Words of Advice

So you want to write for kids....

Though we are here to help and encourage you, we can't give you specifics about where to sell your work. The children's book industry is very competitive and even published authors find it hard to find a home for their manuscripts.

You can use your library to look at "Books In Print" to find books that have already been written.

There are also market guides available with information on where to sell your work to both book publishers and magazine publishers. "The Children's Writers & Illustrators Market" published by Writer's Digest Books is one such book. There are many others, some specific to certain markets, such as the Christian Writers Market.

You are encouraged to surf the internet and read as many books as you can about children's publishing. It's a world of its own, much like any other industry, and there is much to learn.

One thing our chapter has is an annual Critiquenic where members get together for a picnic and critique each others' work. Often, critique groups will form out of this informal session. We also offer critique sessions many times during the year in conjunction with our regular meetings. A critique group is very valuable to give you support from other writers, as well as feedback on how to improve your writing.

We encourage our visitors to become members of the International Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. There are many benefits including discounts on conferences, current information on the publishing industry, many free publications, and the National SCBWI Bulletin.

Since your membership is a national membership you can attend events in ANY REGION at the member rate. In Texas we are lucky to have five chapters. There are many events you can take advantage of here in Texas. You are encouraged to check out their websites from our "LINKS" page.