNORE!

For whom?

In any biography, it is important to tell the life story factually but in a way that will be interesting to the potential reader. Since biographies are written for those who listen to board books to beginning readers to advanced readers in middle grades, our task begins with age-appropriate interest, language, and sentence length. 

“Jane! Jane where are you?” Jeanette Winter, The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps.  

Why not?

Inventors uncover the possibility and combine things in a way never done before. Start with what is not possible and let the biography show how that obstacle was overcome.

“People had always known it was not possible for humans to fly like birds.” Wendie Old. To Fly: The Story of the Wright Brothers.

When?

Most people we write about are important to a specific time in history. Begin the story at that moment in the person’s life when their impact on the world is felt. Include a timeline, sidebars, or backmatter to fill in the details of the person’s early life.

“The small boat sped quickly along in the dark.” Yona McDonough, Who Was John F. Kennedy? 

What?

People important enough to have published biographies do many interesting things during their lives. Try beginning with the conflict moment that changes the person substantially. It may not be the most famous, but the results of that first moment will affect the later important event.

“It was Saturday and Eugenie wanted to stay at the aquarium forever.”

Jess Keating, Shark Lady: The true Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist. 

How?

A compelling quote is fantastic, either from the person or about him/her. However, not everyone has a quote-littered life! In that case, try a detailed description of the scene to bring the reader into the story.

“I want to be a great inventor!” 

Anne Renaud. The Boy who Invented the Popsicle.

Who?

Etymology: from Ancient Greek βίος (bíos, “life”) + γράφω (gráphō, “write”). We assume the story will always be about a person’s life, but real events can be observed by inanimate objects like a house or non-human life forms like a pet.

“My boy Peter gathers me inside his coat.”

David Lee Miller, The Cat who lived with Anne Frank.

In 2023 try introducing someone you admire to children in a biography.

Multi-award-winning author Robin Currie learned story sharing by sitting on the floor, during library story times. She has sold 1.7M copies of her 40 storybooks and writes stories to read and read again! Robin is the author of Tuktuk: Tundra Tale, a story of animals in the frozen north.

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Kids Lit

Have You Considered Writing Board Books

Kids Lit

Board books have extra thick coated pages that small hands can turn and chewing babies can sink their teeth in. Browse any discount store and there will shelves full!

3 Reasons Board Books are Popular

  1. Cost

They cost under $10, even less if reduced for warehouse and big box stores. They make excellent last-minute gifts, stocking stuffers, spontaneous check out purchases. Sometimes they cost less than the card that accompanies them!

2          Durability

Babies easily grab and chew on the pages. Just wipe off. They are easy to throw in a bag for use in a doctor office or restaurant. No torn pages or ripped covers.

3          Fun

With attention grabbing colors and not too much story, having two or three at bedtime is easy. Babies can be distracted easily and begin to learn the stories and simple concepts.

3 Types of Board Books

1          Concept

The focus is on one specific concept (ABC, shape, color) without much of a storyline.  However, because there are so many concept books out there, one that can manage a story line while counting to 10 or learning opposites will have an extra appeal to publishers.

2          Novelty

The physical experience (lift the flap, sound buttons, touch and feel) is the focus of the book. Many are concept books where children feel animal fur. The book can have an actual story line with sound buttons for noises.

3          Mini versions

 Many publishers print reduced versions of a best-selling picture book as a board book. It is the entire book reduced in format, leaving pictures and type smaller than normal. Other times sections of the story are omitted to keep the number of pages low.

3 Tips on Writing a Board Book

  1. Words

Board book manuscripts are 10-14 pages and often under 150 words. Chose the very best possible words and make any rhyme perfect.

  • Pictures

They will be larger than the words. Make sure each page of text can be represented in a clear and simple picture.

  • Series

Always look for ways to develop at least 4 ideas for a series with a connected theme and art. Holidays and seasons, Bible stories, nursery tales, toys, pets, families!

One day you may see a baby chewing on your book!

Robin Currie

Award winning author Robin Currie led children’s departments of Midwestern public libraries before being called midlife to ordained ministry. She has a special love for children’s literacy and Bible storytelling. Robin annually volunteers teaching English in developing countries. She and her husband actively grandparent 5 wonderful kids.

