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Courses >
Writing & Publishing > Writing for Children
 Join a published children's author and discover how you can touch the hearts of children by creating books for them. If you're a beginning writer, this course will help you transform a book idea into a finished product that you'll be proud to place into the hands of potential publisher. And if you're already a successful writer, this course will help you explore new opportunities and markets for your work.
In this highly interactive, hands-on course, you'll take pen to paper and begin work on your very first fiction or nonfiction manuscript. In the process, you'll explore the changing world of children's literature and understand the various formats--from baby's first books to novels for young adults. You'll get insights from guest authors and editors to gain a better understanding of the needs of today's market. By researching the genre and recognizing niche players, you'll open doors of opportunity, many of which you may not have previously considered. By the time you finish this course, you'll have all the tools and resources you'll need to continue to grow as a writer for children.
This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Carol Parenzan Smalley.
 Carol Parenzan Smalley is a children's writer, an editor, a library consultant, and a college instructor. Her books for children include Fats, Oils, and Sweets for Scholastic, No Hands Allowed: DaMarcus Beasley, Robbie Reader Biography: Henry Hudson, and Extreme Sports: Riding the Giant Wave with Garrett MacNamara for Mitchell Lane Publishing, A Mathematical Walk through an Amusement Park for TouchSmart, a guide to American Sign Language for Barnes and Noble, a five-book series on the U.S. government for Perfection Learning, and more. She is a frequent contributor to publications for writers, and she spends her free time conducting workshops for her many readers.
To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
Requirements:
Access to a library or bookstore that stocks children's books, Microsoft Word or other word processing software, Internet access, e-mail, and the Netscape or Firefox or Internet Explorer Web browser.
Syllabus:
All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.
| Week One |
| Wednesday - Lesson 01 |
Are you a beginning writer with a story to tell or a published writer who wishes to build on your successes? Do you dream of creating books that children will love? In our first lesson, we're going to revisit your childhood in order to help you move forward in your writing career. We'll spend time with a children's media consultant to learn about her childhood, her love for books, and the changing face of children's publishing. You'll discover that the best way to write well is to read well-written books. And, we'll discuss that Harry character and the impact he has on your future.
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| Friday - Lesson 02 |
In this lesson, we'll focus specifically on children's picture books. We'll start by defining the category of picture books and dissect a few samplings on the shelves—board books, cloth books, picture books, and picture storybooks. We'll spend some time with noted children's picture book author and illustrator Ian Falconer, creator of the "Olivia" books. And you'll discover a magic number.
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| Week Two |
| Wednesday - Lesson 03 |
In today's lesson, we'll explore books for beginning readers and discover resources available to writers to assist them in their creation of books that children will love to read (and read because they love them). We'll visit with an editor of children's educational materials and a relatively new writer who's made his introduction into children's writing through the educational market. And we'll uncover opportunities for you in this category of children's literature.
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| Friday - Lesson 04 |
Today, we'll explore the world of literature designed for the middle school and high school readers. We'll uncover the reasons why these books are demanding a larger amount of shelf space in libraries and bookstores. We'll spend time with an expert on young adult literature and learn more about this relatively new area of children's literature.
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| Week Three |
| Wednesday - Lesson 05 |
In today's lesson, we'll embark on a nonfiction book tour. Because good fiction is rooted in accurate facts, there's wonderful information in today's sampling for fiction writers, too, especially in the area of research. Travel along with an expert in nonfiction research, and discover how you can improve your writing by uncovering facts through primary and secondary sources. We've come a long way from bland biographies!
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| Friday - Lesson 06 |
Today, you'll join a group of eleven writers who between them have penned almost 200 books and magazine articles! Some of the writers are relatively new to the craft. Others have been doing it for many years. All of them are growing in their profession, and all will openly share what's worked (and what hasn't worked) for them. You'll learn about their typical writing day, their sources of inspiration, and the passion behind their creative endeavors.
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| Week Four |
| Wednesday - Lesson 07 |
In this lesson, our guest writers will share information about the research that goes into a book idea. We'll discuss the energy devoted to fine-tuning that first page in order to grab an editor's attention. Our guest writers will share tricks that help them think visually throughout the writing process, and they'll offer some of their successes in creating pages that readers want to turn.
