How to write a children’s book , Picture books , Middle grade novel , Young adult novel
How to write a children’s book , Picture books , Middle grade novel , Young adult novel

Ideal For

Intermediate &
experienced writers

Prerequisite

Instructor
Recommendation

Time

332 hours

2 years

Tuition

Full Pay $1,515

Monthly $79

Ideal For

Intermediate &
experienced writers

Prerequisite

Instructor
Recommendation

Time

332 hours

2 years

Tuition

Full Pay $1,515

Monthly $79

How To Write a Childrens Book

Your writing adventure begins here

Writing and Selling Children’s Books is a carefully designed bridge that takes students from a short story writer to children's book author. Whether it’s picture books, a middle grade novel, or young adult novel, you’ll learn how to write a childrens book and how to sell your children’s book with the resources and guidance delivered in this advanced course.

Students are introduced to standard book categories and readership age levels, including picture books, a middle grade novel, or young adult novel. With an extensive bibliography, Best Children’s Books of the Year serves as a guide to individual, market-oriented reading. We teach you how to write a children’s book by uncovering, planning and structuring viable book ideas, then organizing your ideas into full length manuscripts.

ENROLL

How To Write a Childrens Book

Your writing adventure begins here

Writing and Selling Children’s Books is a carefully designed bridge that takes students from a short story writer to children's book author. Whether it’s picture books, a middle grade novel, or young adult novel, you’ll learn how to write a children’s book and how to sell your children’s book with the resources and guidance delivered in this advanced course.

Students are introduced to standard book categories and readership age levels, including picture books, a middle grade novel, or young adult novel. With an extensive bibliography, Best Children’s Books of the Year serves as a guide to individual, market-oriented reading. We teach you how to write a children’s book by uncovering, planning and structuring viable book ideas, then organizing your ideas into full length manuscripts.

ENROLL

Meet your instructor

Guide to great writing

Clara Gillow Clark
Nancy Coffelt
Troon Harrison
Kristin Wolden Nitz
Victoria Sherrow
Deborah Vetter

Where you'll see our published grads

HarperCollins_Publishers_Logo
Scholastic Logo
Highlights Magazine Logo
Cricket Magazine logo
Beaming Books logo
Albert-Whitman-Publishing
Babybug magazine logo
Learner-Publishing-Group-Logo-3ACROSS
Spider magazine logo
Sparkhouse-Family-Logo
sterling-childrens-books-85146337
Yeehoo Press Logo
ABDO educational publishers logo
boys-town-press
capstone press logo
Clear Fork Publishing
Flashlight Press logo
Heritage House publishing
High Five Logo
Keys for kids logo
nature friend logo
Pelican publishing logo
Smore magazine logo

Why Writing & Selling Children's Books?

CUSTOMIZED LEARNING

PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK

CONFIDENCE BUILDING

ACCOUNTABILITY

WORK AT YOUR OWN PACE

PATH TO PUBLISHING

CUSTOMIZED LEARNING

PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK

CONFIDENCE BUILDING

ACCOUNTABILITY

WORK AT YOUR OWN PACE

PATH TO PUBLISHING

CUSTOMIZED LEARNING

PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK

CONFIDENCE BUILDING

ACCOUNTABILITY

WORK AT YOUR OWN PACE

PATH TO PUBLISHING

Curriculum Overview

Strategies for writing picture books, a middle grade novel, or young adult novel are explored, including first draft checklists and instruction on key writing techniques. Discover how to write a children’s book with effective revision strategies, guidelines for researching and targeting suitable publishers, and how to prepare a professional book submission package.

Short Book Option

Up to 1,000 words

-Picture books 

-Easy Readers

-Fiction

-Nonfiction

OR

Long Book Option

Up to 60,000 words

-Middle grade Novel (8-12 yr old)

-Young adult Novel (12-18 yr old)

-Fiction

-Nonfiction

1

Consider It

Presenting ideas with child appeal.

