Sunday, October 13, 2019

Trends in Writing for Children and Young Adults



The adage of never writing to trends is one I strongly uphold, but I also like to keep my eye on the pulse of the publishing for children. In doing so I’ve found some of the movements in the marketplace.

Editors show interest in books (children - teen) that sell well in an international market. Setting may be in America, but the characters are universally relatable and stories evoke emotions.

Books with content suitable to be built into games and toys.

The demand for biographies of groundbreaking women has been overflowing and may be saturated. Yet, one told with a unique angle can be a hit.

MG humor and fantasy is strong, along with those offering powerful emotional punches. 

Illustrated MG is hot. So are graphic novels.

Standalone titles for MG.

Realistic contemporary MG and YA that tackles serious topics. 

Female protagonists in contemporary, fantasy, and literary titles for MG and YA.

Paranormal stories for teens have been down, but seem to on the rise again.

YA thrillers, mysteries, and horror are popular.

YA fantasy that can crossover into the adult markets.

Diverse books by Own Voices authors are sought after in every category and age group.

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

Skipping Stones. You can send your regular submissions of poems, stories, essays, art and photo essays anytime. We accept your submissions for upcoming issues as they come in.

Submissions guidelines at http://www.skippingstones.org/wp/youth/


Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Chicken Soup for the Soul. Everyone loves holiday stories and our contributors write great ones. They are so good that we create a new edition for the holiday season every year. We are now collecting stories for our HOLIDAY 2020 book and we are looking for stories about the entire December holiday season, including Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, and New Year’s festivities too.

We want to hear about your holiday memories and traditions. The rituals of the holiday season give a rhythm to the years and create a foundation for our lives, as we gather with family, with our communities at church, at school, and even at the mall, to share the special spirit of the season, brightening those long winter days. Please share your special stories about the holiday season with us. Be sure that they are “Santa safe” so that we don’t spoil the magic for precocious readers!

Submissions guidelines at https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/submit-your-story



Comment or check out the blog at https://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/

No comments:

Post a Comment