Robin has published seven library resource collections of creative ideas for library story times, and more than 20 Bible story books for children.

Coming in March 2022: A BOARD BOOK! How to Dress a Dinosaur, illustrated by Alicia Pace and published by familius.

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Kids Lit

What DO librarians want in a picture book?

Kids Lit

Is there anything more fun than being in the library Children’s room at story time? I was the lucky librarian who did that for 30+ years, reading to kids from birth to kindergarten. I also selected thousands of books for the library to purchase and chose from those the ones to highlight and share at story time.

When the publishers’ seasonal announcements are made, how do professional librarians know what to choose?

Librarians are less swayed by Big Name and Big Author Following. We will buy a good book by an unknown author.  We do not buy from Amazon, or care about number of stars. We do not have time to follow blogs. Our job is to spend community tax dollars on the best for kids.

What DO librarians want in a picture book?

1 We want a book that fills a need. All day long we get questions:

  •             Where are the books on Dinosaurs?
  •             Trucks? Princesses? Ponies?
  •             And harder ones like Telling a 4-year-old about a divorce.
  •              Or a toddler about a new baby.
  •             And the ever requested: toilet training.

2 We want a child focused book. And in the format for the right age.

  •              Board books for age 0-2.
  •             Picture books naming objects for ages 1-4.
  •             Simple stories for ages 3-5.

 Often, we find a concept above the child’s comprehension in a board book or simple picture book.

3 Most important we want a read aloud!

  •             Page turns
  •             Rhythm
  •             Repetition
  •             Word usage
  •              Illustrations

All these must work together in that perfect read aloud. They only arrive on our library desks about twice a season, but they are the books that get checked out and read over and loved for generations!

PICTURE 2

Now how can you position YOUR book to be on the shelf and purchase lists for the library?

1 Spend time looking at books at the library. Note publishers who sell to picture book collections. It is a very different set of publishers than for school age. It is different publishers than for book sales at big box stores. See what topics have empty shelves, or what books are dogeared from rereading.

2 Check the library newsletter for the perennial story time topics: holidays, friends, silly stories, and, of course, dinosaurs!

3 Ask the librarians what subjects are most popular. More important what are the needs they see in the market. That may be your subject to write!

BUT WAIT: when you send out a query letter or a proposal for your picture book, mention that you have done this research and what your results were. It will not represent double blind data but will go a long way in getting your story to the page and onto the shelf!

Award winning author Robin Currie led children’s departments of Midwestern public libraries before being called midlife to ordained ministry. She has a special love for children’s literacy and Bible storytelling. She serves in Chicago area parishes and annually volunteers teaching English in developing countries. She and her husband actively grandparent 5 wonderful kids!

Robin has published seven library resource collections of creative ideas for library story times, and more than 20 Bible story books for children.

PICTURE 4

Tuktuk: Tundra Tale

Kansas NEA Reading Circle Catalog Selection 2017.

The Very Best Story Ever Told

WINNER: 2020 Serious Writer’s Book of the Decade, Focus on Family Top 10 Family Friendly Picture Books 2019, First Place, Wright Medal, North Carolina Christian Writers Conference, 2019, Finalist: 2019 Selah Award

She is excited to reveal the cover of her next book, How to Dress a Dinosaur, coming in March 2022!

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Kids Lit

Know Your Audience

Kids Lit

“Many books for children feature children. Your writing will be more natural if you are aware of the rhythms and patterns that youngsters adopt when they interact with each other. Children often say the first things that come to mind. They repeat phrases – and rework their sentences as they speak. Try writing short, staccato sentences or long rambling ones just to get a feel for pacing. Reflecting on your childhood memories can also help draw out an authentic voice.”

Author Alan Dapré A former TV scriptwriter who now spends his time writing zany story books, usually about a Tartan Cat.

When I came across Dapré’s quote while doing some research on the Internet one afternoon, I loved it! I actually said out loud, “Yes!” You see, to write for children, we need to be where they are and listen to how they talk. We need to watch how they move and interact with the world around them.

get to know your audience by observing them and spending time with them

This was much easier to do when my daughters were at home because we were “that house”—the house where all of the neighborhood kiddos gathered. I never had to work at being around children. Today, as an empty nester, I find myself having to work a little harder when I want to interact with my readers.