1

Launch Pad

Describing ideas with markets in mind.

2

Narrow It Down

Two Book Proposals Geared for Marketing.

2

Refine Your Idea

Building a Strong Book Plan.

3

From Prep To Paper

Writing Your First Book Manuscript.

3

Getting Started

Hooking Readers with a Vivid First Chapter.

4

Book Form

Crafting Your Second Book Manuscript.

4

First Draft

First Draft: Set the Stage for Plot and Character Development.

5

Fine Tuning

Make Your First Book Shine.

5

Keep Them Reading

Write a Compelling “Middle”.

6

From Better to Best

Revising Book Two.

6

A Sense of Closure

Craft a Satisfying Conclusion.

7

Final Touches

Refine Book One and Propose Book Three.

7

Revision Breakdown

Polish the First Half of Your Book.

8

Home Stretch

Book Two Revisions and Book Three Draft.

8

Finishing Touch

Revise the Second Half of Your Book.

9

Final Steps

Revise Book Three and Prepare to Submit.

9

Get It Together

Final Revisions and Submission Materials.

Short Book Option

Up to 1,000 words

-Picture books 

-Easy Readers

-Fiction

-Nonfiction

1

Consider It

Presenting ideas with child appeal.

2

Narrow It Down

Two Book Proposals Geared for Marketing.

3

From Prep To Paper

Writing Your First Book Manuscript.

4

Book Form

Crafting Your Second Book Manuscript.

5

Fine Tuning

Make Your First Book Shine.

6

From Better to Best

Revising Book Two.

7

Final Touches

Refine Book One and Propose Book Three.

8

Home Stretch

Book Two Revisions and Book Three Draft.

9

Final Steps

Revise Book Three and Prepare to Submit.

or

Long Book Option

Up to 60,000 words

-Middle grade Novel (8-12 yr old)

-Young adult Novel (12-18 yr old)

-Fiction

-Nonfiction

1

Launch Pad

Describing ideas with markets in mind.

2

Refine Your Idea

Building a Strong Book Plan.

3

Getting Started

Hooking Readers with a Vivid First Chapter.

4

First Draft

First Draft: Set the Stage for Plot and Character Development.

5

Keep Them Reading

Write a Compelling “Middle”.

6

A Sense of Closure

Craft a Satisfying Conclusion.

7

Revision Breakdown

Polish the First Half of Your Book.

8

Finishing Touch

Revise the Second Half of Your Book.

9

Get It Together

Final Revisions and Submission Materials.
Enroll Now

Materials Included In
Writing & Selling: Children's Books

2024 Book Markets for Children's Writers IFW Publishing offers a complete roadmap to the changing world of publishing. In addition to 675 new and updated listings, you’ll find bonus articles to boost your knowledge of the industry and increase your odds of getting published. Plus, you’ll find sections devoted to helping you create a polished submissions package including how to write and format a query letter and how to properly format your manuscript so you can make a professional impression on publishers. The Giblin Guide to Writing
Children's Books IFW Publishing An overview of the field covering picture books to YA novels, including age groups, genres, fiction and nonfiction requirements and guidelines for working with editors, from submission to publication. Writing and Selling Children's Books Course Manual IFW Publishing The Instruction Manual published exclusively for our students. It contains assignments, idea generators, planning guides, writing and revision techniques and guidelines for preparing a book submission package. Supplementary Instructional Materials IFW Publications: Talk Abouts How to Become a children’s author, scooters girl Running Girl. how to become a children's author

