So you’ve written a children’s
story. Are you ready for some feedback? We have reviewers
who specialise in writing for children and teens, so our
critiques are written in complete knowledge of the children’s
and young adult market. Our appraisals are also constructive
and helpful, highlighting strengths and weaknesses and
making suggestions for improvement.
Don’t forget,
you can order up to four critiques of your work, from four
different reviewers. Each comes
with its own writing
for children checklist.
Is it easier
to write for children?
Writing for children and young adults is an art all of
its own. Don’t let anyone tell you writing for kids
is easier. Breaking into this very competitive market needs
more hard work and more careful regard for publishers’ requirements
than writing for adults, if that’s possible.
So what
are publishers looking for? An outstanding story, well
told. Style, vocabulary and content appropriate to the
intended age group, which is then reflected in the story’s
length. Originality. Strong characterisation. The use of
stylistic elements that children love: whimsy, refrain,
rhyme and rhythm. Above all, narrative drive – your
story needs to catch up your intended reader and whiz them
along.
What length
should my children’s
story be?
Different publishers have different requirements and, as
with all writing, content is king. A picture book might
have no words at all or, rarely, it might be as long as
a thousand words. The following, then, is a rough guide
to word counts for different age groups.
Age 7-9 3,000 words for young ones
but up
to 25,000 at the older end, depending on publisher
Age
9-11 up to 40,000 words
Age 11-14 up to 65,000
words
Age 14+, Young Adult 80,000 words or more
Costs
Up to 40,000 words:
1 critique £95; 2 critiques £149;
3 critiques £199;
4 critiques £255
Up to 80,000 words
1 critique £125; 2 critiques £199;
3 critiques £285; 4 critiques £365
SUBMIT YOUR WRITING
FOR CHILDREN