If you find yourself in that same situation, or if you write for the picture book market and you only have teens in your house, you’ll also have to get a little more creative to observe and interact with your readers. So, here are four tips to help you in that quest.

  1. Volunteer: Offer to babysit for your friend’s children or take your turn in the nursery at church. Work with Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, or other children’s groups. Be a coach. (I was a cheerleading coach for a stint, and out of that experience, I was inspired to write my YA devotional, “Get Your Spirit On! Devotions for Cheerleaders” (SonRise Devotions, 2018). You could also volunteer to read to children in your public library. Those are all win/win scenarios. You get to feel good about volunteering, and you will get quality time with your readership.
  2. Strategically Observe: You will want to observe children at play. Watch how they interact. Listen to how they talk—their pacing, their word choice, their voice inflection. Observe how they move and engage with one another. Good places to do this? Go to the park. (Walk your dog there so you don’t look like a creeper—ha!) Hang out in the toy section at Wal-Mart. Go to the zoo and do double duty. You can observe kids and animals and take notes for future books.
  3. Research: fill in the gaps with online research. When you can’t be with kiddos in real time, watch YouTube videos of kids just being kids. And while you’re at it, find out what kids are reading, watching, and listening to, and then do the same! Get in their world so that you’ll understand it and them better.
  4. Remember: think back to when you were a kid. When you just can’t find a way to be around little ones, you can still make this work. All you have to do is…remember. Slang words and clothing fads may come and go, but the raw emotion of a story never goes out of style. Use your own childhood experiences or those of your children and draw from them. Tap into memories of your proudest, saddest, most embarrassing, or disappointing moments. Feelings are universal and timeless. Childhood memories may be the story buds for numerous future articles and books. The key is to remember with all of your senses—what you saw, how it felt, how it smelled, etc. Become that child again!
Get to know your audience by volunteering to read to children

Yes, this will take some time, but it’ll be time well-spent. Get to know your audience and watch your writing become more raw, more real, and more relevant.

Michelle Medlock Adams is a best-selling author and an award-winning journalist, earning top honors from the Associated Press, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Hoosier State Press Association. Author of over 100 books with more than 4 million books sold, Michelle is also a New York Times Bestselling ghostwriter and has won more than 70 industry awards for her own journalistic endeavors, including the prestigious Golden Scroll for Best Children’s Book in 2020, 2019 and 2018 for “How Much Does God Love You?” “Dinosaur Devotions” and “My First Day of School”. And, over the past three years, she has added several first-place honors from the Christian Market Book Awards, the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, and the Illumination Awards in multiple categories.

Since graduating with a journalism degree from Indiana University, Michelle has written more than 1,500 articles for newspapers, magazines, and websites; and served as an adjunct professor at Taylor University. Today, she is President of Platinum Literary Services, Chairman of the Board of Advisors for Serious Writer, Inc.; and a much sought-after speaker at writers conferences and women’s retreats all over the United States. When not working on her own assignments, Michelle ghostwrites articles, blog posts, and books for celebrities, politicians, and some of today’s most effective and popular ministers.

Michelle is celebrating the recent release of her books, Cuddle-up Prayers;  I Love You Bigger Than the Sky and Writing & Selling Children’s Books in the Christian Market: From Board Books to YA coauthored with her agent Cyle Young.

Michelle is married to her high school sweetheart, Jeff, and they have two daughters, Abby and Allyson, two sons-in-law, two granddaughters and two grandsons. She and Jeff share their home in Southern Indiana with a miniature dachshund, a rescue Greyhound/Lab mix, and two cats. When not writing or teaching writing, Michelle enjoys bass fishing, cheering on Indiana University sports teams and the Chicago Cubbies, and all things leopard print.

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Website: michellemedlockadams.com

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Kids Lit

Get a New Perspective! Find a New Twist!

