KidLit Help for
Starving Writers
SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) Free Resources: Although SCBWI is a membership organization, they offer some free resources and events that can be valuable for networking and learning.
Journey to KidLit an online site dedicated to helping writers write for kids. They offer a free children's book template.
Reading Middle Grade: Features a list of the best Kid Lit blogs, such as Teachers Who Read, Literacious, Here Wee Read, and several others. These blogs cover a range of children's literature, from picture books to young adult novels, offering book reviews, activities, author spotlights, and book lists.
Children's Book Insider: This site often provides free articles and tips for writers of children's books.
Mary Kole Kidlit: She offers some great templates and free advice, and when you get that book finished, she's also an editor. Oh - and she's also been featured on this blog - type in her name in the search bar to read more about her.
How to Make a Living in KidLit: This site emphasizes the importance of being part of the children’s book community for feedback and support. It highlights resources like the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and Kidlit411, which offer opportunities for connecting with other writers, critique groups, and industry professionals.
WriteForKids.org: A resource offering free articles and advice specifically for children's book authors.
Manuscript Wish List: While it's primarily a tool for finding agents and publishers, it also offers great insights into what agents are looking for in children's literature.
Storystorm: Tara Lazar offers free information and some fun activities for writers to get your inspiration going!
Reedsy Learning: Offers free courses on various aspects of writing and publishing, including some that are relevant to children's literature. And there's a fun popup questionnaire to find out which class is right for you.
Coursera and edX: These platforms sometimes offer free writing courses, including those focused on creative writing and literature.
Publishers Weekly Kids: They offer much free Kidlit information. You can find out what's new in the industry, Favorite Children's books of the year, and some slush pile funnies + more!
KidLit Book Cafe: Offers various services for book promotion and marketing, including book reviews, marketing plans, advertising features on their homepage, and email marketing campaigns. They focus on increasing online presence and book sales for authors. These things do cost money, but there's a lot of information on this site to help you understand if you need promotion and what would work best for you. It's also a great place to do research on other authors and what's selling now.
Writing.com: A community of writers where you can find free resources, peer reviews, and advice. You do have to register to join this community - I just did, and I'm curious to see how it goes.
NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program: Although NaNoWriMo is known for its annual novel-writing challenge, they also provide resources for writers, including those focusing on children's books. This group is for young writers 17 and under and educators (although as of right now, they have paused the educator sign-ups - I hope that means they got so many older and wise writers wanting to help younger writers that they had to pause.)
Project Gutenberg: For a broad understanding of children's literature, reading classic children's books (available for free here) can be very educational. These are books where their copyright has expired in the US. Go read for free!
Deborah Halverson Blog: Lots of great writing tips and industry insights. She was also featured on this site, where she shared lots of goodies for the KidLit writer. Oh - and she's also an editor!
KidLit411: A website where you can find resources, articles, and advice specifically tailored for children's book writers and illustrators. There are tons of free tools and insights on this site.
Okay - there you go! This is a solid list of some great blogs and writing help for KidLit writers on a budget (aren't we all!) Lots of free help and cheering going on in the children's book writing industry.
When one rises - we all rise!
Write~on
Angie
And as always, if you would like to be interviewed, please reach out to me. I love cheerleading for writers and creatives!
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