Today’s Children’s Books

Diverse books are now in demand. Publishers are looking for books about children from different ethnic backgrounds who participate in everyday activities, not necessarily in an activity that showcases a different country or culture, but those are popular, too. Diverse books depict families and cultures, promoting understanding and acceptance.

Own Voices is also popular. The definition encompasses all forms of diversity, including disability, sexual orientation, and religion by authors who write about circumstances within their own experiences. This prevents glaring stereotypes or common misconceptions.

Write about a subject kids enjoy. What do kids like? I wrote a book, THE TRUTH ABOUT PRINCESSES, a nonfiction book focusing on fairy tale princesses. When I do book signings, little girls often reach for that book first.

Boys love trucks and cars and rocks. On a school visit, a parent asked me if I had a book on rocks. She said every time she did laundry, she found rocks in her son’s pants. Voila! An idea for a book. As it turns out, I did a six-book series on rocks. Other topics kids love are robots, ballerinas, heavy machinery, cowboys, super heroes, and animals. Listen to what parents and children request.

Notice what is not in the marketplace. One Sunday when I was employed as a librarian, I read an article about pink dolphins. The next day I checked the distributor’s list and could not find a book on the subject. Once again, voila! I had an idea for a book and a couple of years later, I held my literary baby, ON THE BANKS OF THE AMAZON, for the first time. Editors are intrigued with new and different topics.

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

Save the Earth Poetry Prize.  Open to high school students, grades 11 & 12. Genre: Poem (1). Poems submitted should, in any way possible, evoke humankind’s awareness of the natural world and nature as such. Prize: $200 awarded to seven winners. Deadline: March 31, 2018.
Submissions guidelines at https://sites.google.com/site/savetheearthpoems/

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Speculative Literature Foundation Older Writers Grand. Restrictions: Open to writers who are fifty years of age or older at the time of grant application. Genre: Speculative fiction. Prize: $500.   Deadline: March 31, 2018. 

Submissions guidelines at http://speculativeliterature.org/grants/slf-older-writers-grant/

Nancy Kelly Allen has written 40+ children’s books and a cookbook, SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY: BOURBON COOKBOOK.

Leave a message or check out my blog at www.nancykellyallen.com

 

Trends

If you’ve been writing or reading children’s literature for a few years, you’ve probably noticed some changes. Let’s look what editors and agents are seeking:

Graphic novel style of writing has moved into the picture book arena.

Short picture book manuscripts, 500 words or less, are hot property.

Middle grade stand alone and series. Historical fiction remains popular.

In middle grade and young adult books, authentic characters take on real world issues.

Diverse books and diverse voices from around the world are sought by agents and editors.

Fantasy is still fashionable in young adult books.

Nonfiction books retain their popularity.

Biographies of the famous and the not-so-famous are in vogue.

Retelling of folktales are, once again, in demand.

A constant in children’s literature is the author who writes original stories with authentic voice and laugh-out-loud books.

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

805. Awaiting Your Masterpiece. We can't wait to see your work!  We seek writing and art that is unexpected, striking, and moving. We accept submissions from residents of Manatee County as well as the rest of the universe. We take submissions from debut, emerging, and established authors and artists.
Art & Photography

Five at a time
Fiction or flash fiction 

One at a time, max 2,500 words
Creative nonfiction

Two at a time, max 2,500 words each

 Graphic fiction/nonfiction

Two at a time, max 8 pages each

Submission guidelines at http://www.805lit.org/submissions

Nancy Kelly Allen has written 40+ children’s books and a cookbook, SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY: BOURBON COOKBOOK. Check out her blog at www.nancykellyallen.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following trends seem to be what editors are currently looking for. Check the previous blog post for the remainder of the list.

Diverse books are popular. These works represent a wide range of cultures, family structures, and experiences. The books are about diverse characters that reflect the real world, but the stories themselves are not about diversity. Subject matter includes economic disparity, race, religion, and disability. Authentic characters and a great imagination can lead to a contract.