Kids Lit

Once in a while, I come across a book so unique and wonderful that I think, “Wow, I sure wish I’d written that book.” (I bet you do the same.) For example, when I first read Adam Rex’s “School’s First Day of School” (Roaring Brook Press), I actually said out loud in the bookstore, “Now, why didn’t I think of that?” In this charming story, Rex puts a new twist on an old concept—children being afraid of the first day of school. Hundreds of books have been written on that topic. In fact, I wrote one called, “My First Day of School” (WorthyKids) in 2017, and though I like how it turned out, it’s certainly not as clever as “School’s First Day of School” which is told from the school building’s perspective.

In Rex’s book, the school expresses all of the same emotions many children experience on that first day of school—excitement, jitters, anticipation, embarrassment and more.

That’s a perfect example of taking a tired topic and breathing new life into it. Publisher’s Weekly thought so, too, stating the following in its review: “Every so often, a book comes along with a premise so perfect, it’s  hard to believe it hasn’t been done before; this is one of those books.”

Let me give you another example of how a gifted author took what could have been a straightforward, boring biography about two well-known historical figures but instead crafted copy that’s touching hearts around the world. It’s a book called, “Martin & Anne” by my friend and fellow Nonfiction Ninja Nancy Churnin.

In “Martin & Anne” (Creston Books), readers are taken on a journey that explores the lives of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Anne Frank—two history makers born the same year on different continents. Churnin details how both faced discrimination from the time they were very young. Martin Luther King, Jr. faced “Whites only” signs while Anne Frank grew up facing “No Jews allowed” policies. They were kindred spirits who suffered untimely deaths yet impacted the world while they were here.

Do you see what Churnin did so brilliantly here? Can you identify the twist? Instead of writing the typical biography, Churnin created a type of comparison/contrast book, paralleling the lives of these two extraordinary people—Martin & Anne. She didn’t write a chronological retelling of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life, nor did she write just another ordinary biography about Anne Frank. She found a new way to share important details about these two historical figures’ lives. This book is more than clever; it’s inspired.

So, how can you get a new perspective on an old topic or put a new twist on a tired tale? Force yourself to think outside the box and never accept your first thoughts about how to tell the story. Explore several options, sharing the story from various points of view, and see which version is stronger. Also, look for the little-known details about common stories and see if you can build on those facts to create a unique book that will wow the editors of Publisher’s Weekly, and more importantly, inspire a new generation of readers.

Michelle Medlock Adams is an award-winning journalist and best-selling author of over 90 books with close to 4 million sold. Her many journalism and book awards include top honors from the Associated Press, AWSA’s Golden Scroll for Best Children’s Book, and the Selah Award for Best Children’s Book. Michelle currently serves as President of Platinum Literary Services, a premier full-service literary firm; Chairman of the Board of Advisors for Serious Writer, Inc.; and a much sought-after speaker at writers conferences and women’s retreats all over the United States.  

When not writing or teaching writing, Michelle enjoys bass fishing and cheering on the Indiana University Basketball team, the Chicago Cubbies, and the LA Kings.

 Michelle is celebrating the recent release of her books, Get Your Spirit On!, Fabulous & Focused, Dinosaur Devotions, and C Is for Christmas, and she’s anticipating the upcoming release of What Is America? (Worthy Kids) and They Call Me Mom (Kregel), a devotional book she co-authored with Bethany Jett.

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Kids Lit

Crafting Holiday Books that Sell

Kids Lit

Christmas comes every year. And so does Easter. And so does Thanksgiving. And so does the Fourth of July. Are you seeing a theme here? Writing holiday books for children is a great way to remain relevant for years to come in both the CBA and ABA markets.

When I first wrote “What Is Easter?” during my lunch hour while working for a Christian magazine back in 2000, I had no idea I’d sell it to Ideals Children’s Books (which is now WorthyKids/Hachette Book Group) in 2003. Nor did I have any idea that 16 years later, it’d still be selling thousands of copies every single Easter Season, making the ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) Juvenile Bestsellers List most every year. In fact, it was in Wal-Mart again this year!

Of course, with the success of that little holiday board book, I decided a “What Is?” series might be a good idea.

It was.

