Writing for Children and Teens: A Crash Course: How to Write, Revise, and Publish a Kid's or Teen Book with Children's Book Publishers

by Cynthea Liu 
Strap on your helmet. Buckle up! Writing for Children and Teens: A Crash Course has been updated in 2023 by Disney and Marvel author and coach Cynthea Liu. If you're dying to know how to get your children's or teen book published, hop in this fun ride and rev that story engine. Please note: this book is not only suitable for adults but also for determined young writers (age 12 and up, middle school and high school grades, too). If you have younger writers in the family or classroom, this is a fun resource for you to learn from to help answer their questions about how children's book publishing works.

Nowhere will you find a more comprehensive, current, and detailed reference guide designed specifically for writing children and young adults, written by a bestselling, award-winning children's book author who is in the field today.

Writing for Children and Teens is a ten-step course that addresses the nitty-gritty details of the business and covers core principles for picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and young adult novels, including ...
  • How to stress-test your book ideas for the marketplace for any format
  • How long your manuscript should be for any format
  • How to format your manuscript
  • How to write and revise your manuscript to make your book great including topics such as target audience, target market, character, plot, theme, setting, and description
  • Common writing issues to avoid along with possible solutions
  • How to determine if one should pursue major trade, small press, self-publishing, independent publishing, or hybrid publishing
  • How to physically or electronically submit to literary agents and editors
  • How to write a cover letter, query, synopsis, and author bio designed to entice
  • Submission strategies for just about any situation for writers who have little to no experience
  • How to interpret confusing submission guidelines, complete with advice on how to communicate professionally with agents and editors using their lingo
  • Where to seek valuable input and help from the writing community
  • Important resources, tools, and organizations every children's and teen book writer should know about

Book coach Cynthea and her pooch crew from her website of the same name (Writing for Children and Teens) have been hard at work on this latest edition to deliver practical, current advice for you, your family members, your friends, and any of your fur-babies interested in writing for children and young adults.

The new paperback and hardcover editions are coming soon to an Amazon page near you.

Praise for Writing for Children and Teens: A Crash Course

"There are lots of books about writing for children out there. Many are good. Some are great. What sets this book apart is Cynthea Liu's straightforward, take-no-prisoners approach to teaching writing. There's no fat or fluff or baloney in this book; no long philosophical rants about writing. Instead, you'll find a distillation of how to write for kids written in clear, direct, language that's fun to read. It's like having a friend explain something to you over a plate of brownies. If want to learn how to write for kids, then this is the book to get." - EQ ★★★★★

"The number of books lining the shelves on writing for children is mind-boggling. This is THE ONE you should pick up. Cynthea teaches the ins and outs of writing strong books for children with humor and excellent examples. Though this kind of expression may usually be reserved for novels, it is appropriate to say that this book is a page-turner. Once you start you can't stop reading it." - Stephanie G. ★★★★★

"Excellent book with so much helpful information including how to set up your manuscript for submissions. If you're looking to get into submitting your work for publication to different publishers, this book is a must-have!" - Terra Kern ★★★★★

How to Write, Revise, and Publish a Kid's or Teen Book with Children's Book Publishers

If you're dying to know how to get your children's or teen book published, hop in this fun ride and rev that story engine. Please note: this book is not only suitable for adults but also for determined young writers (age 13 and up, middle school and high school grades, too). If you have younger writers (12 or under in the family or classroom), this is a fun resource for you to learn from to help answer their questions about how children's book publishing works.

Nowhere will you find a more comprehensive, current, and detailed reference guide designed specifically for writing children and young adults, written by a bestselling, award-winning children's book author who is in the field today.

How to stress-test your book ideas for the marketplace for any format

  • How long your manuscript should be for any format
  • How to format your manuscript
  • How to write and revise your manuscript to make your book great including topics such as target audience, target market, character, plot, theme, setting, and description
  • Common writing issues to avoid along with possible solutions
  • How to determine if one should pursue major trade, small press, self-publishing, independent publishing, or hybrid publishing
  • How to physically or electronically submit to literary agents and editors
  • How to write a cover letter, query, synopsis, and author bio designed to entice
  • Submission strategies for just about any situation for writers who have little to no experience
  • How to interpret confusing submission guidelines, complete with advice on how to communicate professionally with agents and editors using their lingo
  • Where to seek valuable input and help from the writing community
  • Important resources, tools, and organizations every children's and teen book writer should know about

  • Editorial Reviews

    From the Author

    Dear Future Children's and Teen Book Authors,

    It is with great pleasure that I have finally gotten the pooch crew to help me update the original book that started it all, well before I was even published, back in 2008! Nearly fifteen years later, here I am, working full-time as a book author, coach, teacher, and publishing consultant for a group of special people I truly adore (these would be the kiddos, not you. KIDDING, KIDDING!) 
    I have been truly lucky to meet so many fantastic adults who share the same purpose as I do--to write great books for kids and teens. We wish to write the books we wished we had when we were younger ourselves. This is the mission that drives us all. I have not met one exception yet out of the thousands of writers I have encountered or worked with directly over the years. 
    I am so happy to have been part of your journey through your selection and reading of this book. Thank you so much for spending time with me by taking the crash course so that we all can help spread the joy of reading and enlightenment to the young people of our world.

    Happy writing, revising, and publishing,

    Cynthea Liu (and the pooch crew) at Writing for Children and Teens.

    Product details

    • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pivotal Publishing (January 8, 2023)
    • Language ‏ : ‎ English
    • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 247 pages
    • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0999033271
    • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0999033272
    • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 - 17 years
    • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
    • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.56 x 8.5 inches