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| Friday - Lesson 08 |
Grab your red pens—it's time to edit! Our guest writers know that writing is all about rewriting. Today, you'll journey with them as they share some of the methods they use to turn their first drafts into contracted manuscripts. You'll discover how to read like an editor and improve your publishing opportunities. They'll tell you why you should surround yourself with a circle of like-minded writers—your critique group—to gather fresh input, perspective, and suggestions regarding your writing. And you'll get started with your critique group right away—as part of your class assignment, you'll be invited to submit part of a working manuscript for your fellow students to critique.
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| Week Five |
| Wednesday - Lesson 09 |
In this lesson, we're going to explore the needs of publishing houses to help guide you in your search for finding a home for your book manuscript or magazine article. You'll discover how to improve your odds through market research. You'll uncover the resources that our guest writers use to target publishers and how they know the right time to send out their manuscripts. And we'll spend a few moments with an editorial director from an educational publishing house to learn more about the growing needs in this specialty market.
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| Friday - Lesson 10 |
Today, you'll learn how to align yourself with published authors by appearing professional through the submission process. We'll spend time with a noted author discussing query and cover letters, and you'll learn how to craft correspondence to gain the attention of editors. You'll find out how to get your submission out of the slush pile and onto the desks of editors. You'll learn the correct way to format your manuscript, and laugh along with our guest writers as they share some of their favorite rejection stories (and the lessons they learned in the process).
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| Week Six |
| Wednesday - Lesson 11 |
In today's lesson, we'll explore the business side of children's publishing. We'll move beyond the writing and submission components and into the world of contracts and promotion. You'll learn all about it through the words of a seasoned marketing pro who specializes in the children's publishing world. You'll learn how to get your books off of bookshelves and into the hands of your readers. And you'll have fun with us as our writer guides share some of their favorite promotional tricks too.
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| Friday - Lesson 12 |
As we wrap up our course on writing for children, we'll look for ways to continue to grow ourselves as writers. Journey with us one more time as we learn how professional writers continue to develop in their craft each and every day. You'll discover organizations and online communities that offer support to writers. You'll meet the president of the largest association of children's writers and illustrators. And you'll hear final words of advice from our guest writers as they welcome you into the world of children's publishing. Dream big, and write well!
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To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
Student Reviews:
"As a person just trying to understand the industry and write her first manuscript, I found the class extremely helpful."
"Carol is a surperb instructor, extremely knowlegable and interactive. My only regret is that the end was inevitable. I would love to see more courses offered by Carol!"
"I am so glad I took this course! It really has inspired me to take my casual interest in writing children's books more seriously. I plan to make more time for my writing and start keeping better track of the ideas that pop into my head. I plan to spend a lot more time at my local library doing research. And maybe one day I will get serious about trying to get published. Thank you, Carol and fellow students, it has been a real pleasure."
"I originally signed up for this class to help me with my writing career. I thought I had a clear vision of what I wanted to do. Now, however, with every lesson that I complete, I discover another avenue that I’d like to explore!"
"I would highly recommend Writing for Children. Carol provides excellent resources and information in her course. She provides helpful and encouraging interaction with her students. She has a delightful sense of humor. I can tell she really enjoys writing for children herself, as well as teaching others how to write for children."
"Thank you, Carol, for your words of wisdom and your ability to encourage a discussion group. Your challenging replies to our discussion questions made us use our heads and spark our own creative solutions to our dilemmas. That gave us confidence."
"Thank you for a delightful journey through children's writing. I have learned more than I thought possible. I will continue to work on my story and see where it goes."
"Thank you so much for making this class incredible! I never knew I could learn so much in such a short period of time. Carol, your example and words of wisdom have helped so much!"
"This course and Carol have broadened my horizons as to writing for children. The information that was given was highly useful and the input from Carol was always positive and helpful in ways in which we could learn and grow. I'd highly recommend this course to anyone in the least bit interested in pursuing writing for children. It has been an inspirational undertaking for me!"
"This is an excellent course! It is up-to-date with information on the children's writing market. The author interviews were extremly helpful to me."
To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
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