Next came “What Is Christmas?” and then “What Is Thanksgiving?”—both of which still sell amazingly well every year. Just this past holiday season, “What Is Christmas?” was part of a collection of “Christmas Classics” board books exclusively sold in Costco! We tried “What Is Halloween?” but it didn’t sell as well in the CBA Market, however, it’s being re-released this year and we’re hopeful it will do much better this time around. In just a few weeks, “What Is America?” debuts, which will hopefully spike in sales around Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, President’s Day, Veteran’s Day, and around election time.

The beauty of writing holiday children’s books is two-fold—both the general and Christian book markets sell them, and publishers need new holiday picture and board books each year. Here’s more good news: successful holiday books have staying power. In other words, holiday books may only sell seasonally, but they tend to enjoy many selling seasons.

Okay, full disclaimer here. Over the years, I’ve also written “Memories of the Manger” “The Shepherds Shook in Their Shoes” “Happy Birthday, Jesus!” “Trunk Or Treat” “Sparrow’s Easter Song” “Little Colt’s Palm Sunday” “Hooray For Easter! A Baby Looney Tunes Book” “My Funny Valentine” and “Ha Halloween!” Some of those titles—though they had an initial good run—are now out of print. But, as mentioned above, many of my holiday titles keep doing well season after season, year after year. And, because I know a good thing when I see one, I have yet another Christmas picture book that just released called, “C Is for Christmas” (Little Lamb Books). I plan to keep on writing holiday children’s books as long as there are holidays on the calendar, and I suggest you follow my lead.

Here are seven tips to help you craft your own holiday children’s book:

  1. Read all of the bestselling holiday books that your title will directly compete against, and be inspired by them, but don’t copy them.
  2. Brainstorm ideas and come up with a theme that will make your holiday book unique. (For instance, in “Little Colt’s Palm Sunday” “Sparrow’s Easter Song” and “Memories of the Manger,” the story is told from an animal’s POV—a colt, a sparrow, and an old dove. The POV in this series made my holiday books unique and fun.)
  3. Don’t try to rhyme your story unless you’re gifted at rhyme because “near rhyme” won’t fly with most editors. (I highly recommend taking Crystal Bowman’s “Rhythm, Rhyme, and Repetition: Mastering the Skill of Writing in Verse” class through Serious Writer Academy.)
  4. Even though we know the ending of most holiday stories, you still need to create a sense of urgency and build suspense as you write.
  5. Think about the illustrations that will go hand-in-hand with your words when writing board books and picture books. You don’t have to provide the artwork but you should create word pictures without saying everything. You want to leave something new for the picture to communicate.
  6. Let the emotion drive your story. To get in the right state of mind, put on some holiday music and jot down all of the words that come to mind when you think about that particular holiday.
  7. Ask God to help you share what He wants you to share. After all, He is the Master storyteller.

Michelle Medlock Adams is an award-winning journalist and best-selling author of over 90 books with close to 4 million sold. Her many journalism and book awards include top honors from the Associated Press, AWSA’s Golden Scroll for Best Children’s Book, and the Selah Award for Best Children’s Book. Michelle currently serves as President of Platinum Literary Services, a premier full-service literary firm; Chairman of the Board of Advisors for Serious Writer, Inc.; and a much sought-after speaker at writers conferences and women’s retreats all over the United States.  

When not writing or teaching writing, Michelle enjoys bass fishing and cheering on the Indiana University Basketball team, the Chicago Cubbies, and the LA Kings.

 Michelle is celebrating the recent release of her books, Get Your Spirit On!, Fabulous & Focused, Dinosaur Devotions, and C Is for Christmas, and she’s anticipating the upcoming release of What Is America? (Worthy Kids) and They Call Me Mom (Kregel), a devotional book she co-authored with Bethany Jett.

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Kids Lit

Write Like a Dinosaur to Succeed in Children’s Publishing

Kids Lit

Write Like a Dinosaur

While doing research for my latest children’s devotional book, “Dinosaur Devotions: 75 Dino Discoveries, Bible Truths, Fun Facts, and More!” (Tommy Nelson), I realized that children’s writers can learn a lot from our dinosaur friends, so here are a few of my “Dino Do’s” for my fellow children’s writers.

