Submissions: The Search for an Agent
Do I need an agent? What do they do? How do you get one? Are they expensive? Jan Fields answers all these questions and more as you search for an agent.
December 1, 2022
Submissions: Why Market Guides Are Your Best Friends
Use ICL Market Guides as a launching point for your research and find a variety of publishers, what they publish, and their websites for submission guidelines.
November 22, 2022
Block Out Writer’s Block: Write Your Book to The End
One of the biggest challenges to writing your book to the end is writer’s block. Jan Fields offers tips for getting past writer’s block and finishing your book.
November 17, 2022
A New View of Your Writing Time Investment | IFW
Today we consider how investing in your writing time leads to success—even if the piece you’re currently working on doesn’t ever get published.
November 10, 2022
Is NaNoWriMo Right for You?
It’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Part experiment, part personal challenge, writing a novel in a month is an eye-opening experience.
November 3, 2022
Essential Submissions Tips: How to Write a Synopsis | IFW
Learning how to write a synopsis of your manuscript can be one of the most intimidating steps of submitting your work—but it’s also one of the most important.
October 25, 2022
Time to Talk About Submissions
Submissions take a lot of courage. In this post, we discuss how to use the skills you learn in writing your book to create targeted submissions.
October 19, 2022
Rediscover Your Writing Passion
Whenever we take a break from writing, it can be difficult to get back in the groove. Will we ever get it back? Let’s talk about ways to rediscover your writing passion.
October 13, 2022
Boldly Facing Your Writing Fears
Writing fears can keep us from success. Whether it’s fear of failure or fear of letting other people down, it’s time to get past those fears and move forward.
October 6, 2022
You Can Learn How to Write a Book
You can learn how to write a book! Learning how to write a book begins here and your next step is a novel writing course at Institute of Children’s Literature.
September 27, 2022
Try New Writing Techniques
How often do we, as writers, try new things with our writing? Fall is the time to take advantage of new opportunities to learn new writing techniques.
September 21, 2022
The Essentials of Writing Back-to-School Stories | IFW
Every year, book and magazine publishers buy back-to-school stories. Let’s talk about how to create projects that are unique and engaging to young readers.
September 14, 2022
The Essentials of Writing Romance, Fantasy, and Historical Fiction
Knowing the defining elements of a particular genre helps your writing succeed. Let’s look at the essentials of writing romance, fantasy, and historical fiction.
September 8, 2022
The Essentials of Writing Mystery and Adventure Stories for Kids
Identifying your story’s genre helps readers know what to expect. Here are the defining essentials of writing mystery and adventure stories for kids.
August 31, 2022
7 Things to Know About Writing a Book Series | IFW
Different book genres allow for the potential of writing a book series. Jan Fields reveals 7 things to know as you consider writing the next great book series.
August 25, 2022
Introducing Genre Writing
If you can describe your story with genre shorthand, it will help attract the attention of an agent or a publisher. Here’s how to think about genre writing.
August 16, 2022
The Trouble with Rhyme
We know without a doubt that children love poetry and picture books that rhyme. So why do publishers say they don’t want rhyme in submissions?
August 3, 2022
Poetry Play and Poetry Prompts
Looking at famous poems and really thinking about how the poem came about is one way to be mentored by other poets. Try one of these poetry prompts today!
July 27, 2022
So You Want to Be a Children’s Poet
You want to be a children’s poet? Great! Let’s explore how poetry and publishing connect so you can realize your dream of becoming a published children’s poet.
July 20, 2022
Who Has Seen a Children’s Poem?
What makes a good children’s poem? Jan Fields explores the essential elements of writing poetry for young kids including topics, imagery, musicality, and length.
July 14, 2022