Book Options

  • Picture books  
  • Easy readers  
  • Fiction  
  • Nonfiction  
  • Middle grade Novel (8-12 yr old)  
  • Young adult Novel (12-18 yr old)   
  • Fiction  
  • Nonfiction 
"Overall, it was a great experience and I was treated with respect and value. There is not a negative thing I can say about this institution. "
- Leanna Smallboy
"The individual feedback from the instructor in this course is priceless. I learned so much and feel ready to pursue freelance writing, knowing I can reuse the valuable information in the manual and other required reading in addition to all the specific instruction I received for my novel. This class was more helpful with my goal of writing a children's novel than my bachelor's degree in English."
- Becky Jensen
"This is my second course with ICL. Returning for a second one already says I value both the materials and the mentors. I want to add that ICL and the people I've worked with have taught me beyond being a writer; they helped me to create my process, build a framework for my craft, and to become a professional. "
- Inês Oliveira
"Overall, it was a great experience and I was treated with respect and value. There is not a negative thing I can say about this institution. "
- Leanna Smallboy
"The individual feedback from the instructor in this course is priceless. I learned so much and feel ready to pursue freelance writing, knowing I can reuse the valuable information in the manual and other required reading in addition to all the specific instruction I received for my novel. This class was more helpful with my goal of writing a children's novel than my bachelor's degree in English."
- Becky Jensen
"This is my second course with ICL. Returning for a second one already says I value both the materials and the mentors. I want to add that ICL and the people I've worked with have taught me beyond being a writer; they helped me to create my process, build a framework for my craft, and to become a professional. "
- Inês Oliveira

Tuition

Full Pay

$1,515
  • Fastest Completion Time
  • Access To All Assignments
  • Total $1,515
ENROLL
A single one time payment for the total tuition price of: $1,515

Payment Plan I

$79/month
  • Most Popular
  • $99 Down, 17 monthly payments of $79, and final payment of $73
  • Total $1,515
ENROLL
17 Month autopay plan requires down payment of $99.00 due at enrollment and 17 equal monthly payments of $79.00 with a final payment of $73.00. Total tuition price: $1,515

Payment Plan II

$59/month
  • Lowest Monthly Payments
  • $99 down, 24 monthly payments of $59
  • Total $1,515
ENROLL
24 Month autopay plan requires down payment of $99.00 due at enrollment and 24 equal monthly payments of $59.00. Total tuition price: $1,515

Full Pay

$1,515
  • Fastest Completion Time
  • Access To All Assignments
  • Total $1,515
ENROLL
A single one time payment for the total tuition price of: $1,515

Payment Plan I

$79/month
  • Most Popular
  • $99 Down, 17 monthly payments of $79, and final payment of $73
  • Total $1,515
ENROLL
17 Month autopay plan requires down payment of $99.00 due at enrollment and 17 equal monthly payments of $79.00 with a final payment of $73.00. Total tuition price: $1,515

Payment Plan II

$59/month
  • Lowest Monthly Payments
  • $99 down, 24 monthly payments of $59
  • Total $1,515
ENROLL
24 Month autopay plan requires down payment of $99.00 due at enrollment and 24 equal monthly payments of $59.00. Total tuition price: $1,515

METHOD OF PAYMENT: Pay using your credit or debit card! We accept Visa, Discover, Master Card and American Express.

10 DAY NO-RISK TRIAL: Our goal is to provide you with the writing skills and knowledge needed in today’s publishing industry. We are confident that you will enjoy our writing courses so we offer you a 10 day no-risk trial! If for some reason you are unsure or dissatisfied, we’ve got you covered. The Institute For Writers Student Protection Policy:

  • You have 10 days once you enroll in your course to change your mind. If you’re not completely satisfied, simply notify us, return the materials and get a FULL REFUND. It’s that easy.
  • After 10 days, you have the ability to cancel your course at any time. Whether you have paid in full or on a monthly payment plan, you qualify for our Student Refund Policy.
    REFUND POLICY: Our student service team focuses on student satisfaction. However, if you choose not to continue your writing course, we offer a refund policy. Cancellations within the first 5 days of enrollment receive a full refund. After the first 5 days your refund amount is based on: Tuition collected, Lessons completed, and Enrollment date. Learn more about our refund policy.