Do be like a Compsognathus (comp-sog-NAYTH-us)—This little dinosaur, about the size of a chicken, didn’t try to reinvent the wheel. Though he chased after and munched on small prey, he sometimes watched and waited and let the more powerful predators kill unsuspecting dinos, and then the Compsognathus would sneak in and snack on the dead animals. It’s not that this dino was lazy; it was just smart.

What does this mean to you?

  • Find a mentor text. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Learn from those who have already written an amazing book on the topic (in the genre) that you are desiring to write.
  • Be inspired by those who’ve gone before you. Don’t copy but imitate greatness.

Do be like a Corythosaurus (ko-RITH-o-SORE-us)—The Corythosaurus had exceptional eyesight and hearing.

And you’ll have to as well if you’re going to keep children entertained, engaged, and reading.

  • Listen to how children talk.
  • Watch how they move and interact with the world around them.
  • Make sure you use all of your senses when sharing your stories.

Do be an Amargasaurus (ah-MARG-uh-SORE-us)—The Amargasaurs lived in a dry, hot environment, and scientists believe it might have used its sails to cool off when it became overheated.

When you see books in the marketplace that don’t reflect your values and that makes you angry, cool off like the Amargasaurus and…write something just as cute that showcases your beliefs.

Do be like a Edmontonia (ED-mon-TONE-ee-ah)—This dinosaur was a bulky, armored, tank-like dinosaur. It was covered in bony plates, and along its sides were large spikes. You might say he was heavily armored and protected.

The Edmontonia had very thick skin. You’ll have to guard your heart and feelings if you are in this publishing world very long.

  • Rejection letters pave the road to publication.
  • Remember why you’re writing. Remember that if God called you, He will equip you. And, remember that a bad review isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, controversy often brings publicity which almost always increases sales.

 

Do be like a Utahraptor (Yoo-tah-RAP-tor)—Not much was known about the Utahraptor because so few bones of the large raptor had ever been found. But, that all changed in 2014 when the bones of six Utahraptors were found together on a mountain in the State of Utah. Finding so many Utahraptor skeletons together made experts believe these dinosaurs stayed together and probably hunted in packs.

Like the Utahraptors needed each other to survive and thrive, so do we.

  • Join a critique group—but not just any critique group. If you mostly write picture books, then join a critique group with other picture book writers because someone who specializes in YA probably won’t provide as much helpful feedback.
  • Network with anyone and everyone you encounter because you never know who might be a source for your next story or a future publishing contact.
  • Connect with other children’s writers on social media and exchange ideas. Share each other’s blogs. Promote each other’s work. Celebrate each other’s awards. Engage with your online communities and grow that platform together.

Do be like a Shantungosaurus (shan-TUNG-oh-SORE-us)—While it seemed physically impossible due to this dino’s size, the Shantungosaurus was able to stand on its back legs and actually run.

How does this apply to you? You’ll have to do what might seem like “the impossible” to get published in the children’s market, but you can do it!

  • Just don’t give up.
  • Create habits that breed success.
  • Hang out with people who are better than you.
  • Attend writers conferences.
  • Take online classes and keep learning the craft.

​So, be like a dinosaur and grow your writing career as big as a Patagotitan.

 

Michelle Medlock Adams is an award-winning journalist and best-selling author of over 90 books with close to 4 million sold. Her many journalism and book awards include top honors from the Associated Press, AWSA’s Golden Scroll for Best Children’s Book, and the Selah Award for Best Children’s Book. Michelle currently serves as President of Platinum Literary Services, a premier full-service literary firm; Chairman of the Board of Advisors for Serious Writer, Inc.; and a much sought-after speaker at writers conferences and women’s retreats all over the United States.

When not writing or teaching writing, Michelle enjoys bass fishing and cheering on the Indiana University Basketball team, the Chicago Cubbies, and the LA Kings.

Michelle is celebrating the recent release of her books, Get Your Spirit On!, Fabulous & Focused, Dinosaur Devotions, and C Is for Christmas, and she’s anticipating the upcoming release of What Is America? (Worthy Kids) and They Call Me Mom (Kregel), a devotional book she co-authored with Bethany Jett.