Nonfiction for all age group continues to grow. Writers are finding innovative ways to approach a wide range of subjects. Nonfiction has evolved into a broader definition. Author’s voice and the structure of how the story is formatted and told offer innovative approaches to new nonfiction titles available today. Back matter is information located in the back of some nonfiction titles.

Creative nonfiction is a growing market. These books read much the way fiction stories do. I used a combination of poetry and prose in my eBook, IF CLOUDS COULD TALK. Editors want more creative nonfiction, especially on subjects that have not been extensively covered.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) books are increasingly used by schools and home schooling advocates. My first book, ONCE UPON A DIME, involves the reader using math to figure out how much money grew on the tree each season.

Writers who tap into these types of books and storytelling improve their chances of getting their books picked up by publishers.

Since no overwhelming trend dominates and because children’s literature spans a wide range of age groups, an individual title can shine. Strong writing and creative approaches to subjects always prevail.

Call for submissions for Young Writers: 

Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers. Restrictions: Open to writers aged 16-18. Genre: Poem (1). Prize: Full scholarship to The Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop, an intensive two-week summer seminar for writers aged 16-18. Deadline: November 30, 2016.  

Submission guidelines athttp://www.kenyonreview.org/contests/patricia-grodd/

Call for submissions for Adult Writers:

Upworthy reaches a massive audience with meaningful stories every day, and we're looking for original stories that support our mission of creating a better world. That's where you come in. We're currently accepting pitches from freelancers for stories that are:

Surprising: Is the topic, narrative, character, or outcome something truly new?

Meaningful: If a million people saw this story, would it make the world a better place?

Visual: Are there enough visual elements to engage readers who might be skimming on a phone?

Shareable: Would you share it? Would your friends share it? Most importantly, would your mom's friend share it?

Our stories are generally short (usually less than 500 words), but we're open to unusual ideas that will resonate with millions of people, and we love to experiment. Most stories of this short length will be paid at a fair base rate with traffic and distribution bonuses, and all of that will be hashed out in your contract if we decide to work together.

Submission guidelines a thttps://www.upworthy.com/pitch-us

Nancy Kelly Allen has written 40+ children’s books and a cookbook, SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY: BOURBON COOKBOOK.

Hot Topics for Picture Books

What are some hot topics in picture books? Let's look a few:

Diverse books are now in demand and these books go beyond folktales. Publishers are looking for books about children from different ethnic backgrounds who participate in everyday activities, not necessarily in an activity that showcases a different country or culture, but those are popular, too. These books depict families and cultures, promoting understanding and acceptance.

Write about a subject kids enjoy. What do kids like? I wrote a book, THE TRUTH ABOUT PRINCESSES. There is a little princess in many young girls. When I do book signings, little girls often reach for that book first.

Boys love trucks and cars and rocks. On a school visit a parent asked me if I had a book on rocks. She said every time she did laundry, she found rocks in her son’s pants. Voila! An idea for a book. As it turns out, I did a six-book series on rocks. Other topics kids love are robots, ballerinas, heavy machinery, cowboys, super heroes, and animals. Listen to what parents and children request, too.

Notice what is not in the marketplace. One Sunday when I was employed as a librarian, I read an article about pink dolphins. The next day I checked the distributor’s list and could not find one book on the subject. Eureka! I had an idea for a book and a couple of years later, my literary baby, ON THE BANKS OF THE AMAZON was born.

Next week, we’ll talk more about picture books.

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

The Kid’s Storytelling Club. Want to create a story? Your very own story? A story to tell your friends, family, or a big audience at a festival?

Ages 5-12 years. Storytelling activities, crafts, telling tips, and creative story ideas for elementary and junior high students. Articles” Word lengths vary.

Submission guidelines at http://www.storycraft.com/index.html

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Thrasher. Boys 12-20. Focus is skateboards and snowboards. Articles: Up to 1500 words

Submission guidelines at http://www.thrashermagazine.com/user-help/photo-and-editorial-submission-guidelines